Children's Mercy Berry Institute
Resources to support Children's Mercy
Interested in checking out a print book? Email us at library@cmh.edu with the book title and author, and we'll let you know when it's available for you to pick up.
7 Measures of Success by
Some organizations perform better than others, despite facing comparable opportunities and circumstances, says Jim Collins, best-selling author of Good to Great and Built to Last, in his foreword to 7 Measures of Success. He goes on to say that, every association can deliver better results to its members. And that was the intent behind the rigorous multiyear study carried out by the ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership: to identify the factors that set great associations apart from the rest. Using the matched-pair research methodology pioneered by Jim Collins and his partner Jerry Porras, the research group compared 15 years worth of data from nine pairs of associations to uncover seven commitments consistently honored by the great associations that set them apart from the merely good:
A customer service culture
Alignment of products and services with mission
Data-driven strategies
Dialogue and engagement
CEO as a broker of ideas
Organizational adaptability
Alliance building.
With the purpose of providing readers guidance and inspiration to reach new heights, the book presents the research on these seven factors with stories, data, and analysis. The result is a thorough-going exploration of what it takes to make a good association into a great one.
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by
Are there tried and true principles that are always certain to help a person grow? John Maxwell says the answer is yes. He has been passionate about personal development for over fifty years, and for the first time, he teaches everything he has gleaned about what it takes to reach our potential. In the way that only he can communicate, John teaches . . . The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to Yourself The Law of Awareness: You Must Know Yourself to Grow Yourself The Law of Modeling: It's Hard to Improve When You Have No One But Yourself to Follow The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Between Where You are and Where You Could Be The Law of Contribution: Developing Yourself Enables You to Develop Others This third book in John Maxwell's Laws series (following the 2-million seller The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork) will help you become a lifelong learner whose potential keeps increasing and never gets "used up."
The 100-Year Life by
Shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award,The 100-Year Life explores how living to 100 will have a profound effect on society and the economy, and result in a complete restructuring of everyone's professional and personal lives. Drawing on the unique pairing of their experience in psychology and economics, Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott offer an analysis to help you rethink retirement, your finances, your education, your career, and your relationships to create a fulfilling 100-year life. Many of us have been raised on the traditional notion of a three-stage approach to our working lives: education, followed by work and then retirement. But this well-established pathway is already beginning to collapse--life expectancy is rising, final-salary pensions are vanishing, and increasing numbers of people are juggling multiple careers. Whether you are 18, 45, or 60, you will need to do things very differently from previous generations and learn to structure your life in completely new ways. The 100-Year Life is a wake-up call that describes the choices and options that you will face in the age of longevity. It is also fundamentally a call to action for individuals, politicians, firms, and governments and offers the clearest demonstration that a 100-year life can be a wonderful and inspiring one.
ADKAR by
Why do some changes fail while others succeed? How can you make sense of the many tools and approaches for managing change? How can you lead change successfully, both in your personal life and professional career? After more than 14 years of research with corporate change, the ADKAR model has emerged as a holistic approach that brings together the collection of change management work into a simple, results oriented model. This model ties together all aspects of change management including readiness assessments, sponsorship, communications, coaching, training and resistance management. All of these activities are placed into a framework that is oriented on the required phases for realizing change with individuals and the organization. The ADKAR perspective can help you develop a "new lens" through which to observe and influence change. You may be working for change in your public school system or in a small city council. You may be sponsoring change in your department at work. You may be observing large changes that are being attempted at the highest levels of government or you may be leading an enterprise-wide change initiative. The perspective enabled by the ADKAR model allows you to view change in a new way. You can begin to see the barrier points and understand the levers that can move your changes forward. ADKAR allows you to understand why some changes succeed while others fail. Most importantly, ADKAR can help your changes be a success. Based on research with more than 1100 companies from 59 countries, ADKAR is a simple and holistic way to manage change.
