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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Big bank accounts aren’t the only thing that millionaires have in common. In order to find success, millionaires have to fully develop traits including courage, vision, and passion. Millionaires use a different line of thinking than everyone else. It’s not just about money, but life as a whole. Since thoughts have an effect on actions, people who want to one day be a millionaire should have the mindset to do so. Here are a few traits that many millionaires share:

Vision

Millionaires are creatives who are constantly seeking the next master plan. These people not only have big dreams, but they also believe that those dreams will one day come true. As such, wealth seekers should set lofty goals and not be afraid of uncharted territories. Professionals need to be constantly scheming about the next step and never dwelling on the past.

Passion

In order to fully reach peak potential, people need to be passionate about what they do for a living. Being able to enjoy work allows a person to build discipline and work their hardest every day. Ask any millionaire, and they’ll tell you that they enjoyed their journey to the top, no matter the difficulty. They believed in what they were doing and knew they really had something to work with. Find that passion, and one day you will realize you’ve loved what you’re doing for years.

Salesmanship

How are your sales skills? Millionaires are constantly pitching their concepts and plans, trying to sell others on the idea. Many millionaires also have well-developed social skills. Being able to converse with anyone and tell their side of the story makes things a lot easier. Developing sales skills, either professionally or on the side, can add a lot of weight to their business abilities.

No Fear

No one wants to find out they haven’t been successful with their latest endeavor. Most of us are afraid of failure. The thought of failure brings about a negative reaction and immediately brings up our insecurities. However, being afraid of failure also creates a fear of changing things. Nothing ever grows in the comfort zone. Millionaires know that failure is an essential part of success. We learn many things from falling down, but what matters is how we get back up. For millionaires, failure is just one step closer to real success.

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Cydcor is the worldwide recognized leader in outsourced sales teams and customer satisfaction.

When a business can deliver quality customer satisfaction on a regular basis, they tend to have a greater advantage over the competition. A good experience with a company encourages consumers to go with them again and builds company loyalty. When customers are satisfied, so too is the company that provides for them. Building customer satisfaction and reducing customer overturn is a long and sometimes difficult process. Taking the time to focus on boosting employee satisfaction can help drive sales by providing a friendly, professional, and engaging customer experience.

Listening is key to effective customer satisfaction. Not only does it have potential to boost profits, but it shows that you genuinely care about customers. Listening to their words and tone can tell you many things about the target audience of your business. If you can’t respond immediately to their inquiries, be sure to provide a timeline for response and make a note in to do so. Following up is also key to checking for customer satisfaction and completion. Customers have an expectation of the kind of attention and service that is delivered to them. Always strive to deliver quality results.

Excellent employee training can help customer satisfaction quite a bit. Customers can often tell the difference between an untrained employee who doesn’t care much about their wishes and one who provides consistent service and unmatched attention. Companies need employees who are flexible and can understand why customers are buying their services or products. Unfortunately, customers tend to get a company representative who cannot see the big picture with the company’s goals.

Intuitively, people who are at first exposed to customer satisfaction findings believe that the way forward is to examine individual customer responses and deal with each of them in turn. Salespeople understandably want to visit customers who have given them a low score and put them right. However, this isn’t the best approach. Professionals should take a look at the overall score of client feedback and use that to go forward. Typically, employees make the same mistakes with all customers, and these can be corrected easily. Looking at the whole picture and not just a section will always get you farther.

Building customer satisfaction isn’t an easy road, but it can make professional lives much easier. The way forward is to deal with problems within the system and not just focus on individual issues. A company should always seriously look into how they want to handle customer satisfaction. The company that puts a larger emphasis on this tends to do well.

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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 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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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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Most people will find themselves from time-to-time not performing up to their potential. It’s usually one or two things holding them back, and with the right coaching and mentoring, they can correct their flaws. When finding these types of toxic employee traits, it’s important to realize they can be fixed. Office leaders must work with their team to get rid of these flaws and improve on overall performance. A team that focuses on ridding themselves of the following toxic employee traits will rapidly find success.

Frequent Complaining

Everyone needs a few moments to grumble about something they aren’t happy with, but there are always people who don’t do anything about it. Leaders must work with these people to make improvements on their attitudes. By eliminating frequent complaining, a team can work more efficient and not sweat the small stuff.

Excuse Making

A professional always owns up to their mistakes and is willing to work toward fixing them. An employee who makes excuses on a daily basis does not demonstrate much responsibility. Make it clear that excuses will not be tolerated. Taking responsibility for actions is key to maturing into a true leader.

Gossiping

A strong team requires trust and faith in each other, and gossiping goes against both of these things. A team with the strongest bond possible will always trump anyone else. This may require extra time on team building exercises, as well as getting to know a team outside of work. When everyone can trust each other, there’s no point in spreading rumors.

Passivity

People who settle for less have no place on an all-star team. People who take initiative and aren’t afraid to be leaders will find themselves evolving for the better. Stressing the idea that everyone’s future is in their own hands can give a team that final push they’ve been looking for.

