Strong Female Leaders: Book Reviews

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By Freelance Contributor | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Approx 3 min

Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time. - John Maxwell

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential Review

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential | By John C. Maxwell

About the Book

Do you feel stuck in life and career? Are you losing motivation? Do you want to find ways to grow? John Maxwell can help. In his book, the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, Maxwell provides tried-and-true principles that help people grow. Collected from over fifty years of teaching about personal development, Maxwell's laws of growth communicates the following:

"The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to Yourself"

"The Law of Awareness: You Must Know Yourself to Grow Yourself"

"The Law of Modeling: It's Hard to Improve When You Have No One But Yourself to Follow"

"The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Between Where You are and Where You Could Be"

"The Law of Contribution: Developing Yourself Enables You to Develop Others"

This is the third book in Maxwell's The "Laws" series (following bestsellers, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork). It aims to guide you to become a lifelong learner, reach your maximum potential, and never ever get "stuck".

What we loved?

First, we loved Maxwell's style. He explains each law in an easy-to-understand and applicable manner; and, in a direct yet gentle tone, he stresses the importance of lifelong learning. While we all understand that growth doesn't stop with the end of formal education, we all get distracted with life and lose the motivation to learn. This book not only lays out a set of personal growth principals, it also helps us regain motivation. It is a book that you should read once a year to keep your mind challenged, focused and empowered.

We also enjoyed how the book is backed by clear and solid examples. These examples enable deeper understanding of each concept, and serve as the underlying foundation for the overall blueprint of personal growth.

Lastly, the book applies to any type of leader. Whether you are leading a for-profit organization, a nonprofit, a local community, or just your family, you can benefit from the book.

What we thought the book could improve on?

While we advocate for its practicality and great tips, the books is more of a "blueprint" and may not suit the ultra intellectual types. No matter how solid the book's advice and examples are, critics will question its sources. No matter how empowering the book is to most readers, not everyone will be so easily influenced.

Parting thoughts.

For most people, though, the book makes a lasting impact. It's both educational and entertaining, and leaves one motivated, thoughtful and encouraged to learn, explore and achieve greater things. In our opinion, it's a leadership must-read and a resource to draw personal power from. We highly recommend it.

Visit 15 INVALUABLE LAWS OF GROWTH!

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By O. Christopher | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Approx. 5 minutes

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. — Bill Gates.

5 Best Servant Leadership Books (That You should Read This Year)

1. The Power of Servant Leadership

By Robert K. Greenleaf
Based on the work of former telecommunications executive, Robert K. Greenleaf, SERVANT LEADERSHIP highlights the method of leadership that puts serving others first. This service includes serving your team members, customers and clients, and community.
THE POWER OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP consists of a collection of Greenleaf's most compelling essays on Servant Leadership. These essays explain Greenleaf's insights, practice and refinement of the Servant Leadership concept. Additionally, the essays touch on related issues of team culture, commitment to vision, and wholeness.

2. The Power of Positive Leadership

By Jon Gordon
Leaders face many obstacles. That is why they must adopt positive leadership. It's not about faking positivity or being complacent and agreeable; it's about building a positive culture, pushing through adversities, developing united and committed teams, and maximizing results.
In The Power of Positive Leadership, author Jon Gordon reflects on personal experiences working and consulting with great leaders who have transformed organizations. He then puts his research into a practical framework that can help anyone become a positive leader.

3. Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

By Adam Grant
When we focus on the individual drivers of success, such as passion, hard work, and talent, we don't ready ourselves for the dramatically reconfigured world where success is dependent on our interactions with others. In Give and Take, Adam Grant examines and explains why some people succeed while others don't. Furthermore, Give and Take opens up the unique approach to relationships, team environment, and productivity that is both insightful and revolutionary.

4. Scrum Mastery: From Good To Great Servant-Leadership

By Geoff Watts
At face value, the average Scrum Master facilitates the Scrum process and removes impediments. A great ScrumMaster, however, is one who personifies Servant Leadership and leads the team to the highest productivity level. In this book, author Geoff Watts shares real-life stories from over ten years of coaching Scrum teams, and draws practical principals to follow that will guide anyone to achieve their own greatness. The main takeaways from this book are:

What skills and characteristics do great Scrum Masters have?

How do effective teams maintain and enhance engagements during meetings and daily scrums?

Ways to foster more autonomous and creative teams?

How to increase the performance of your teams?

How to identify a successful Scrum Master?

5. Emotional Intelligence for the Modern Leader: A Guide to Cultivating Effective Leadership and Organizations

By Christopher D. Connors
The successful leader has the ability to understand, motivate and inspire her teams. Emotional Intelligence for the Modern Leader helps us strengthen our emotional intelligence and regulate interpersonal relationships by providing well-researched and user-friendly guides. The book tackles tough issues and offers sound advice, and guides you to become a more intelligent and empathetic leader.

