How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge
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I always have lots of thoughts and ideas and plans but I feel I am not always heard, or taken seriously, because I’m not in a position of power or have influence. That’s why I put “How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge” by Clay Scroggins on my reading list. Even those in charge would get some great nuggets out of this book, to help their teams thrive and discover future leaders. Plus, as Clay states: truly great leaders, no matter how successful they become, maintain a learning curve as steep as when they first began their career. “You will never passively find what you do not actively pursue.” – Tim Cooper

The House on Tradd Street – Karen White
Tradd Street Series #1
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The House on Tradd Street was recommended to me so many times. I put it on my list, got it for Christmas and finally sat down to start reading it last month. (I’ve been so slack with my reading goal, I need to do better!) I love a good book about Charleston, which is why I loved Dot Frank (and was heartbroken when she passed). I also love a good ghost story and The House on Tradd Street did not disappoint! I read half of it in one sitting because I just had to find out the mystery as quick as I could. It’s actually a series (6 books total) so I can’t wait to pick up the next one: The Girl on Legare Street.

High Performance Habits – Brendon Burchard
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1️⃣ Seek Clarity.
2️⃣ Generate Energy.
3️⃣ Raise Necessity.
4️⃣ Increase Productivity.
5️⃣ Develop Influence.
6️⃣ Demonstrate Courage.

I think 21 pages of notes says High Performance Habits was a good (and necessary) read. I wish I could’ve had some of Brendon Burchard’s energy bottled up from the Let’s Rise business conference last fall as I read it because it is quite lengthy.

One thing I immediately took back to my team was when challenging individuals to grow – we need to adjust the level of the challenge since one size doesn’t fit all – so we’re going to change the way we measure success for our monthly Golden Star Award.

There were many phrases that stuck out to me during my read, and I’d like to put some emphasis on this one…. “Life is short. We’re only allotted so much time to make our mark.”

Every Breath – Nicholas Sparks
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Book #5 of 2020. To break up my work day (and to beat my #readingchallenge) I’ve started reading a chapter a day of a fiction book over lunch. I highly suggest it, and I’d suggest this book too.

Navigating Chaos – Jeff Boss
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I felt like #NavigatingChaos was the perfect book to read during this uncertain time, and the 11 pages of notes proved me right. I even quoted Jeff Boss in our most recent manager meeting, “tackling the unknown makes you better because it forces you to call upon judgment and insight that you can use to make better decisions and navigate change next time.” We sure are tackling the unknown that changes daily. COVID-19 has given us a crash course on learning how to “shoot, move, communicate” and while some days have been a struggle, as a team we’ve adapted well. Boss was right, improvement is only attained by breaking through what one “knows” and into experiencing the “unknown”. We’ve learned what we’re capable of, individually and as a team, and have found new ways work smarter, not harder. Because there’s always opportunity in chaos.

The Ideal Team Player – Patrick Lencioni
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#TheIdealTeamPlayer was my first read from #PatrickLencioni and I’m hooked on his writing style. He creates #ALeadershipFable that is easy to connect with because you can relate to it, and is easy to follow along and understand. As soon as i finished the one, I immediately started #TheFiveDysfunctionsOfATeam. I lucked out that we already had a few of his books in our library. “If we want to create a culture of humility, hunger and smarts (the 3 essential values), the best way to do it is to constantly be catching people exhibiting those virtues and publicly holding them up as examples, when genuine, in the moment appreciation.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni
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Powering through my reading list during COVID-19. Two #PatrickLencioni books in a row, and tomorrow I’ll get to listen to his talk on The Untapped Advantage of Organizational Health as part of EntreLeadership Summit Unlocked. As I’ve said before, his writing style makes it so effortless to follow along and understand his books. I’m looking forward to testing out some of his tactics when in-person meetings become a thing again.

The Girl on Legare Street – Karen White
Tradd Street Series #2
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I finished the second book of The Tradd Street series over the weekend and I’m already working through the third. This series is so good! I love anything about Charleston.

The Strangers on Montagu Street – Karen White
Tradd Street Series #3
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Book #️⃣3️⃣ of the #TraddStreetSeries ✅ and now I will make my “Return to Tradd Street” (aka the fourth book, which arrived on my doorstep yesterday). I’m getting closer and closer to the end and I’m going to be so sad when it’s finally over.

