Malcolm Gladwell

Blink is about the first two seconds of looking–the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of “thin slices” of behavior. The key is to rely on our “adaptive unconscious”–a 24/7 mental valet–that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea.

Jeffrey S. Nielsen

When we join an organization, we’re immediately slotted into a hierarchy based on a rank-based system of “leaders” and “followers.” We then make false assumptions about our place in these hierarchies that divide our efforts, limit our growth opportunities, and rob us of meaningful, dignified work. These assumptions are what Jeffrey Nielsen calls the “myth of leadership.”

In this unconventional book, Nielsen calls for an end to “rank-based” organizational structures, which foster secrecy and miscommunciation, and steal the joy from work, while breeding corruption and abuse of power. Nielsen’s new model is the “peer-based” organization, which uses rotating peer leadership councils and cross-functional task forces to manage the organization’s work. These new entities are better suited to making decisions based on the organization’s competencies and customer needs, rather than on static functional groups or other artificial divisions.

Marilee Adams, PhD

Questions are at the core of how we listen, behave, think, and relate–as individuals and organizations. Virtually everything we think and do is generated by questions. Questions push us into new territories. The future begins with our thinking, represented by the questions we ask ourselves.

“Change Your Questions, Change Your Life” shows readers how to consistently choose the questions that can lead them to success, both personally and professionally. The book is a personal growth fable that tells how a seasoned executive, Ben Knight, uses QuestionThinking to move into a higher leadership role and how the same methods of change help him and his wife, Grace, enrich their marriage.

Daryl R. Conner

Conner heads ODR, Inc., an Atlanta-based consulting firm. For 25 years, he has been a leading expert in the field of preparing for and implementing change. Flexibility is a requirement as he touts “nimbleness.” In an earlier book, Conner described the structure of change. He looked at how people respond to organizational transitions and suggested principles for managing the change process. Now he moves beyond the notion of change management to consider the problems faced in leading an organization during a period of turmoil. He addresses the key question of how to prepare individuals for changes that have yet to occur and that are still unknown. His answers are the “nimble organization” and “human due diligence.” Conner defines “nimbleness” as the ability to succeed consistently in unpredictable environments, and warns that it requires not just flexibility but “speed, grace, dexterity, and resourcefulness.” “Human due diligence” addresses the human element of change and refers to the “extensive and comprehensive investigation” required to lay the groundwork for change.

Ann Marie Sabath

Ann Marie Sabath, the “Ms. Manners of the Midwest,” according to USA Today, offers to-the-point solutions to the most commonly asked business etiquette questions. She helps readers overcome moments of indecision, giving them the ability to function with the confidence that the impression they are making is a positive one. She helps us avoid that oh so embarrassing office faux pas, or unintentional inappropriate behavior, or appearance blunders that could lead to ridicule, social seclusion or even business disaster. This book thoroughly examines: the art of getting people to talk; proper attire; correct correspondence including rules about email; pleasing phone manners with tips about voicemail; dealing with decision-makers; handling social occasions and situations with ease and grace; international courtesy including the dos and taboos; and many business occasions where knowing the correct thing to do will pay off.