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By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Approx 3 min

Someone else's opinion of you is none of your business. - Rachel Hollis

Girl Wash Your Face Review

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be | By Rachel Hollis

About the Book

If you have ever doubted yourself, at work, as a mom, about your looks, or about anything, STOP 🛑! Stop and read Rachel Hollis's Girl Wash Your Face. With an honest view and a funny tune on her own life, Hollis exposes the lies and misapprehensions that often hold women back from achieving true happiness. From losing her teenage brother to suicide, to moving to L.A by herself after high school, to getting rejected by publishing firms, to peeing in her pants on the Trampoline, Hollis gets real about real-life issues that would haunt other women, and offers practical strategies on how to move past them.

Ultimately, Hollis helps us realize that we can all be amazing and confident, and achieve happiness, if we shed our "perfection personas", and forgive ourselves for making mistakes and being real human beings.

What we loved?

When the book first came out, we were skeptical. Really? A lifestyle blogger who publishes a book titled, um...WHAT? We are happy, though, to have given it a chance.

The book's brilliance, aside of its catchy title of course, comes from Hollis's authenticity. She writes in the voice of our best friend or big sister, with a life coach or mentor mentality. She is genuine and friendly, and masters the art of giving advice without being overbearing.

Let's be honest: there just aren't enough women in leadership roles to encourage us to "shoot for the moon!" So, we don't. And on top of that, we (as women) are often brought up with the idea that "perfection is the minimum requirement." So, we beat ourselves up for making mistakes. Later in life, we grow comfortable taking supportive roles, like the housewife, the caregiver, or the assistant, but never the breadwinner, the team leader, or the star 💫 "closer" in negotiations.

We often hear the words "break the glass ceiling." But we don't know how. Now, we do, by Rachel Hollis firmly telling us, straight up, to let it all go, and "shoot for the ~~moon~~ stars." Because, if we miss, we will still land on the moon.

We love how Hollis uses her personal triumphs and failures to teach us valuable life lessons. We also love how she is does it unapologetically. Lastly, we love how, even though her success is unparalleled, she has remained down to earth.

What we thought the book could improve on?

We get it: the book is more of a personal memoir. It's like a spinoff from her blog, but deeper. However, a bit more scientific research would have boosted her credibility. For example, the relationship advice she gives could have been supported with expert advice, had she done the research.

Parting thoughts.

Over all, we enjoyed the book very much. It was an easy read, both in print or by audio. It's uplifting, energetic and fun. Most of all, it left us feeling joyful, motivated and inspired. It paints a realistic picture of Hollis's perfectly imperfect life as a show biz wife, mom of four, and entrepreneur.

We absolutely recommend it!

Visit GIRL WASH YOUR FACE!

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By Freelance Contributor | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Approx 5 min

Start with Why Review

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Said Simon Sinek during his popular TED Talk. This simple yet powerful concept inspires others and holds the reason why people would buy your products. The “Why” includes a belief system or the reason why you get up each morning. In Sinek’s book, Start with Why, he helps you realize and express your “why.”

Sinek’s made it clear in his book that his purpose is to inspire people to do whatever it is they love to do. He believes that products that convey their “why” will be more successful. Throughout the book, Sinek refers to great companies like Apple, thought leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Wright brothers that inspire others by their Why’s. For example, Apple’s “why” is to “challenge the status quo”; Martin Luther King, Jr “why” was to bring equality to the world; and Orville and Wilbur Wright’s “why” was to learn to fly more than doing it for fame or money.

Due to Sinek’s marketing background, the book is more geared towards marketing professionals. One example is when Sinek talks about how inspiring your audience can effectively influence human behavior, and how manipulation does the opposite. In other words: inspiration breeds loyalty while manipulation breeds mistrust. One of our favorite quotes from the book is that “over the course of time, (manipulating customers) cost more and more. The gains are only short-term.”

Sinek also implies that methods of manipulations refer to the “what” and “how,” and not the “why.” He cautions that: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Your customers and your team will be loyal only if they understand why you are offering your product, service, skill or leadership in the first place.

The book also reminds us why we must reconsider what brings meaning to our lives. Leaders of any organization must be clear of why their organizations exist, and be able to convey it to employees, stakeholders and customers. Then, the next level down, typically the senior executives who feel inspired by the leader’s “why” will plan the “how” in order to bring the leader’s vision to life. Lastly, we move to the lowest level, the “what.” This is where lower level thinking takes place to implement the strategy and interact with clients and customers.

No matter how charismatic the leader is, if his vision cannot turn into reality, all efforts will fail. Therefore, it is important for everyone in the organization, whether they are the “why,” “how,” or “what” to feel inspired to come to work each day. And for individual contributors who don’t feel like their job inspires them, they should figure out their own “why.”

When the “why” becomes unclear, organizations begin a downward spiral. Sinek uses Walmart as example, who started focusing on their bottom line rather than offering fair pricing and watching out for their customers and employees, after Sam Walton’s death. The company began to experience lawsuits for treating employees poorly.

Over all, the book brought fresh and innovative ideas that inspires readers to think more deeply about their Why’s. However, continuing to dwell on the Why isn’t the best way to structure your day. It’s great for leaders and professionals to find their way; to make their why’s a reality, however, still requires more time on strategizing and executing.

Either way, the book is worth the investment, and certainly worth the time to absorb.
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