Harry S. Truman once famously said “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Reading has been a constant source of inspiration behind my personal and professional growth at Staffing as a Mission. Many of the core values that differentiate SaaM’s business model have been sourced directly from reading across a diverse subject matter, but particularly in business leadership. 

Over time I’ve realized that a few books have stood out to shape and expand the vision of SaaM. I keep recommending them in person, so I thought it would be good to share in a blog post. In no particular order, here are five books which I’m thankful to have read.

1 – FULL FOCUS PLANNER / BEST YEAR EVER – MICHAEL HYATT

I’ve been following Michael Hyatt’s blog on the recommendation of a good friend for almost 15 years ago. A few years ago I had the opportunity to attend one of Hyatt’s events based around his Best Year Ever book. Although I had been implementing some of his suggested tools and techniques along the way, it wasn’t until that live event that I went “all in” with the system. It changed the way I approached goals and helped me balance a growing business, time with my wife and 6 children, friends, hobbies (music!), and relaxation. In fact, I stopped setting New Year “Resolutions” altogether. The Full Focus Planner has helped me orient specific daily actions towards accomplishing big picture annual and life goals. 

Why you should read it:

Well, the funny thing about the FFP is that it’s a book that you write yourself. The framework in Best Year Ever specifically challenged me to view incremental action over time as a way to accomplish big goals. 

2– EVERY GOOD ENDEAVOR  – TIM KELLER

The premise of this book is that the Christian message of the Gospel gives meaning for inspired, realistic, satisfying, and faithful work in the world, no matter what kind of work you are called to do

  • God as the Creator of the world is a worker, and we are made in His image.
  • The Christian faith gives us a rich view of work as partnering with God in His love and care for the world.
  • The gospel provides guidelines to help us make decisions and is full of wise counsel about leading others.
  • The gospel constantly challenges our motives for work and fills us with a new power ready to face every day.

Why you should read it:

Being a Christian in business means much more than just being honest or not mistreating your employees. It means fleshing out the implications of a biblical worldview and God’s purposes for your life – particularly for the organization you might be called to lead and influence.

3 – THE IDEAL TEAM PLAYER – PATRICK LENCIONI 

Written in the same dynamic “business fable” style and with his Five Dysfunctions of a Team in mind, Lencioni writes about the qualities of team members that combat those dysfunctions and help a company thrive. Immediately upon reading this book we started framing interviews for internal and external employees at SaaM with the qualities of being Hungry, Humble, and People Smart. It has proven true over and over.

Why you should read it:

This book distilled the qualities of people I’ve admired over the years and those I’d seen succeed in business into those 3 ideals of growth, humility, and awareness. As a staffing and recruiting agency we are in the people business and assisting clients and candidates through an arduous and difficult process. This framework can shape interviews and feedback for the people we’re working with – it has really been a wonderful book to recommend to others.

4 – SCALING UP – VERNE HARNISH 

This is more like a textbook – I reference it often throughout the year on different techniques and challenges we’re facing. The keys to scale up your business are attracting and retaining the right people, creating a truly differentiated strategy, directing flawless execution, and keeping cash reserves to weather the storms. 

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

— Harry S. Truman

Why you should read it:

When you hire people in the right role, especially in leadership positions, and treat them well, they attract others with the same values. Once you have the right people, I’d encourage you to invest in their development and training and provide opportunities to grow/stretch their capabilities/empower them. This book is a great reference for business owners and leaders along the way.

5 – THE SYNERGIST – LES MCKEOWN

Every successful team includes a critical player, the Synergist, who can take the three existing types – bold dreamers (Visionaries), the pragmatic realists (Operators), and the systems analysts (Processors) – and coordinate/create a dynamic, well-rounded team by playing to all of their strengths. Most importantly, according to McKeown, the Synergist is a role that anyone can learn.

Why you should read it:

Everyone in a business plays a role. Leaders, regardless of their tendencies to be a Visionary, Operator, or Processor, should strive to be a Synergist and have that mentality.