Books
A full-time leader, one of my greatest needs is knowledge and continuing education. With that in mind, I read one or two books a month, spanning topics such as Leadership, Creativity, Biographies, Human Psychology, Branding and Innovation. Here's an up-to-date, ranked list of those whom have impacted and influenced me the most. Some of these I return to regularly and read again and again. Here’s my top 50-ish:
BE 2.0 by Jim Collins // Just when I thought Good to Great was the best business book of all time, he publishes this. Holy moley.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer // This book changed my life and transformed my understanding of who I am.
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
Stillness Is The Key by Ryan Holiday
The Practice by Seth Godin
Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck -- Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr // This book gave me perspective and understand of who I am and my relationship to spirituality.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office by Zack O’Malley Greenburg
Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great by Jim Collins // a tiny book that builds on Good to Great
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg
Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman
Better Allies by Karen Catlin
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek
The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live… by Brene Brown
The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age by Ben Casnocha, Chris Yeh, and Reid Hoffman
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
The Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything by Neil Pasricha
Think Again by Adam Grant
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles That Fuel Success and Performance by Shawn Achor
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick Lencioni
Originals: How Nonconformists Move the World by Adam Grant
Courage Is Calling by Ryan Holiday
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Awareness by Anthony de Mello
Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love it
3HAG Way by Shannon Byrne Susko
Proposals for the Feminine Economy by Jennifer Armbrust
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Fransesc Miralles
The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues by Patrick Lencioni
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell (get the audio book version!)
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by Holger Rathgeber and John Kotter
Silos, Politics and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Theil
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh
Shoe Dog: A memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price
Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business by Frances Frei
The Dream Manager: Achieve Results Beyond Your Dreams by Helping Your Employees Fulfill Theirs
Getting Things Done with Work-Life Balance by David Allen
Principles by Ray Dalio
Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Get A Grip: How to Get Everything You Want from Your Entrepreneurial Business by Gino Wickman and Mike Paton
Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't by Vern Harnish
Meetings Suck by Cameron Herold
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
Just This: Prompts And Practices For Contemplation by Richard Rohr
Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands by Marty Neumeier
Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential by Greg Crabtree
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlinggham
- Updated February 2022 -
Podcasts
In addition to books, there's so much wonderful dynamic content, ideas and interviews continuously flowing through Podcasting. Here's a few I recommend and listen to regularly:
The Knowledge Project // The Knowledge Project helps you master the best of what other people have already figured out. The best episode is #67: Keeping the Flywheel Turning with Jim Collins
Dare to Lead: Brené with Jim Collins on Curiosity, Generosity, and the Hedgehog
The Huberman Lab // Stanford Neuroscientist, Dr Andrew Huberman discusses how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body controls our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health.
WorkLife with Adam Grant // Brilliant academic on the science of human systems. Be sure to check out the April 2, 2019 episode on “An Office Without Assholes.” This episode actually helped me come to terms with some assholes I needed to confront in my life.
The Tim Ferris Show // The New York Times calls Tim a cross between Jack Welch and a Buddhist monk. He deconstructs world class performers from eclectic areas (investing, chess, pro sports, etc.), digging deep to find the tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can use. Be sure to check out his rare interview with Jim Collins.
Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman // Be sure to check out this episode on “Innovation is managed chaos” with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
Marketplace // Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, our leading business news radio program and podcast is about providing context on the economic news of the day.
The Indicator from Planet Money (NPR) // Helps make sense of what's happening today — a quick hit of insight into work, business, the economy, and more.
At the Table with Patrick Lencioni // Real conversations and practical advice for everyday leaders, from leadership expert, Patrick Lencioni.
Akimbo (Seth Godin) // Akimbo is about our culture and about how we can change it. About seeing what's happening and choosing to do something.
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris // Guests include legendary meditation teachers -- from the Dalai Lama to Western masters -- as well as scientists, and even the odd celebrity. But the show also ventures beyond meditation, bringing on leading researchers in areas such as social anxiety, bias, creativity, productivity, and relationships. The animating insight of this show is that the mind is trainable.
Making Sense with Sam Harris // Neuroscientist, philosopher, and author Sam Harris explores important and controversial questions about the human mind, society, and current events. Check out episode #194 with Matt Mullenweg The New Future of Work. Also check out his interviews with Adam Grant on “Understanding Humans in the Wild” and with Rebecca Traister on “Is #MeToo Going Too Far?”
Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly // A casual daily take on the US economy, current events and the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
How I Built This (NPR) // Check out the episode on VICE Founder, Suroosh Alvi
The EntreLeadership Podcast // Check out Episode #158 with Simon Sinek, #212 with Jeff Rosenblum, #204 with Sinek
2 Dope Queens by WNYC Studios // Phoebe and Jessica are funny. They’re black. They’re BFFs. And they host a a live comedy show in Brooklyn. Join the 2 Dope Queens, along with their favorite comedians, for stories about sex, romance, race, hair journeys, living in New York, and Billy Joel.
The James Altucher Show // check out Episode #217 with Tony Robbins, #194 with Seth Godin, #238 with Ryan Holiday
Reply All by Gimlet Media // A podcast “about the internet” that is actually an unfailingly original exploration of modern life and how to survive it.
Women at Work by The Harvard Business Review // Women face gender discrimination throughout our careers. It doesn't have to derail our ambitions — but how do we prepare to deal with it? HBR editors Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and Nicole Torres tell stories about their own experiences, and give lots of practical advice to help you succeed in spite of the obstacles. Check out this episode on: There’s More to Gender Than “Man” and “Woman”
Song Exploder by Radiotopia // check out the episode with Solange
Broken Record with Malcolm Gladwell and Rick Rubin // They dissect some of the greatest records, artists and stories of all time. Be sure to check out the two-part episode with Questlove, where he breaks down the making of D’Angelo’s Voodoo record and also the critical feedback President Obama gave him after DJ-ing the biggest party in the history of the White House.
On Being with Krista Tipett --> check out episodes with Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant, and one with Richard Rohr
Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin --> check out the interview with Starbucks' Founder, Howard Schultz
Invisibilia by NPR --> check out the episode on The Culture Inside (exploring implicit bias)
The Future of What by Kill Rock Stars' Portia Sabin // Music industry topics deconstructed
The Nod by Gimlet Media // The Nod tells the stories of Black life that don’t get told anywhere else, from an explanation of how purple drink became associated with Black culture to the story of how an interracial drag troupe traveled the nation in the 1940s.
Still Processing by The New York Times // A culture conversation with Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham
Hidden Brain by NPR --> check out the July 2, 2018 episode on The Edge Effect, on the creative effects of diversity
The Science of Success by Matt Bodnar --> Check out July 19, 2018 episode on Making Smart Decisions When You Don't Have All The Facts
Heat Rocks with Morgan Rhodes and Oliver Wang. // Join music writer Oliver Wang and music supervisor Morgan Rhodes each week as they invite their favorite artists, critics and scholars for in-depth conversations about the albums that shape our lives.
99% Invisible by Roman Mars // Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we've just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture.
Radical Candor // Expanding on the transformational book “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott, it’s a show about how not to hate the boss you have...or be the boss you hate.
Dear HBR // With empathy, experience, and humor, veteran Harvard Business Review editors and co-hosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn explore solutions to your workplace dilemmas. Bolstered by insights from guests and academic research, they help you navigate thorny situations to find a better way forward.
Revisionist History with Malcom Gladwell --> Check out the "bonus" episode (Season 3) where he debates Adam Grant.
- Updated August 27, 2020 --
Experts and Advisors
These people are experts and advisors I've collected along my journey that've significantly impacted me, my leadership and development, and also my teams, people and my business. I consider all of them personal friends, and I highly recommend all of these, without exception.
Serilda Summers-McGee // Founder and CEO of Workplace Change, Serilda is the City of Portland’s Chief Human Resources Officer. She’s previously held down roles as Director of Human Resources for The Oregon Department of Education, she headed Diversity and Recruitment for Kaiser Permanente, served as Assistant Dean at Reed College and more. A Jedi and expert teacher in all things related to People, Leadership, HR, Diversity and Policy. // changetheworkgame.com
Nancy Geenen // Nancy is the Founder and CEO of Flexability — an employment inclusion firm and our mission is equity at work. Nancy is also a certified EOS implementer working with dozens of company across the world, teaching, guiding and mentoring leaders and executive teams be their best. An accomplished entrepreneur, trial attorney, and strategic facilitator, Nancy holds a B.A. in English, and an M.A. in Education from Stanford University and a J.D. from Santa Clara University Law School. Nancy also completed Harvard’s Owner/President Management Program. // flexability.com/team/nancy-j-geenen
