Recommended Reading at Sterling Communications

Below is a list of books we recommend that have inspired some animated discussions here at Sterling Communications. We recommend you have your teams read them too!

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

By Carol Dweck

Note: The book discusses how we can learn to fulfill our potential in business, school, parenting and relationships. Pay particular attention to chapters 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8, which offer examples and advice appropriate to a business setting.

Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty

By Patrick Lencioni

Note: This is truly a “fable” written in an entertaining style that can be easily read in one sitting. It uses a David vs. Goliath competition between two fictional consulting firms to teach lessons on best practices for developing winning customer relationships.

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

By Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein

Note: This book has inspired multiple changes in our office operations, from the big (401k, social media usage), to the small (recycling bins for wine corks, blood drives, flu shots).

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t

By Jim Collins

Note: Pay particular attention to chapters 3 (“First Who … Then What”), 4 (“Confront the Brutal Facts”) and 5 (“The Hedgehog Concept”).

The Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered Company

By Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter & James Noel

Note: The book offers some lessons for small companies, but is designed for large companies with many levels of seniority. It discusses the critical career passages (managing self, managing others, managing managers) and offers tips on coaching and performance standards.

The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World

By Fred Reichheld

Note: How likely is it that you would recommend Company X and its products or services to a friend or colleague? That is the ultimate question which produces the Net Promoter Score, a customer relationship metric. The book cites company case studies with useful tips on how to manage customer “detractors” and turn “passives” into “promoters.”

The Number: How America’s Balance Sheet Lies Rocked the World’s Financial Markets

By Alex Berenson

Note: This is useful to gain a better understanding of the difference between public and private companies and the importance of quarterly earnings reporting. The book is written in a clear style by a former New York Times reporter.