Here's the latest book review from Cydcor, The Magic of Thinking Big.

About The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz

Over four million readers have religiously taken notes on The Magic of Thinking Big. This book is a great starting point on how to achieve things most people want: financial security, power, influence, a dream job, a happy life. Dr. David J. Schwartz, an excellent expert on motivation, crafted this book to help anyone sell and manage better, earn more money, and—most important of all—find happiness.

First published in 1959, many of the suggestions to think big that Schwartz suggest are still great ideas 56 years later. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of a professional career, romance, and family life, as well as the local community. You don’t need to be a genius to find great success and satisfaction—but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that can get you there.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

The Magic of Thinking Big is arguably one of the best books ever written about the road to success. This is one of those books that you come back to again and again to find new inspiration. Success is most definitely determined by how we think and how we react to situations that occur in our lives. This is an excellent book for leaders due to its many chapters of encouragement, inspiration, and real life stories of people who made the decision to see things positively and had their lives change for the better. This book can teach leaders that in order to overcome fear or obstacles in life, a person must have an optimistic and confident attitude.

Our favorite part:

Throughout The Magic of Thinking Big, Schwartz lays out the steps that are required to acquire the secrets of success. He also describes three “diseases” that people can suffer from that lead to failure: excuse-itis, detail-itis and procrastination. This book can help build anyone’s confidence and mentality, while still inspiring them to think differently. In short, making smarter decisions and avoiding negativity are key to discovering the importance of thinking big in all facets of our lives.

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About First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham and Curt W. Coffman

Managers come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone has their own style of doing things to reach their goals. No manager is the same as any other, but many managers share the same traits: the ability to break any past rules and try new ways of thinking to reach the results they want. Marcus Buckingham and Curt W. Coffman have put together a book based on a study by the Gallup Organization made up of 80,00 managers in 400 different companies. Their findings present an enormous, in-depth study of great management, including those who did well at turning employee talent into real performance.

The main point found in First, Break all the Rules is that the key to attracting and retaining the best employees is excellent management. This book explains how the best managers use the talent of employees to set the bar for skills and experience, create clear expectations, and motivate and develop people to their full potential.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

Management is difficult to narrow down to a set of guidelines and best practices. Often, what works at one company doesn’t work everywhere else. This book presents a firm belief in an excellent principle of management that works: focus on the strengths of people to achieve the wanted results. Building a perfect team from scratch usually doesn't work because it’s difficult to find the right people for the right role. First-line managers are the key to an organization’s success. They are the vital link between company shareholders and employees. What separates a great manager from a mediocre manager is the ability to recognize and develop talented individuals right from the initial point of employment. Buckingham and Coffman do an excellent job of conveying their study’s findings in a way that is easy to understand but still insightful.

Our favorite part:

The essence of the data found in this book forms the four keys of great managers. These key points state that managers must find the correct match between talent and roles, turn talent into performance, concentrate on strengths and not on weaknesses, and assign roles to employees that give them the greatest chance of success. First, Break All the Rules also dives into the 12 questions that give organizations the information they need to attract, focus, and keep the most talented employees. The authors group these questions into various categories and explain why they are important to keep in mind.

About The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business:

Who would have thought that the most unexploited opportunity in modern business was organizational health? Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage is a daring proposal on why an organizational health focus can have a positive affect on your business. Lencioni’s writing style aids in making the case that businesses need to attack mixed messages within the organization while also cutting down on any dysfunctional politics. There are too many leaders today who still focus on looking for advantages in marketing, strategy, and technology. However, Lencioni is quick to point out that there is a potential gold mine that is in plain sight. Instead of trying to become smarter than the competition, Lencioni believes that leaders and organizations need to focus on becoming healthier. It’s important that they tap into the more-than-sufficient intelligence and expertise they already carry.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

Lencioni argues that the key to success in any organization is to make sure it’s healthy. To express his point of view, he walks his readers through a process in which we can assess the health of our own organizations and take steps to improve it. When putting Lencioni's tips and exercises to use, any organization can see noteworthy progress in each of the key areas of health that he names. The majority of organizations today have more intelligence, experience, and knowledge than they need to be successful. The health of an organization is neither attention grabbing nor quantifiable, and that's probably the reason why more people aren’t taking advantage of it. However, improved health will not only create a competitive advantage and better bottom line, but it also can boost morale within the organization.