Advanced Lean in Healthcare by
Healthcare in the United States is in need of reform. The industry must learn to operate in a fundamentally different way if there is any hope of delivering safer, more reliable, higher quality care with improved patient and staff experience-and accomplish all of this at the lowest possible cost. Advanced Lean in Healthcare is a practical guide for anyone in the healthcare industry. The book presents a novel approach to creating an advanced operating system, breaking it down into simple-to-understand steps. Borrowing from a business system with its roots in manufacturing, Advanced Lean in Healthcare narrates a healthcare industry operational problem through the experience of a patient: a young boy ravaged by terminal illness. By putting a real-world lens on the situation, the book takes the reader through five levels of the increasingly advanced steps of a lean transformation, giving them a bird's-eye view of the required operational and management shifts. By introducing lean strategies one-by-one, the authors provide an easy-to-understand plan for providing higher quality care, improved patient and staff experience, and significant cost savings for healthcare organizations. At its core, lean is a business strategy that aims to increase customer satisfaction and improve staff and corporate productivity by reducing the amount of non-value added work (waste). By engaging everyone in an organization in problem solving to reduce waste, the efficiency and quality of patient care can be optimized. In addition, engaging the entire workforce produces harder-to-quantify results, such as improved morale and greater organizational capability for future problem solving and growth. Advanced Lean in Healthcare introduces the various terms and methodologies of lean and compares them side-by-side with more traditional methods, demonstrating how the five level operating system stacks up against the status quo. In addition, a multitude of colored graphs, photographs, and lists are used to demonstrate and augment the detailed text. By providing specific examples of what works and what doesn't work, the authors make the transformation to a lean system an attainable goal for any organization that is truly committed to change and continuous improvement. The five levels are divided into ten chapters, each building on its predecessor, to provide a clear framework from beginning to end, which healthcare organizations can adapt to their own needs. The end result is a framework that is accessible by anyone in the healthcare industry-including physicians, nurses, technicians, managers, and executives-to create a true transformational shift in their daily operations, making their organization run better, more efficiently, and more affordably, all while maintaining the highest standard of quality and service.
American Icon by
A riveting, behind-the-scenes account of the near collapse of the Ford Motor Company, which in 2008 was close to bankruptcy, and CEO Alan Mulally's hard-fought effort and bold plan--including his decision not to take federal bailout money--to bring Ford back from the brink.
Better by
NATIONAL BESTSELLER TheNew York Times bestselling author ofBeing Mortal andComplications examines, in riveting accounts of medical failure and triumph, how success is achieved in a complex and risk-filled profession The struggle to perform well is universal: each one of us faces fatigue, limited resources, and imperfect abilities in whatever we do. But nowhere is this drive to do better more important than in medicine, where lives are on the line with every decision. In this book, Atul Gawande explores how doctors strive to close the gap between best intentions and best performance in the face of obstacles that sometimes seem insurmountable. Gawande's gripping stories of diligence, ingenuity, and what it means to do right by people take us to battlefield surgical tents in Iraq, to labor and delivery rooms in Boston, to a polio outbreak in India, and to malpractice courtrooms around the country. He discusses the ethical dilemmas of doctors' participation in lethal injections, examines the influence of money on modern medicine, and recounts the astoundingly contentious history of hand washing. And as in all his writing, Gawande gives us an inside look at his own life as a practicing surgeon, offering a searingly honest firsthand account of work in a field where mistakes are both unavoidable and unthinkable. At once unflinching and compassionate,Better is an exhilarating journey narrated by "arguably the best nonfiction doctor-writer around" (Salon). Gawande's investigation into medical professionals and how they progress from merely good to great provides rare insight into the elements of success, illuminating every area of human endeavor.
Blink by
The landmark book that has revolutionized the way we understand leadership and decision making -- from #1 bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell. In his breakthrough bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant--in the blink of an eye--that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work--in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others? In Blink we meet the psychologist who has learned to predict whether a marriage will last, based on a few minutes of observing a couple; the tennis coach who knows when a player will double-fault before the racket even makes contact with the ball; the antiquities experts who recognize a fake at a glance. Here, too, are great failures of "blink": the election of Warren Harding; "New Coke"; and the shooting of Amadou Diallo by police. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing"--filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.