Non-Team Players

Everyone can work well solo, but they need to be able to collaborate with a team, too. When someone has an attitude that screams “my way or the highway,” it’s tough for others to cooperate. Let team members come up with solutions together, and reward those who are willing to work with others to get the job done.

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About Choose Yourself! by James Altucher

This book stresses the point that with the way the world works today, it’s never been a better time to “choose yourself,” or make yourself into the success you’ve always wanted. The support and assistance that may have once been there for people to succeed is missing, and it’s up to us to choose our own destiny. Altucher has created the perfect guide through case studies, interviews, and his own inspiring story to get a person on track to where they truly want to be one day. By putting in the required effort to build one’s own personal path, a new future can be built from ways of the past.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

Leaders will find value in this book whenever they feel a loss of confidence in their endeavors. Although success can’t be earned overnight, hard work and dedication are key to making it a reality. There’s a fire burning in every person, and you are the only one capable of cultivating it. The global economy has shifted, and it’s up to use to make adjustments to find success. Leaders will also find the combination of practicality and idealism valuable. Choose Yourself! is an approachable book with some teeth.

Our favorite part:

Altucher points out that in order to truly succeed, we need to understand the importance of mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional harmony. He offers useful advice on making these things possible for any business professional. The concepts presented are honest, challenging, accessible, and relatable to any aspiring entrepreneur. The book as a whole is encouraging due to its repeated focus on the importance of believing in yourself. Altucher also offers a daily practice routine for readers to mold to their own personal preference. All that is required is a solid amount of effort and belief that success can be achieved by working on ourselves.

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About The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

Hard Things is Ben Horowitz’s guide to things you don’t typically learn in business school. Most of this book is a summary of practical wisdom about handling the hardest problems related to starting a business. It may be exciting to jump into the business world, but it is difficult as well. Horowitz analyzes the different kinds of problems that leaders deal with today, even ones that people tend to not think about. This includes insights on managing, selling, investing, and developing a business. This is an ideal book for veteran entrepreneurs.

Why Cydcor recommends this to future leaders:

Horowitz never glorifies starting a business; he tells it straight that many people fail, and why. Many entrepreneurs or start up business owners will agree. It takes a certain type of person to succeed in this world, and that person must make hard decisions on a daily basis. Horowitz does great at defining what it means to be a CEO and summarizes it well. It requires courage to stand up for your decisions and to be able to sell others on your choices.

Our favorite part:

Although the book doesn’t make any guarantees, it’s still very insightful for anyone interested in seeing behind the scenes of the business world. What you hear on the news or read online is nothing close to the real thing. Someone would find a lot of value in this book if they planned to open a business in the near future. Horowitz is also a hip-hop fan, and he uses lyrics form his favorite songs to prove a few of his points. His playful attitude is a great way to understand difficult decision-making.

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About Leading Outside the Lines: How to Mobilize the Informal Organization, Energize Your Team, and Get Better Results by Jon R. Katzenbach and Zia Khan

Focusing on the modern workplace, Leading Outside the Lines is a great book for managers and leaders who are looking for success with their team. Katzenbach is one of the better sources for tips on organization and leadership, and this book is a great example. It’s tough to find success with organization in the 21^st century, but looking at the right research and striving to live a life with value can help discover that success. Katzenbach also offers great guidelines for company leaders and provides examples of companies that use these strategies, including New York City schools systems and Home Depot.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

Developing skills on how to think correctly about the informal systems at work is key for many business owners today. This book provides a well-written overview for developing these informal aspects of any organization. Since the book reflects the current times, most notably the advent of social media and its affect on organization. This is a great book for people who will find benefits in becoming a better leader.

Our favorite part:

Most management books find it difficult to simplify the challenges that workplace cultures tend to face. Katzenbach and Khan provide a clear explanation of ways to tackle this type of culture. Being a manger is far from easy, but this book is a great place to start if you lead a team and need a way to think outside the box. The case studies are great examples that can be applied for any organization and are just one of the book’s many strengths. Cydcor recommends this book for anyone looking to improve their leadership skills.

Here is Cydcor's Review of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard:

About Switch:

Switch is a story-driven narrative of why making changes to our everyday lives is difficult, but worth the trouble. This can be applied to companies, communities, and our own personal lives. Switch demonstrates that a successful change can be completed, and the steps you take to make that change can be applied to any other change you’d like to make as well. All it takes is creating a game plan that aligns well with changes that can result in the success we’ve always wanted to achieve.

Why Cydcor recommends this to future leaders:

The business world is tough, especially these days. Although it may be difficult, a few small changes can make a world of difference. The authors do a great job of explaining why change is important, and that it’s achievable. The motivation to want to change comes from one half of our mind; the other half wants to stay the same. By having a balance, any positive change can be achieved. It’s up to leaders today to realize this, and make these kinds of changes a reality.

Our favorite part:

Switch uses great examples of every day people that mastered balancing the two minds – and achieved excellent results. One of these stories regards a manager who took his customer-support team to the next level. Without spoiling anything, the manager removed a tool that most customer service teams use regularly. This resulted in a positive change for the company, creating the customer support team that customers have always wanted. By providing these examples, the authors showcase that anything is possible, if we’re willing to make the changes necessary for success.

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