How I Got Here and Where I'm Headed

Wow! The initial response to this project has been amazing. So many comments, likes, etc. and 680 (and counting) subscribers to the newsletter. Thank you! Hopefully y'all will find value (and maybe even a little community) in what I share. And maybe some of you will even read along with me and gain additional insights into your work and world.

Before I share the reading list with those who are following along, I thought it might be helpful to provide a bit more context related to how I got to this place.

I first attended graduate school in 2006. I studied leadership because I was interested in gaining a deeper understanding of leadership so that I could 1) understand myself better as a leader and 2) develop the leadership abilities of others. The program was a unique blend of education, social science, psychology, and leadership studies; it was the perfect program for me. The challenge was that it didn't prepare for an actual job. What it did do, though, was teach me to love learning and to understand the importance of organizational culture and behavior.

I read countless books on leadership and leadership-related topics. I read many of the leadership and management books that are often mentioned on leading websites and examined in traditional business programs. I came to a deep understanding of Greenleaf's servant leadership theory and read about toxic leadership and gained an understanding of, and appreciation for, Gallup's important Strengths-based education and leadership approaches.

After completing my master's degree, I went on to complete a graduate program in organizational development & change. I studied topics like employee development, organizational design and the psychology of work, organizational behavior, and conflict and organizational change.

If it wasn't clear by now, I have a deep appreciation for the human side of things. That said, as I consider my upcoming business education, I will be looking at things through a human-centered lens. While I see value in, and the importance of, traditional marketing approaches, I am much more interested in looking at things through the lens of behavioral economics, choice, and consumer behavior. As such, the readings I have chosen look more like that than they do a traditional marketing textbook. So will be the rest of what I read through during the next 12 months.

I should also mention that I like to read widely. I'll be looking at books on mental health - an often ignored (at best) and/or ridiculed (at worst) area in business - though the tides here have been changing over the years. I'll spend time learning from some of the best storytellers around and digging into how radical hospitality can literally change an industry (or at least a small part of it).

Bottom line is this - I want to enjoy my learning experience. I want to look at each book as a feast of learning - an educational buffet that's been laid before me. When one book is done, I want to look forward to devouring the next one, leaving no meat on the bone. The reading list I'm compiling is unique. It's not a standard business education, but for those who know me, that should come as no surprise.

Here's to the delicious feast ahead; hope to see many of you at the table with me!