Book Beat

The Alchemy of Authentic Leadership (©2013, Balboa Press), by Steven Mendahl and Sharon Massoth, offers strategies to help leaders avoid scandal, be more effective, and heal their organizations. Because everyone’s leadership journey is unique, the authors start readers off with a self-assessment that helps them identify the attitudes, values, and behavior styles in six key areas that affect their leadership style. They are: money and finances; leisure, creativity, and fun; spirituality and philosophy; career and education; family and relationships; and physical and emotional health. The authors also provide information about negative beliefs that compromise one’s integrity, clarity, and motivation and how to use them as seeds of change, as well as how to apply tools such as affirmation and visualization to alter one’s behavior and leadership style. Peppered throughout the book are real-life case studies, executive coaching tools, and resources.



The Empress Has No Clothes

The Empress Has No Clothes (©2013, Berrett-Koehler Publishers), by Joyce Roché, shares the author’s struggle with the imposter syndrome and offers advice and coping strategies based on her own experiences and those of other high achieving leaders who have suffered from it (Roché is the recently retired CEO of Girls Inc. and COO and president of Carson Products Company, now part of L’Oreal. She was the first female African-American vice president of Avon Products. She sits on the boards of AT&T, Macy’s, Tupperware Brands, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, and the Association of Governing Boards.) The book identifies the difference between insecurity and the imposter syndrome; common behavior symptoms of the imposter syndrome; strategies for overcoming it; and why young professionals, the economically disadvantaged, women, and minorities are particular susceptible.



Even Monkeys Fall From Trees

Even Monkeys Fall From Trees is an old Japanese proverb that the Doug Lipp, author of a book (©2013, Hickethier Press International) by the same name particularly likes. It means that regardless of how capable or skilled anyone is, sooner or later, we all lose our balance and make mistakes. The book is designed to be a practical tool to help you analyze the service and products you or your association provide from the standpoint of being in balance. How well are you attending to both the art and science needs of your staff and members? It leads you through a process to do this, which includes 11 exercises you can use either individually or in group sessions with others in your association. It also focuses on two basic elements that are essential to providing a successful balance of outstanding one-to-one customer service—technical ability and interpersonal ability. Having technical ability means you have a complete knowledge of your job, your association’s products or services, and its various policies and procedures. When you have technical ability, you are prepared to be knowledgeable and helpful and thoroughly understand the science of customer service. Having interpersonal ability means you have a good understanding of and ability to use appropriate communication skills with your members. When you have interpersonal ability, you are prepared to be courteous and friendly, thereby understanding the art of customer service.