Higher Purpose Podcast Episode 74: The Top 10 Books on Purpose
Welcome to the last episode of the Higher Purpose Podcast for 2018. This special release is coming to you on Boxing Day and we’re wrapping up this year with the 10 most influential and inspirational books on purpose Kevin has read this
Leading from Purpose by Nick Craig
Purpose is defined as the unique gifts you bring to the world that only you can bring, the way you bring it.
“Purpose is most valuable to us when there are no right answers, just choices for which time alone will give us the clarity to choose wisely.”
Find that life of purpose and occupy it as much and as fully as you can.
The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness by Emily Esfahani Smith
Happiness is better as a byproduct than as the main search. People who live meaningful lives have satisfied three conditions: Number one, they evaluate their lives as significant and worthwhile — as part of something bigger. Number two, they believe their lives make sense. And number three, they feel their lives are driven by a sense of purpose.
How Will You Measure Your Life? By Clayton M. Christensen
“The first step down the path is taken with a small decision. You justify all the small decisions that lead up to the big one, then you get to the big one, and it doesn’t seem so enormous anymore.”
If you have life principles and values, and those are how you say you're going to live your life, stick with them 100% of the time.
Story Driven: You don't need to compete when you know who you are by Bernadette Jiwa
“Great companies don’t try to matter by winning, they win by mattering.”
If you're always focused on what others are doing, it’s hard to be great at what you do, in the way only YOU can do it. If you’re a business owner, you need to give customers a reason to be loyal to your brand, rather than 100 reasons you’re better than the competition.
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle
In this book, Dan goes behind the curtain of some of the groups who are known for their legendary accomplishments and teamwork that’s so fantastic, it’s an outlier. He shares the secrets of how they do it, and how you, too, can have that kind of amazing culture.
“Culture is a set of living relationships, working towards a shared goal. It’s not something you are, it’s something you do.”
Chief Joy Officer by Rich Sheridan
This is the follow-up to the book, Joy Inc., and it shows how to put those priciples into practice. Rich believes a leader’s primary job is to ‘pump fear out of the environment.’ But the biggest takeaway from the book is the story of the book, and Kevin explains why.
“If we get the definition of success right, leading becomes much easier.”
The Hospitable Leader by Terry Smith (special link for HPP Podcast listeners)
The message of The Hospitable Leader is a topic we need more now because polarization happens not just in politics, but in the world at large: people are shouting at one another, instead of having a conversation. The Hospitable Leader is a strategy for humanizing the workplace and being intentional about being hospitable.
“If you really want to see people flourish, you invest in the environment.”
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown
Shame is the intensely painful feeling of believing that we're flawed and therefore unworthy of love, belonging, and connection, and Brené goes into that and unpacks it. Where shame exists, empathy is almost always absent, and that’s what makes it so dangerous. Belonging and connection is what heals, and we all have a longing for belonging under the banner of culture.
“Daring leaders must care for and be connected to the people they lead.”
The Abundance Loop by Juliana Park
Fear leads to anxiety, anxiety leads to poor choices, poor choices produce negative outcomes. If you want a different outcome, start with gratitude. Gratitude produces peace of mind, peace of mind leads to wise choices, and wise choices allow you to have a positive outcome. That’s the abundance loop.
Deep Listening: Impact Beyond Words by Oscar Trimboli
Listening is a critical skill, and is an accelerator for greater opportunity. The single greatest barrier that most of us have to listening is the conversation that’s already going on in our minds. We can all become better listeners, and the biggest productivity gain comes from listening more, not learning more.
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
Would you rather be known as the genius — the smartest person in the room — or the genius maker —the person who unleashes the brilliance of the people around you? A Multiplier can get twice the productivity from their team by making everyone else smarter, and I believe you're listening to this podcast because you want to be a multiplier and bring out the best in others.
What books have you read, and what would you recommend to other listeners of the Higher Purpose Podcast?
Let Kevin know at kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com.
If this book list has got you thinking about your plan for personal and professional development as you go into 2019, Kevin has created a simple resource and a reading list to help you develop your plan. Just send him an email.
If you want to do a deep dive into a year long, transformational journey with a very small group, email him as well.
Resources
Episode 56: How to Find Your Purpose with Nick Craig
Episode 37: Story Driven with Bernadette Jiwa
Episode 72: Hospitable Leadership and the Discipline of Hope with Terry Smith
Episode 63: Abundance and Scarcity Loops with Juliana Park
Episode 64: Experiencing and Cultivating Abundance with Juliana Park
Episode 57: Becoming a Deep Listener with Oscar Trimboli