Cinthia Manuel // Founder and CEO of Authentica Consulting. She’s an equity, diversity, inclusion, and leadership development consultant, facilitator, strategist, and coach. She is a first-generation Latina, an immigrant, a bilingual (Spanish/English), bicultural immigrant from Mexico City. She holds a Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management Certification from Georgetown University and completed a Masters in Business Administration from George Fox University. She currently serves on the Latinx Community Advisory Board for the Oregon Community Foundation and served in the alumni advisory board of the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. // autenticaconsulting.com
Ellie Byrd // Ellie is the Founder and CEO of ForumSherpa, an executive leadership organization that provides tools and services for high-functioning peer teams called Forums. As a Forum specialist, Ellie spends the majority of her time traveling the world and working with teams of CEO’s, Presidents and entrepreneurs. She’s a certified E:OS (Traction) facilitator. // forumsherpa.com
Mary Beth King, VetriSpace // Executive Coach & Leadership Team Guru, Building Transparent Cultures. She’s a brilliant, certified advisor for the DISC assessment framework. // vetrispace.com
Sam Alexander // Founder of ExtendedPlay.io, Sam is a technology visionary, serving as an on-demand fractional CTO, leader and strategic genius for apps, tech, and innovation business solutions. Or to use his words, “Digital Architecture and Technical Direction for creative folk.” // extendedplay.io
Matthew Vance, Verge Pointe // A dear friend and a financial mastermind, who's crafted some monumental M&A work in the Pacific Northwest. // vergepointe.com/about/vance.html
Brandon Gray, Crabtree Rowe & Berger // A brilliant financial thinker and leader, who understands both the micro and macro economics of small business. // crbcpa.net/our-team/brandon-gray/
Mario Schulzke // A longtime friend, mentor and marketing genius, Mario's passion and determination has inspired me in more ways than I can count. Along with Chris Corbin, Mario’s also part of The Western Writers League, where we collaborate on individual essays on topics of growth, learning and creativity. // mario.to
Kasia Rutledge and Rakeem Washington // Kasia and Rakeem are an incredible two-person team who lead interactive workshops on race, equity and inclusion. Their workshops focus on building understanding and skills to recognize when oppression is happening, increase awareness of power and systemic structures, identify one’s role and ability to engage, and develop hands-on tools to help interrupt and address racism. They unpack white privilege, microagressions, inter-sectionalism, white power and more, providing practical tools and practices to improve organizations and teams of people. // kasia@kasiarutledgelaw.com and rakeem.washington01@gmail.com
My Writing Team
These people help, encourage and challenge me to be a better writer. They’re my x-factor. I am eternally thankful.
Michelle Goldstein // A brilliantly creative writer, Michelle leads all copywriting endeavors at Marmoset, and provides editing, ideation and wonderful critical feedback for virtually all of my writing. If you think my writing is good, it’s because of Michelle. // mmchelle.com
Rachel Schmidt // Rachel’s experience running a digital marketing agency, along with her passion for being part of something meaningful, provides a perfect sounding board for the topics I choose to explore. Rachel manages a variety of projects with me, both at Marmoset and with other community activities I participate in. She edits and helps improve my writing in more ways than I can list.
Chris Corbin // in 2018 Chris Corbin, Mario Schulzke and myself formed a writing group, for collaboration, accountability and to have a medium to deepen our friendship together. We call it The Western Writers League. Moreover, Chris is a kindred spirit — constantly seeking out new ways to learn, grow and improve our individual selves, along with our communities. Chris runs a brand agency based in Bend, Oregon and is a cuddle bug. // chriscorbin.me
Organizations
I've had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of groups, associations, and have served on a few boards. No organization has greater contributed to my continual development -- both as a human and as a leader -- than the Entrepreneurs' Organization.
Entrepreneurs' Organization (known widely as EO) is a global non-profit organization, whose stated mission is to "Engage leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow." Originally known as Young Entrepreneurs' Organization, it was founded by Verne Harnish in 1987 and now has more than 10,000 members globally.
My local chapter in Portland, Oregon is a vibrant community of more than 100 active and engaged Founders, CEOs and Leaders with more learning and connection opportunities than I could have ever imagined. EO has been and continues to be a critical part of my continued growth and development. // eonetwork.org
Southern Oregon University, Foundation Board of Trustees. I’ve humbly served my alma mater since 2018, where I’ve helped bring awareness and drive conversation and action around diversity, equity and inclusion. My aim is to collaborate and contribute to help lift SOU to new heights, from the inside out. In 2019 I led an effort to establish the university’s first ever black scholarship fund, providing economic support for black students. // giving.sou.edu/about/
Heavy Rotation
Yes, I'm a music guy. It's an undeniable, inseparable part of my DNA. I own six different vintage sound systems -- mostly from the 70's, all of which have turntables, receivers and are fully powered-up and ready to go. So here's what regularly gets the most spins on my turntable -- and on my Spotify.
This is my boy, Desmond, when he was about one year old. He inspires me daily to be the best dad I can be.