Classic Books of Wisdom

There is a shared commonality between all those people you see on the glossy covers of Fortune 500 that you might not have noticed. All of these people read. Not some of them, ALL of them. And they love reading. If they didn’t before, they learned to love it. Why? There is a direct correlation between reading and your intelligence. Reading is the single greatest way to improve your intelligence. You improve your vocabulary, your critical thinking and analytic skills as well as imagination. Not to mention you are subconsciously teaching yourself virtuous habits like patience improved memory.

There are some books that are great and some that are not so great. Then there are those books that are revolutionary and one-of-kind, that they become gold standard classics year after year. I have read these books countless times and keep coming back to them because I learn something new from every reading. These books have become part of me. They are the foundation of all my learning and personal as well as professional development.

 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Originally published in 1989, this timeless classic is not just a guidebook, it’s a way of life. It is a road map on how to live an effective life. Stephen Covey’s ‘Habits’ is a book that enables growth and change. A sign of a truly good work goes beyond what it was originally intended for. Published to help guide the workplace, this book has made an everlasting impact among readers. Covey’s Seven Habits are simple to understand but like all the best models, can be a bit difficult to apply in real life. The ‘Seven Habits‘ are a remarkable set of gold standards for anyone who seeks to live a full and purpose life.

A brief look at these 7 habits:

1. Be Proactive: 

If you are not proactive, nothing will come to you. You don’t always have to have  everything figured out. If you are constantly working towards something, you not only won’t get anywhere,  you’ll move in the opposite direction and become very sedentary and unproductive. It is simply human nature. Everything is in motion. If you are not moving forward, you are moving backward. This is the foundation of everything. As one of the greatest scientific minds of the 21st century, Sir Albert Einstein, “Nothing happens until something moves”.

2. Begin with an End in Mind: 

The how is far less important than the what and why. You don’t always know how you are going to accomplish your goal, and often times the howchanges several times before you reach it. So before that you have to understand what you want and why you want it. You have to keep that in mind through the journey. It is always helpful to keep a visual with your goal in the front of your mind.

Now I have a military past. In the military, there is a way we approach any mission. We start with the end goal and work backwards to figure out where to start. Similar to how you should approach a maze puzzle. It is much more efficient and practical to do this because it eliminates possible mistakes.

3. First things first:

Priority is key. You have to put your time where things are most important and with things that will help you in some way.

4. Think Win-Win:

Every relationship in your life should be a win-win relationship. Some businesses operate only on win-lose. This is unjust and can ultimately lead to failure in the business in the long run. Still some companies, sometime unbeknownst to them, operate in lose-win relationships. For example, a construction company that doesn’t know how to use sales and marketing will price something at the exact cost it takes them to accomplish, thereby losing and making no profit. You have to make it win-win. Life is cyclical. If you really help someone out, when the time comes, they will turn around and help you out when you need it.

5. Seek First to Understand, and Then to Be Understood:

You can’t help others if you don’t understand them. Most people like to give their message out to everyone who will listen. Take advantage of this and listen to them in order to learn what they really want.

6. Synergies:

The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. This is everywhere in nature. Your body is made up of many individual components, each of which is crucial to the perfection of your body. However, the whole of your body together is greater than each part individually, yet no single part could function without the rest. This should apply to all of your business relationships. If you have cooperation between different team members of a single company, you have a very productive company. Likewise, if you have several companies coming together to collaborate on something, the result is very powerful.

7. Sharpen the Saw

You are the greatest asset you have and it is crucial to take time to look after ourselves. If you become too stressed and overworked, it doesn’t matter how much you think you are being effective, you are actually having a negative impact on your life. Steven Covey likes to tell the story of a person who is sawing down a tree for 5 hours. If you suggest that they take a break and sharpen the saw, they quickly reply that they don’t have time to sharpen the saw, they must get this tree cut! It is so easy in our to get caught up in the demands of life that we forget to take care of ourselves. The best ways to do this are to always be constantly aware of your physical health, spiritual health, and mental health. These things are not only helpful but essential to maintaining your sanity and happiness!