Brave, Not Perfect by
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * Inspired by her popular TED Talk, the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code urges women to embrace imperfection and live a bolder, more authentic life. "A timely message for women of all ages: Perfection isn't just impossible but, worse, insidious."--Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit Imagine if you lived without the fear of not being good enough. If you didn't care how your life looked on Instagram. If you could let go of the guilt and stop beating yourself up for making human mistakes. Imagine if, in every decision you faced, you took the bolder path? As women, too many of us feel crushed under the weight of our own expectations. We run ourselves ragged trying to please everyone, pass up opportunities that scare us, and avoid rejection at all costs. There's a reason we act this way, Saujani says. As girls, we were taught to play it safe. Well-meaning parents and teachers praised us for being quiet and polite, urged us to be careful so we didn't get hurt, and steered us to activities at which we could shine. As a result, we grew up to be women who are afraid to fail. It's time to stop letting our fears drown out our dreams and narrow our world, along with our chance at happiness. By choosing bravery over perfection, we can find the power to claim our voice, to leave behind what makes us unhappy, and to go for the things we genuinely, passionately want. Perfection may set us on a path that feels safe, but bravery leads us to the one we're authentically meant to follow. In Brave, Not Perfect,Saujani shares powerful insights and practices to help us let go of our need for perfection and make bravery a lifelong habit. By being brave, not perfect, we can all become the authors of our best and most joyful life.
Change Management by
Change management is the missing piece that takes good ideas and turns them into business success. This book is not only a solid introduction to the discipline of change management, but is the primer to catalyze change leadership and competency in your organization. The responsibility for creating competencies to manage and lead change does not rest solely with HR, but lies within all management, right to the seat of the CEO. Change Management is a practical look at what it means to manage the people side of change.
Changing on the Job by
Listen to people in every field and you'll hear a call for more sophisticated leadership--for leaders who can solve more complex problems than the human race has ever faced. But these leaders won't simply come to the fore; we have to develop them, and we must cultivate them as quickly as is humanly possible. Changing on the Job is a means to this end. As opposed to showing readers how to play the role of a leader in a "paint by numbers" fashion, Changing on the Job builds on theories of adult growth and development to help readers become more thoughtful individuals, capable of leading in any scenario. Moving from the theoretical to the practical, and employing real-world examples, author Jennifer Garvey Berger offers a set of building blocks to help cultivate an agile workforce while improving performance. Coaches, HR professionals, thoughtful leaders, and anyone who wants to flourish on the job will find this book a vital resource for developing their own capacities and those of the talent that they support.
The Checklist Manifesto by
ANew York Times Bestseller In latest bestseller, Atul Gawande shows what the simple idea of the checklist reveals about the complexity of our lives and how we can deal with it. The modern world has given us stupendous know-how. Yet avoidable failures continue to plague us in health care, government, the law, the financial industry--in almost every realm of organized activity. And the reason is simple: the volume and complexity of knowledge today has exceeded our ability as individuals to properly deliver it to people--consistently, correctly, safely. We train longer, specialize more, use ever-advancing technologies, and still we fail. Atul Gawande makes a compelling argument that we can do better, using the simplest of methods: the checklist. In riveting stories, he reveals what checklists can do, what they can't, and how they could bring about striking improvements in a variety of fields, from medicine and disaster recovery to professions and businesses of all kinds. And the insights are making a difference. Already, a simple surgical checklist from the World Health Organization designed by following the ideas describedhere has been adopted in more than twenty countries as a standard for care and has been heralded as "the biggest clinical invention in thirty years." An intellectual adventure in which lives are lost and saved and one simple idea makes a tremendous difference,The Checklist Manifesto is essential reading for anyone working to get things right.
