2020 Director's Reading List

Time Management
by Brian Tracy

138 pages
More than any other practice in your career, your ability to manage time will determine your success or failure. It’s a simple equation. The better you use your time, the more you will accomplish, and the greater your rewards will be. This pocket-sized guide reveals 21 proven time management techniques you can use immediately to gain two or more productive hours every day.

Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl

165 pages
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.

Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling
by Edgar H. Schein

144 pages
Communication is essential in a healthy organization. But all too often when we interact with people—especially those who report to us—we simply tell them what we think they need to know. This shuts them down. To generate bold new ideas, to avoid disastrous mistakes, to develop agility and flexibility, we need to practice Humble Inquiry.

The Story of My Life
by Helen Keller

65 pages
When she was 19 months old, Helen Keller (1880–1968) suffered a severe illness that left her blind and deaf. Not long after, she also became mute. Her tenacious struggle to overcome these handicaps-with the help of her inspired teacher, Anne Sullivan-is one of the great stories of human courage and dedication.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
by James D. Hornfischer

528 pages
“This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.” With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur’s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history.

Pessimist to Positivist: 12 Steps to a Happier Life
by Christina M. DeBusk

39 pages
Are you looking for ways to change your attitude so that you look at the glass as being half full versus half empty? In Pessimist to Positivist, you'll learn the exact 12 steps that will help you achieve this goal...giving you a lifetime of happiness as a result!

Catching Happiness
by Christina M. DeBusk

42 pages
Do you long for true and genuine happiness? Is life "okay" but you want to know how to make it absolutely GREAT? In Catching Happiness, you'll learn what true happiness actually means, as well as how to "catch" it so you can live a life that makes you super excited to get out of bed every morning!

Zen in the Age of Anxiety: Wisdom for Navigating Our Modern Lives
by Tim Burkett

182 pages
Zen wisdom for identifying the causes of mental and emotional anxiety epidemic in today's world and for finding the path to a peaceful heart in the midst of them--a path that leads directly though the center of the anxiety we're trying to escape.

The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict
by The Arbinger Institute

288 pages
The Anatomy of Peace asks, What if conflicts at home, conflicts at work, and conflicts in the world stem from the same root cause? What if we systematically misunderstand that cause? And what if, as a result, we unwittingly perpetuate the very problems we think we are trying to solve?

How to Buy Technology: Ng9-1-1 Recording and Dispatch Improvement
by Joe Mosed

134 pages
9-1-1. Dispatchers have the power to save lives. Every second counts in an emergency situation. Seconds Save Lives. Currently, people cannot send text messages, videos, or pictures to Dispatch Centers. This is a big deal because this additional data would save seconds and offer better response times for first responders. This is where NG9-1-1 (Next Generation 9-1-1) will have the greatest impact.

Learning to Lead: The Journey to Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading an Organization
by Ron Williams

322 pages
In Learning to Lead: The Journey to Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading an Organization, Ron Williams provides you with practical, tested leadership advice, whether you’re searching for a new career, looking for proven management solutions, or seeking to transform your organization.

Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead
by Jim Mattis

320 pages
Call Sign Chaos is the account of Jim Mattis's storied career, from wide-ranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the Middle East. Along the way, Mattis recounts his foundational experiences as a leader, extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of warfighting and peacemaking, the importance of allies, and the strategic dilemmas--and short-sighted thinking--now facing our nation.

Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
by The Arbinger Institute

216 pages
Through a story everyone can relate to about a man facing challenges on the job and in his family, the authors expose the fascinating ways that we can blind ourselves to our true motivations and unwittingly sabotage the effectiveness of our own efforts to achieve success and increase happiness.

Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust
by Edgar H. Schein

192 pages
The more traditional form of leadership that is based on immobile hierarchies is growing increasingly outdated and ineffective. Without the ability to actually communicate with their peers, leaders become alienated from their followers and productivity and quality are sacrificed. Authors Edgar Schein and Peter Schein recognize this reality and call for a reimagined form a leadership that coincides with emerging trends of relationship building, complex group work, and diverse workforces.