One of my all-time favorite speakers is a unique individual and a true gentleman named Charlie “Tremendous” Jones.  During his 50+ years on the platform, Charlie has earned legendary status in the field of motivation and personal peak performance.  There are more than 2,000,000 copies of his book, Life Is Tremendous, which has been translated into 12 different languages. (For more information on Charlie “Tremendous” Jones’ considerable accomplishments and contributions, I encourage you to visit his website: http://executivebooks.com/ 

One of Charlie’s most memorable admonitions to his audiences is this: “You are the same today that you will be five years from now except for two things—the people you meet and the books you read.”  Think about that statement.  I have.  Now, think about it some more.  The people we meet and the books we read.  I think Charlie’s on to something.  The quality of the people we encounter, hang with, learn from—they all have an impact on the quality of our lives, either for good or bad. We know that to be true.  Isn’t that why we remind our kids and grandkids to pick their friends wisely?  Maybe in some future issue of Transformational Tips we will explore the whole concept of the impact of “the people we meet.”  But for this issue I want to focus on “the books we read.” 

Are you like so many people I encounter who say they love to read, but simply can’t seem to find the time?  (Surprisingly, these same people can find the time to play on the computer, watch television, sleep and loaf—but not read.)  Okay, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound preachy.  But, if Charlie Jones is right, the books we read play a key role in our future personal and professional development. 

So, what kind of books have you read lately?  Are they books that inspire creative imagination, deeper thinking and purposeful action?  Are they books that challenge your understanding of who you are, what you’re doing and where you’re going?  If not, for heavens sake, why not?  It’s time to dig deeper. 

May I suggest a few books that I have found valuable lately that can be helpful to you as you continue your leadership and service professionalism journey?

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When The Stakes Are High
By Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzer, McGraw Hill (2002)

If effective communication is important to you, then this book can benefit you. The book begins by defining a “crucial conversation” this way: “A discussion between two or more people where (1) stakes are high, (2) opinions vary, and (3) emotions run strong.”  This definition captures the essence of a half dozen or more conversations I have every day.  See, I told you this book can benefit you…and me…and all of us.   

Consider the author’s “audacious claim.”  The authors suggest that if we are capable of mastering our crucial conversations that good things are bound to be the result.  In fact, they suggest specifically that with the skills learned to master crucial conversations you will be able to “kick-start your career, strengthen your relationships, and improve your health.”  I believe that if reading a book can help those things happen, that’s a book worthy of being read.  And believe me, Crucial Conversations is just such a book.  

Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t
By Jim Collins, Harper Collins Publishing (2001)

I am going to be terribly disappointed if even one of my Transformational Tips readers has not at least heard of this book.  Over the past few years, it has taken the business world by storm. But, I must ask an important question: Have you read it?  You have?  Great!  Have you read it with your team?

I must admit that I read Good to Great about three years ago and I found it to be an interesting and worthwhile read.  However, it wasn’t until recently that I began to fully appreciate the value and scope of the book.

I serve as a member of the Board of Directors for a community bank in western Kentucky. Recently, our entire Board, along with the bank’s senior management team, began a focused study of the book and the concepts it espouses.  Chapter by chapter we read and discussed the book. Fascinating! Throughout the discussions, I found myself wondering again and again, how is it that I can read one paragraph and my counterpart can read the same paragraph and yet we end up interpreting the meaning of that paragraph totally differently? 

This is a book that will truly make you think about your business in a different light.  Are you satisfied with just being “good” or do you have that deep down, driving desire to be “great?” If you are one of the few who truly wishes to be great, you will find the “hedgehog concept,” the need to “confront the brutal facts,” the “first who…then what,” discussions to be right up your  alley.

The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets To Delivering Red Carpet Customer Service
By Donna Cutting, Wiley & Sons (2008)

You may not have heard about this book yet, but you need to know about it.  In the spirit of full disclosure, the book’s author is a speaker friend of mine.  That said, Donna has written a book worthy of careful consideration. 

Imagine a world where every customer receives nothing but red-carpet service. A fantasy? A pipe dream? Not anymore. In Cutting’s wonderful new book, we learn how easy - and profitable - it is to create the celebrity experience for our customers. The Celebrity Experience is a worthwhile read that challenges assumptions, provides techniques, and inspires action.  If you and your business are measured by the service you offer (and who of us isn’t?), then this may be one of the most beneficial books you will read all year.

Conclusion

So, the assumption is that if Charlie “Tremendous” Jones is right—that we are the same today that we will be in the future except for the people we meet and the books we read—then it is within the individual power of each of us to create a brighter future for ourselves.  How?  By choosing wisely who we interact with and what we feed into our minds and spirits. 

Personally, I think Charlie is on to something.  And I would like to write more about what I think. But, for now, there are people to meet and books to be read.  I need to get started.  Don’t you?