Complications by
A brilliant and courageous doctor reveals, in gripping accounts of true cases, the power and limits of modern medicine. Sometimes in medicine the only way to know what is truly going on in a patient is to operate, to look inside with one's own eyes. This book is exploratory surgery on medicine itself, laying bare a science not in its idealized form but as it actually is -- complicated, perplexing, and profoundly human. Atul Gawande offers an unflinching view from the scalpel's edge, where science is ambiguous, information is limited, the stakes are high, yet decisions must be made. In dramatic and revealing stories of patients and doctors, he explores how deadly mistakes occur and why good surgeons go bad. He also shows us what happens when medicine comes up against the inexplicable: an architect with incapacitating back pain for which there is no physical cause; a young woman with nausea that won't go away; a television newscaster whose blushing is so severe that she cannot do her job. Gawande offers a richly detailed portrait of the people and the science, even as he tackles the paradoxes and imperfections inherent in caring for human lives. At once tough-minded and humane,Complications is a new kind of medical writing, nuanced and lucid, unafraid to confront the conflicts and uncertainties that lie at the heart of modern medicine, yet always alive to the possibilities of wisdom in this extraordinary endeavor. Complicationsis a 2002 National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction.
Creating a Lean Culture by
Winner of a Shingo Research and Professional Publication AwardThe new edition of this Shingo Prize-winning bestseller provides critical insights and approaches to make any Lean transformation an ongoing success. It shows you how to implement a sustainable, successful transformation by developing a culture that has your stakeholders throughout the organizational chart involved and invested in the outcome. It teaches you how to successfully navigate the politics in cross-functional process improvement projects, and to engage executives in ways that are personally meaningful to them. If you are a leader at any level in an organization undergoing or considering a Lean transformation, this is where you should start and finish � and start again.Read the Reviews:"This book became an instant classic in the literature of professional operations. In this third edition, David Mann updates and expands his teaching with five additional years of valuable experience and expertise derived from his very active, multi-industry consultancy. I have benefitted greatly from his writing and wholeheartedly recommend this book to be top-of-the desk of any serious Lean practitioner or performance transformation leader."� Raymond C. Floyd, two-time Shingo Prize Winner, President and CEO, Plasco Energy Group"David Mann builds substantially on his seminal work on the Lean management system. The book is full of new insight and polishes the most important ideas about Lean management. The new chapter on engaging executive leadership alone is worth the price of the book."� Peter Ward, Richard M. Ross Professor and Chair, Department of Management Science, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University"This book has long been my �go-to� guide on Lean management practices that help create a culture of continuous improvement and excellence. I have recommended the book to countless healthcare leaders who rave about how he
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by
The New York Times and Washington Post bestseller that changed the way millions communicate "[Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time." --from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People "The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here's how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations." --Mark Victor Hansen, cocreator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul® The first edition of Crucial Conversations exploded onto the scene and revolutionized the way millions of people communicate when stakes are high. This new edition gives you the tools to: Prepare for high-stakes situations Transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue Make it safe to talk about almost anything Be persuasive, not abrasive
Dare to Lead by
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she's showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead. Don't miss the hourlong Netflix special Brené Brown: The Call to Courage! NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BLOOMBERG Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. When we dare to lead, we don't pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don't see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don't avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it's necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we're choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we're scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can't do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? In this new book, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions of readers have come to expect and love. Brown writes, "One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It's learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It's why we're here." Whether you've read Daring Greatly and Rising Strong or you're new to Brené Brown's work, this book is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership.
Daring Greatly by
Researcher and speaker Dr. Brene Brown offers an all-embracing new philosophy that provides encouragement to dare greatly: to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly and to courageously engage in life, whatever it brings. Dr. Brown challenges preconceived ideas about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather the clearest path to courage, engagement and meaningful connection.
Digital Body Language by 
Emotional Intelligence by
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * Is IQ destiny? Not nearly as much as we think. "A thoughtfully written, persuasive account explaining emotional intelligence and why it can be crucial."--USA Today Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our "two minds"--the rational and the emotional--and how they together shape our destiny. Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, Goleman shows the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well. These factors, which include self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy, add up to a different way of being smart--and they aren't fixed at birth. Although shaped by childhood experiences, emotional intelligence can be nurtured and strengthened throughout our adulthood--with immediate benefits to our health, our relationships, and our work. With new information reflecting the latest research, this tenth anniversary edition offers a significant updating of the EI model and answers questions posed to Goleman during his worldwide speaking appearances. A new section also guides readers to the best resources in the fast-growing field of EI studies.