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
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Along with Navigating Chaos, I thought this was the best time to read The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, to help find the best ways to show appreciation to our teammates out on the front lines. But I did feel those last few chapters were mainly fluff.

🗣 “By effectively communicating appreciation and encouragement to others, you can be the impetus that creates a more positive work environment for yourself and those around you.”

Return to Tradd Street – Karen White
Tradd Street Series #4
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Today I finished the 4th book of the #TraddStreetSeries, Return to Tradd Street, and I started the 5th book, The Guests on South Battery. And then there will only be one left. I’m going to need Karen White to continue this series for eternity. Has anyone read her other books? Are they just as good?

The Go-Giver Leader
Go-Giver Series #2
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I guess I read these out of turn and started with the Leader version over The Go-Giver original so I’ll have to grab that copy to understand a few references. I appreciated the styles style writing, just like Patrick Lencioni. It’s so much easier to learn and retain the information that way.

🗣 “You can lead only as far as you grow. And you will grow only as far as you let yourself.”

The Guests of South Battery – Karen White
Tradd Street Series #5
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I finished book #5 of the Tradd Street Series earlier this week and now the question is: do I order #6 in hardback and then my collection doesn’t match, or do I hold off till the paperback release in October?

Cocktails for Three – Madeleine Wickham
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I still have no idea where this book came from. I didn’t realize it was based out of London. I had a hard time adjusting to the writing style and slang. It was decent, but not sure I’d recommend it to anyone. 

Beach Rental – Grace Green
Emerald Isle NC Series #1
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I found a new series to obsess over thanks to my MIL. Quite an interesting plot. Without giving away too much, it’s about an arranged marriage for companionship so a man with cancer doesn’t die alone. The way the first book ends, I think there’s a plot twist in the way it was arranged. Can’t wait to see where it goes in the next 3 books.

The 10X Rule – Grant Cardone
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🗣 “We are required to live up to the potential with which we’ve each been blessed.”

Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell
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OMG, y’all! This book! So good. We voted on #ThenSheWasGone for the first book of our new #JSLbookclub. I’ve been reading on my lunch break and it was so hard to put down every time I had to clock back in. Has anyone read any other Lisa Jewell books? Are they just as good?

Regretting You – Colleen Hoover
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The first book from the #smalllovesbookclub was 🔥! Sooo soooo good. It was so hard to stay on track with the group’s schedule and not just read it as fast as possible. #RegrettingYou did not disappoint.

In a Dark, Dark Wood – Ruth Ware
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We’ve started out the #jslbookclub with some dark reads and I am here for it! I’ve always leaned towards the beach reads of Dot Frank and the romance reads of Nicholas Sparks so the change into suspense has been good. I’m surprised I was able to pace myself and keep my reading to my lunch breaks and not finish it all in one weekend.

Start – Jon Acuff
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Not gonna lie, it took me awhile to get through Start. I don’t think it was the book’s fault, I really do like the authors writing style and I will probably read more of his books – my brain just might need a break from business and leadership books. One key takeaway is to always start, be a starter, because the starting line is the only line you completely control, the only moment you’re the boss of. So start.

We Were the Lucky Ones – Georgia Hunter
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Wouldn’t have picked this one out personally, not my reading style, it was the December/January choice for the #smalllovesbookclub. But I really enjoyed it. Well, enjoyed isn’t the right word, it’s intriguing. In the beginning I was getting to caught up in the details of dates, locations, and who was who in the big family plus the random spurts of other languages, so I started skimming over that part and only paid attention to what was actually happening. I was surprised to learn at the end that it was a true story. No matter how much we read and research, I don’t think we will be capable of truly understanding everything the Jewish communities of Europe and their allies endured during WW2.

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street – Karen White
Tradd Street Series #6
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 I become obsessed with the #traddstreetseries this year and started off #thechristmasspiritsontraddstreet thinking that it was the final book of the series. Boy was I wrong! I started panicking as I was getting closer and closer to the end with many situations still left unresolved. Now I have to wait a whole 11 months to find out what will happen next! Maybe I’ll find myself re-reading books 1-6 next year as I impatiently await book 7.