Books Archives - Page 2 of 2 -

This is the first of what will be an ongoing series of notes about books I’m reading. I read about fifty books a year, mostly related to leadership, organizational change, and adult development. Rather than write book reviews, I want to experiment with sharing what I do naturally when I read, which is to take notes about insights and questions that are relevant for my clients, colleagues, and friends. So rather than construct tidy and elegant reviews, I’ll present my reflections in raw form, unfiltered and unplugged.

We’ll call this Book Notes in homage to Brian Lamb’s long-running interview series on C-SPAN.

Key: My comments are in italics.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Question for Work You Love by Cal Newport (2012)

The Passion Hypothesis: The key to occupational happiness is to first find out what you’re passionate about and then find a job that matches this passion. [Read more…] about Book Notes: So Good They Can’t Ignore You

Many popular business and self-help books show people how to find freedom and joy by leaving corporations and other large organizations. Escape from Cubicle Nation and The Four Hour Work Week are two examples. The basic premise is that corporate life is stifling and entrepreneurship is liberating, so leave the big company and start your own.

The message is inspiring to many people who have recently left long careers in big organizations or are chomping at the bit to do so.

But what about people who see themselves working in corporations for the foreseeable future? Do these books speak to people who like the relative security of organizational life and/or see large organizations as the primary vehicles for contributing to the world? You tell me, but I think not. [Read more…] about Finding freedom within large organizations