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by
FOREWORD BY PATRICK LENCIONI, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OFTHE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is a book with a single purpose--increasing your EQ. Here's what people are saying about it: "Emotional Intelligence 2.0 succinctly explains how to deal with emotions creatively and employ our intelligence in a beneficial way." --THE DALAI LAMA "A fast read with compelling anecdotes and good context in which to understand and improve." --NEWSWEEK "Gives abundant, practical findings and insights with emphasis on how to develop EQ." --STEPHEN R. COVEY "This book can drastically change the way you think about success...read it twice." --PATRICK LENCIONI In today's fast-paced world of competitive workplaces and turbulent economic conditions, each of us is searching for effective tools that can help us to manage, adapt, and strike out ahead of the pack. By now, emotional intelligence (EQ) needs little introduction--it's no secret that EQ is critical to your success. But knowing what EQ is and knowing how to use it to improve your life are two very different things. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 delivers a step-by-step program for increasing your EQ via four, core EQ skills that enable you to achieve your fullest potential: 1) Self-Awareness 2) Self-Management 3) Social Awareness 4) Relationship Management
Enlightened Leadership by
Being able to change to keep pace with a rapidly changing world is the key to business success in the '90s. Enlightened Leadership is a practical, hands-on guide to breaking through the barriers to organizational change. Doug Krug and Ed Oakley show why most efforts at change fail -- and they provide leaders with proven methods for getting their people moving in the right direction. The key lies in showing those who would be change agents how to capitalize on their organization's greatest asset: the under-utilized talent, expertise, and energy of its existing staff. The authors' program is based on maximizing the contributions of all employees -- by sharing information, decision-making, and planning with them -- creating a shared culture of organizational goals, strategies, and methods. Managers and leaders at all levels -- from small business owners to corporate strategists -- can use Oakley and Krug's proven techniques, including planning, communication, and motivational tools, to support their employees in effecting the positive changes that will make the difference in achieving their organizations' bottom-line goals.
Everybody Matters by
"Bob Chapman, CEO of the $1.7 billion manufacturing company Barry-Wehmiller, is on a mission to change the way businesses treat their employees." - Inc. Magazine Starting in 1997, Bob Chapman and Barry-Wehmiller have pioneered a dramatically different approach to leadership that creates off-the-charts morale, loyalty, creativity, and business performance. The company utterly rejects the idea that employees are simply functions, to be moved around, "managed" with carrots and sticks, or discarded at will. Instead, Barry-Wehmiller manifests the reality that every single person matters, just like in a family. That's not a cliché on a mission statement; it's the bedrock of the company's success. During tough times a family pulls together, makes sacrifices together, and endures short-term pain together. If a parent loses his or her job, a family doesn't lay off one of the kids. That's the approach Barry-Wehmiller took when the Great Recession caused revenue to plunge for more than a year. Instead of mass layoffs, they found creative and caring ways to cut costs, such as asking team members to take a month of unpaid leave. As a result, Barry-Wehmiller emerged from the downturn with higher employee morale than ever before. It's natural to be skeptical when you first hear about this approach. Every time Barry-Wehmiller acquires a company that relied on traditional management practices, the new team members are skeptical too. But they soon learn what it's like to work at an exceptional workplace where the goal is for everyone to feel trusted and cared for--and where it's expected that they will justify that trust by caring for each other and putting the common good first. Chapman and coauthor Raj Sisodia show how any organization can reject the traumatic consequences of rolling layoffs, dehumanizing rules, and hypercompetitive cultures. Once you stop treating people like functions or costs, disengaged workers begin to share their gifts and talents toward a shared future. Uninspired workers stop feeling that their jobs have no meaning. Frustrated workers stop taking their bad days out on their spouses and kids. And everyone stops counting the minutes until it's time to go home. This book chronicles Chapman's journey to find his true calling, going behind the scenes as his team tackles real-world challenges with caring, empathy, and inspiration. It also provides clear steps to transform your own workplace, whether you lead two people or two hundred thousand. While the Barry-Wehmiller way isn't easy, it is simple. As the authors put it: "Everyone wants to do better. Trust them. Leaders are everywhere. Find them. People achieve good things, big and small, every day. Celebrate them. Some people wish things were different. Listen to them. Everybody matters. Show them."