Think and Grow Rich

This classic came out of an effort by Napoleon Hill to study the most successful people in America and discover what makes them tick. What is the secret to success? Napoleon Hill is now counted in the top ranks of the world’s winners himself. It is said that Napoleon Hill created more millionaires than anyone alive or dead. The most famous of all teachers of success spent the better part of his life studying and researching the “Laws of Success” that are beautifully laid out in this work. In the original Think and Grow Rich, published in 1937, Hill draws on stories of Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and other millionaires of his generation to illustrate his principles. In the updated version, Arthur R. Pell, Ph.D., a nationally known author, lecturer, consultant in human resource management and an expert in applying Hill’s thought, deftly interweaves anecdotes of how contemporary millionaires and billionaires, such as Bill Gates, Mary Kay Ash, Dave Thomas, and Sir John Templeton, achieved their wealth.

How to Win and Influence People

This timeless bestseller from 1936, is a guideline for how to communicate with people and how to get others to do things for and with you. Every good thing that happens to you, comes from other people. You will quickly be lost in the fray if you do not learn how to deal with people. Today, more than ever, Dale Carnegie’s principles endure. They will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age. In this work you will learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

Let’s take a closer look at what he says:

The first principles talk about the fundamental techniques in handling people. This is an appropriate beginning to such a great subject. In this section he shows how it is essential to never criticize, condemn, or complain about people. This does not mean do not offer constructive criticism, much like fraternal correction. Always be honest and show sincere appreciation for things lest it becomes known that you are shallow in your dealings with others. Finally, he explains that it is vital to arouse in the other person a passionate desire for something.

From this, he moves into the second section in which he demonstrates the six ways to make people like you. This section is one the two main focuses of the book, so it is definitely worth a closer look.

The first way to make people like you is to become genuinely interested in others. This may sound obvious but you would be surprised at how few people actually think of this. People love to talk about themselves; let them! Secondly, he says to just smile. This can go a very long way in business as well as social life. Just show that you are glad to be where you are and not wishing you were somewhere else or with someone else. The third reason is one you might not have guessed but nonetheless it is true, remember that a person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language. So try to remember it! Next he says to be a good listener. This goes back to the first point; people like talking about themselves and what they are interested in. You never know what interesting things people have done with their lives. Following this he says that now you should speak in terms of the others person’s interests. This is the most important thing they want to talk about. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, make the other person feel important. This, in my opinion is the most powerful of the six ways. Simply because it can have a lasting effect on the other person. If you do this sincerely, that person is likely to remember you for a long time. Especially if this person is not used to being treated well.

In the third section, he shows how to win people to your way of thinking. This part is another one of the major points in his book.

First, he says that the best way to get the most out of an argument is to avoid it. If you think about this long enough, it makes perfect sense. Secondly, he says it’s crucial to show respect for the other person’s opinions and never just tell them that they are wrong, even if they are. On the same token, if you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Next he talks about the value of beginning your argument in a friendly way. This reminds the other person that at the end of the day, you still respect them and can get along with one another. I see the value of this everyday. The next reason is more difficult than one might expect. It is to get the other person saying “yes” immediately or at least early on. If you can do this, you are already ahead of the game. He then goes on to explain why you should let the other person do most of the talking. In addition, nothing makes another person feel better than if they think the idea is theirs. So try to get them to feel that way sincerely and yet all the while try to put yourself in their shoes while listening to them. This way you can be more sympathetic and understanding to their ideas. This is immensely valuable and is essential in order to lead a virtuous life. Another big point he makes is to make your ideas larger than life and then issue a challenge! Nothing gets people motivated like a challenge that they can all work on. These ideas have changed peoples lives ever since its publication and continue to be taught to this day.

Lead The Field 

Lead the Field is a practical guide on how to accomplish more. Earl Nightingale focused on what successful people, what they do, how they do it and how they think. The stories Nightingale uses to make his points are simple, but the lessons he teaches in these recordings are essential and timeless.