Our favorite part:

Lencioni introduces four basic steps to organizational health: building a unified leadership team, creating clarity, over-communicating the clarity, and reinforcing the clarity. Through examples of experiences he and others have faced, Lencioni addresses the behaviors that he looks for in a healthy organization. These include a cohesive team, solid peer-to-peer accountability, handling office politics and bureaucracy, and how organizations need to strive to improve people’s lives. With the right modifications, this model for organization business can have great value for leaders in any company, whatever its size.

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About Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek

The world today contains many people who do not feel fulfilled or valued in their job. Fortunately, there are many great leaders who are creating environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things. While traveling the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams have built a great deal of trust, so much that they would put their lives on the line for each other. He also noticed that great leaders sacrifice their own comfort—even their own survival, such as in the military—for the good of those in their care. Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories, from the military to manufacturing, from government to investment banking. When it matters most, leaders who are willing to eat last are rewarded with deeply loyal colleagues. These are the people leaders should be looking for because they stop at nothing to look out for their leader’s, and company’s, vision.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

Sinek explores the unique ability for leaders to work with others and make things happen. This book has the potential to reframe the way people look at business as a whole. The leader plays a service role in their group by protecting it from external threats while still nurturing it. Sinek also explores the emotions that are essential for leaders to connect with. To do this, the book serves as a scientific study on the chemistry that is necessary for good management. It’s a worthy guidebook to navigating the road to becoming a better leader.

Our favorite part:

Although it’s difficult to pick the most outstanding part, there are a few chapters that will stick with most people. In Chapter 8 (“The Ceramic Cup”) Sinek deeply explores the meaning of a speech that the Under Secretary of Defense gave regarding the perks of a rank you receive and that they are meant for the position and not the person. The final chapter, titled “Becoming a Leader,” gives a final bit of advice on getting the ball rolling to become an effective leader.

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About In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.

First published in 1982, In Search of Excellence is one of the best selling business books of all time, selling nearly 3 millions copies in its first four years. The book continues to be influential for business professionals and is considered a classic. In this book, Peters and Waterman, Jr. explore the science and art used by the management of some of the most successful companies of the 1980s. By examining how companies such as Boeing and The Walt Disney Co. were able to be innovative and excel, this book puts strategies that work for management in the forefront.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

The book is an excellent recommendation for anyone in business management. Many people have called In Search of Excellence the most influential business book in the last 20 years. The bulk of the book focuses on 43 companies thought to be excellent at the time. Although this book was written more than thirty years ago, many of the points Peters and Waterman, Jr. make about excellent companies make are still relevant. Great companies struggle to remain on top over an extended period of time, but the excellent ones succeed. This is a good foundational read to build skills based on what it takes to be a company of excellence.

Our favorite part:

This book lays out the eight characteristics of excellent companies that readers can follow along with. These characteristics include a bias for action, close to the customer, autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, hands-on and values driven, stick to the knitting, simple form and lean staff, and simultaneous loose-tight properties. These eight characteristics are all still relevant today, and many companies still have difficulty implementing them. After the book was such a success, Peters went on to become a star in the field of management entertaining. This speaks volumes to how much of an effect this book had on subsequent business-oriented books.

About Competitive Advantages: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance by Michael E. Porter

This book looks in-depth at the foundations of building a competitive advantage over the business competition. Competitive Advantage introduces a new way of thinking about what a company does. Porter shows how competitive advantage can be found through the efforts of the company, but also the efforts of the company’s customers. Competitive Advantage also provides the tools to build a strategy that works and set yourself apart from the opposition. Competitive Advantages has helped countless companies and business school students understand where competition comes from.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this book to future leaders:

A competitive advantage is the key to a company's performance in different markets. This is very important in today's global markets where companies must compete against others around the world. The book explains how a business can build and sustain a competitive advantage. In particular, the book bridges the gap that many companies have between creating a strategy and implementing it. The book is a critical read for leaders who play a part in their business’s strategy and for students studying strategic management.

