2020: Shining a Light on My Path to Clarity

As we welcome the new year, I thought I would share part of my own growth journey in the hope that it will inspire you to deepen your personal journey in 2020. Around eighteen months ago, I set out on what I call my path to clarity. It began when I read a book called The Straight Line, co-written by the father of a friend and colleague of mine. The Straight Line helped me realize the value of being clear in how I think, communicate, and set expectations (of others and myself) in both my personal and professional life. 

Today, in the spirit of clarity, I’ve decided to share something personal: The books on my nightstand. There’s a reason why each of these books is there. To be clear (since clarity is what I’m focused on!) the books change regularly. I pick some up, and I put others away. You may be asking yourself “What does this have to do with clarity?” Well, I am an avid reader. It’s how I learn, how I form opinions, and how I add clarity to my own thinking. As you can see, my nightstand holds a lot of books! Let me comment on just a few – and feel free to ask me about the others.

Ray Dalio – Principles. Love him or not, Ray Dalio’s must-read book is a life changer for anyone willing to open up their thinking. It’s a chronicle of his own thoughts that begins with principles to live by. Talk about clarity! This book is helping me to define and live by my own principles. I’ve never organized my thinking like this before, and it’s creating a tremendous amount of self-awareness on my part. As I continue to work through my own principles, I’m achieving a never-before-experienced sense of well-being. 

Tim Gunn – Gunn’s Golden Rules. A practical guidebook to changing perspective when things just don’t work! I love this book. I keep it on my nightstand to reference certain chapters and continuously remind myself that when things go wrong, it’s all about perspective. You really can make a fabulous lemon spritzer out of all those lemons life sometimes brings your way! (As an aside, I met Tim Gunn a few years ago. While our exchange was brief, it quite literally changed my life. I will be forever grateful to him.)

Chad Burmeister – AI for Sales: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Sales. I met Chad recently when I was a participant on a panel he was leading on Artificial Intelligence and its impact on information gathering and decision-making. It’s not hard to be terrifically impressed by Chad. This is a cool guidebook about what’s happening in the macro-environment. His research and perspective on how AI impacts the salesforce of today and tomorrow is especially insightful. The book is chock full of good content that any sales leader will want to know.

Malcolm Gladwell – The Tipping Point. Who can read a Gladwell book and not glean at least a little insight into some new thinking? It is amazing to me and a bit puzzling why and how certain things just “catch on fire” while other seemingly brilliant ideas just fizzle out. Reading this book has given me a glimpse into what can happen, and better yet, it encouraged me to be introspective about myself and my own company. Where are we in this journey, and what it is that will get us to that next level?

Anita Nielsen - Beat the Bots. I had the privilege of meeting Anita last fall, and I’m pleased to call her a colleague and friend. Her compelling book explains that while bots and technology will never replace the human element, they can certainly be leveraged to the overall success of the individual and the team. Another must-read for sales leadership and management. All you sales trainers out there, take a quick read and share with your leadership team. This book provides an excellent and easy segue into “solution selling” and building trust.

Louis Greenstein - Mr. Boardwalk. In full disclosure, this novel is by one of our own here at SalesGlobe! It’s a book about coming of age, as a man reflects on his past and understands how it has impacted his journey through life and his current state. It’s funny, sad, and definitely gives you insights into how people think, and the complex relationship parents have with their children. Well done, Louis!

If by reading one or more of these books – or by starting and sharing your own reading list – you pick up even one thing that helps you in your own growth journey, then my goal has been achieved!

What books are on your nightstand?