Llama Leaders are Readers Series Vol. 3

For this week’s article, we continue our Leaders are Readers Series and share some of our top reads with a quick synopsis and our thoughts on each book. Click on the book image to read for yourself.

Enjoy!

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging – Sebastian Junger

“Humans don’t mind hardship; in fact, they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. …” – Sebastian Junger

An amazing read that I would recommend to any leader, social worker, behavioral health specialist, or anyone that has influence over others.  In Tribe, Junger analyzes the reasoning behind why settlers kidnapped by Native American tribes often resisted returning to the homes and lives they were taken from.  Why service members, after returning from harsh deployments, commonly wish they were back with their deployed teams in the austere environments in which they just returned.  And why some people would prefer to be in an extremely dangerous location where their lives are in jeopardy every day along with family than in a safe place alone. 

I really appreciated the time and effort Junger put in to create this amazing book.  Tribe really dives into post-traumatic stress, suicides, and overall happiness. 

- Joe 

The 4-Hour Workweek; Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich-Timothy Ferris

In our high school years most of us might think being rich means we need to work tirelessly and sacrifice the life of leisure so that we can get ahead in life.  While that ideal isn’t entirely untrue, Tim Ferris challenges the status quo and highlights that we can re-define our lifestyles by choosing to trade in those antiquated ideals for a new lifestyle.  He coins the phrase, New Rich, and uses it throughout his book “The 4-Hour Work Week” to highlight how we can find fulfillment in our careers and personal life—without sacrificing the life of leisure. 

Ferris defines New Rich as someone who has the best of both worlds.  They’re able to time-hack their careers so that their able to work in “short bursts”, followed by mini retirements. In short, The 4-Hour Work Week points out that being rich is much, much more than just making a six figure salary.  Ferris implores that our happiness isn’t about how much money we make, rather, how much freedom we have when we have the guts to chase after unrealistic goals.

Essentially, this book feels like it’s geared towards entrepreneurs and he uses the principles of DEAL, Definition-Elimination-Automation-Liberation, to illustrate how to break the barriers of being held down in a traditional 9 to 5.  And if you’re not an entrepreneur, not a problem, the principles used in this can be applied to most professions.  Even if you never step into the life of an entrepreneur, this text provides a refreshing reminder that there’s more to life than work and “rich” is all relative.  One of my favorites that I will recommend for years to come!

- Frank Z.

The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences have Extraordinary Impact – Chip and Dan Heath

“Transitions should be marked, milestones commemorated, and pits filled. That’s the essence of thinking in moments.” – Chip Heath

Chip and Dan Heath do a wonderful job exploring the significance of moments and the importance of honoring them in The Power of Moments.  From someone’s first day at work, graduation from college, 50th anniversary, or even end of life, the Power of Moments points out how vital it is to recognize these moments and make them meaningful.

We often pass up opportunities to honor or commemorate a moment in either our own lives, the lives of our loved ones, or even our co-workers.  Sometimes because we are unaware, other times because we are lazy, and sometimes because we simply don’t care enough.  However, Chip and Dan Heath point out the consequences of such inaction, explain the positive results that can come with recognizing these moments, and even provide examples of how we can honor them. This is one that can definitely provide a paradigm shift on how one views moments and is one I highly recommend. 

- Joe

WHEN; The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing-Daniel H. Pink

“All this supposed toughness is wrongheaded. Breaks and recess are not deviations from learning. They are part of learning” -Pink

I was introduced to WHEN while developing a time-management seminar for a client. Of course, we have all been through such seminars, workshops, cyber training, you name it. They are typically far from exciting and interesting…and often not very informative.  I wanted to make this seminar different from ones the client may have participated in before. I wanted to focus on the importance of energy management and productivity. That’s when one of my colleagues suggested I check out WHEN.

While this book is considerably a short (218 pages) and easy read, it is filled with a great deal of research, personal assessments, and case studies that help the reader develop greater understanding of when they’re at their best. From sharing the value of meal planning, naps, (yes naps!) the best time to exercise, and incredibly important, the best time of day to make significant decisions, this book is a great resource for someone wishing to improve in any part of their live, both personal and professional.

WHEN goes much deeper than just focusing on day-to-day habits or routines, it shares tips on becoming more in synch with co-workers, family members, and teammates. The book also explains the behavioral science behind both poor and effective goal setting and why the when of starting new endeavors (weight loss, training for marathons, starting school) is just as important as the why.

I encourage anyone interested in taking a fresh look at behavioral modification, effective goal planning, and enhancing their energy management, to check out WHEN.

- Scott