Our favorite part:

The book highlights the need for every aspect of a company to play a role in creating a competitive advantage. Production, marketing, finance, human resources, and others all play essential roles for a business. Porter describes how a firm can put the three generic competitive strategies of leadership, differentiation, and focus into practice. Even if you're not a business-school-type, there is much value to find in this book. It'll also give you a useful framework for studying what your business is doing right and wrong, where it’s vulnerable, and how it relates to the rest of the market. This is key to really find a competitive advantage.

Since retiring from General Electric in 2001, Jack Welch has stayed busy. Welch led the company for forty years, challenging the competition and learning the best ways to run a large company successfully. With Winning, Welch has written the bible of business, examining the answers to the most difficult challenges people run into on the job and in their personal lives. Welch's words speak to people at every level of business, no matter the size of the company or the importance of the role. Welch's optimistic, no excuses, get-it-done mind-set keeps readers engaged. Winning offers deep insights and solutions to the problems that many people in business face today.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this book to future leaders:

Welch begins Winning with an introductory section called "Underneath It All," which describes his business philosophy. He explores the importance of values, candor, differentiation, and voice and dignity for all. Those interested in the human side of great leaders will find this last section especially appealing. In it, Welch answers the most interesting questions that he's received in the last several years while traveling the globe addressing audiences of executives and business school students. Perhaps the funniest question in this section comes at the very end, posed originally by a businessman in Frankfurt, who queried Welch on whether he thought he'd go to heaven (we won't give away the ending). Welch's down-to-earth writing style that helps you understand these timeless principles in a fresh way. As you're reading, you can almost picture him speaking the words in some business school auditorium or a Fortune 100 management retreat.

Our favorite part:

The bulk of Winning is devoted to real situations that many run into while working in business, and it’s split into three sections. The first section analyzes the company, from leadership to choosing employees who can make change happen. The second section looks outside at the competition, with chapters on different strategies that work. The final section of the book, arguably the most important, is about taking your career to the next level. This includes finding the perfect job and achieving a solid work-life balance.

About Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins & Jerry I. Porras

Exploring and comparing eighteen exceptional companies to discover what stands out, Built to Last offers an insightful look into what it means to be a visionary company. The book strives to answer the question of what truly makes companies exceptional and different from the competition—in particular, what one element is key. Acting as handbook for leaders and visionaries, the book strives to put a new spin on outdated business models. What is typically thought to be the key to creating a lasting company isn’t exactly what’s been found to be true.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this book to future leaders:

This book acts as a fantastic framework of practical business advice that can be applied by any leader to their company. It focuses on building organizations that thrive and prosper, even into the future. Myths are also explored, such as the requirement for a sellable product and tough leaders. Instead, the book suggests that all that’s needed is an atmosphere that allows people to try new things and stick to things that work. Another strong section of the book is its analysis of twelve business myths, including the requirement of a master plan to success. Instead of this approach, many businesses just try out new strategies until one sticks. Discerning these myths from the truth is helpful for any reader looking to learn more about business.

Our favorite part:

Collins and Porras offer many examples of real businesses that can be considered visionary, but the companies they choose stand out due to their thorough research. Their six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business led them to collecting the characteristics of a great company, which will be extremely valuable for all entrepreneurs looking to one day build their own company. It takes many ingredients to cook up a lasting company, but this book serves as an excellent cookbook.

About Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur

Business Model Generation features powerful strategic tools and ideas to change up a business’s model and plan for whatever tomorrow brings. Whenever an organization needs to adapt to a new market, a strategy that is different than anything before is key. Acting as handbook for leaders and visionaries, the book strives to put a new spin on outdated business models. It also includes a beautiful, highly visual design that was co-created by 470 “Business Model canvas” practitioners from 45 different countries.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this book to future leaders:

Popular companies worldwide use many of the techniques and strategies found in this book, including 3M and Deloitte. This book would definitely be recommended for any business professional that is ready to break the mold or change the rules regarding their business strategy. If this topic is new to readers, Business Model Generation is easy to pick up, a one-stop resource for a variety of broad strategies that would otherwise require going through multiple books. Its visual presentation is simple to follow and presents critical points well without the reader getting lost like many other business books.

Cydcor's favorite part:

This book was written within the last five years, so many of the strategies still ring true today. Case studies bring up interesting examples of businesses that reworked their business strategy for the better, such as Amazon’s large focus on online services and Apple’s line of mobile products. Many businesses today rely on the Internet economy, and this book doesn’t fall short of covering ways in which to make the most of reaching customers on the online. Combined with its easy-to-read visual aspects, Business Model Generation is another great addition to the list of books for potential business leaders.

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As the halfway mark for 2015 approaches, it’s time to reflect on the best business books that have been released so far this year!

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Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World by Peter H. Diamandis

Bold is an exciting how-to guide on creating wealth while still having a positive effect on lives around the world. The book is divided into three parts: part one is about technology that is allowing entrepreneurs to run their companies faster than ever. Part two focuses on psychology and insights from billionaire entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson and Elon Musk. Finally, the book closes with opportunities to make the most of the connectivity between people today.

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life by Scott Adams

An autobiography by Mr. Adams, this book covers how he went from constant failure to creating one of the most famous comic strips in the world—“Dilbert.” Adams shares his strategy for dealing with failure and how you can use it to your benefit. Advice regarding success and looking to others for inspiration allows any reader to see that failure doesn’t mean anything if you can bounce back.

Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! by Nicholas Carlson

This is a book that covers the inside story of how Marissa Mayer became Yahoo!’s CEO in 2010, as well as her desperate fight to save one of the internet’s biggest icons. Mayer’s story is an inspirational one, showing that reinvigorating a tech company for modern times is possible if the right person is selected for the job.

No One Understands You and What to Do About It by Heidi Grant Halvorson

Have you ever felt you’re not getting through to the person you’re talking to or not coming across the way you intend? There are a few things to help with that. Heidi Grant Halvorson is a social psychologist and bestselling author who explains why we’re often misunderstood and how we can fix it.

I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam

Instead of relying on scattered stories, time management expert Laura Vanderkam set out to add hard data from women willing to share their work habits. Overall, the women worked less and slept more than they assumed they did. They made time for things that made them happy, fitting the pieces together like a puzzle. They focused on having a balance with their schedules that wouldn’t eliminate flexibility and spontaneity. With examples from hundreds of real women, Vanderkam proves that you don’t have to give up on the things you really want to live a fulfilling life.

About The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker

If you’ve ever wondered what it truly means to be an effective executive, this is the book for you.  Drucker states that the measure of an executive is their ability “to get things done.” This is a book that was written nearly forty years ago, but many of the principles of decision-making are still relevant today. Effectiveness isn’t something you’re born with. Every day, executives are faced with problems that help them develop their leadership skills. Unimportant tasks are systematically eliminated, allowing for more time to focus on things that are important.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

Drucker lays out five simple but effective practices for an effective executive. These include time management, contributions to the organization, finding where and how to mobilize strength for best effect, choosing the right priorities, and putting them together with effective decision-making. The book also offers fresh and effective insight into regular business situations. Drucker constantly reminds leaders how scarce time is, and if it’s not managed, nothing else will be.

Our favorite part:

The Effective Executive is a great way to expand potential. As change only happens when the person is ready, it typically comes when a lack of change starts to have a negative affect on a leader’s work ethic. Executives need to be sympathetic thinkers, getting to the core of issues fast and effectively. If we reverse the order of activities to make the most of our time, results will almost always be better. Drucker echoes the main point of the book throughout: “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” If you only read one book about how to improve your personal effectiveness as an executive, you will find this to be a rewarding choice.

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