Every Deep-Drawn Breath by
"Perhaps one lesson to draw from the pandemic, with help from books like this one, is that the ICU experience can be changed for the better" (The Washington Post) for both patients and their families. You will learn how in this timely, urgent, and compassionate work by a world-renowned critical care doctor. Over the next ten years, 40 to 60 million people in this country will be admitted to the ICU. Most of these hospitalizations will be sudden, unexpected, and harrowing experiences that can alter patients and their families physically and emotionally, with effects that endure for years. In this rich blend of science, medical history, profoundly humane patient stories, and personal reflection, Dr. Wes Ely describes his mission to prevent patients from being inadvertently harmed by the technology that is keeping them alive. You will experience the world of critical care through the eyes of a physician who drastically changed his clinical practice to offer person-centered health care, and through cutting-edge research convinced others to do the same. For decades, ICU survivors left the hospital with disabling symptoms including newly acquired dementia, depression, PTSD, and nerve damage, all now recognized as Post Intensive Care Syndrome, or PICS. Dr. Ely's groundbreaking investigations advanced the understanding of PICS and introduced crucial changes that reshaped intensive care: minimizing sedation, maximizing mobility, listening to the family, and providing supportive aftercare. Dr. Ely shows that there are ways to bring humanity into the ICU and that "technology plus touch" is the future of health care and is a proven path toward returning ICU patients to the lives they had before their hospital stay. An essential resource for anyone who will be affected by illness--which is all of us--Ely's "personal, passionate return to the ethical heart of the Hippocratic oath...[offers] meaningful, thought-provoking insight into the world of critical care" (Kirkus Reviews).
The First 90 Days by
The international bestseller and globally acknowledged bible on leadership and career transitions Fully a quarter of all managers in major corporations enter new leadership roles each year. Whether their assignments involve starting a new job, being promoted internally, or embarking on an international assignment, how new leaders manage their transitions can mean the difference between success and failure. In The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. Concise and practical, The First 90 Days walks managers through every aspect of the transition, from mental preparation to forging the right alliances to securing critical early wins. Through vivid examples of successes and failures at all levels, Michael Watkins identifies the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and provides tools and strategies for how to avoid them. As hundreds of thousands of readers already know, The First 90 Days is your roadmap for taking charge quickly and effectively during critical career transition periods--whether you're a first-time manager, a midcareer professional on your way up, or a newly minted CEO. Published by Harvard Business Review Press.
The Geography of Genius by
A New York Times Bestselling AuthorSharp and provocative, The Geography of Genius redefines the argument about how genius came to be. His reevaluation of the importance of culture in nurturing creativity is an informed romp through history that will surely jumpstart a national conversation.
The Gifts of Imperfection by
When our embarrassments and fears lie, we often listen to them anyway. They thwart our gratitude, acceptance, and compassion--our goodness. They insist, "I am not worthy." But we are worthy--of self-discovery, personal growth, and boundless love. With Brené Brown's game-changing New York Times bestseller The Gifts of Imperfection--which has sold more than 2 million copies in more than 30 different languages, and Forbes recently named one of the "Five Books That Will Actually Change Your Outlook On Life"--we find courage to overcome paralyzing fear and self-consciousness, strengthening our connection to the world. A motivational and inspiring guide to wholehearted living, rather than just the average self-help book, with this groundbreaking work Brené Brown, Ph.D., bolsters the self-esteem and personal development process through her characteristic heartfelt, honest storytelling. With original research and plenty of encouragement, she explores the psychology of releasing our definitions of an "imperfect" life and embracing living authentically. Brown's "ten guideposts" are benchmarks for authenticity that can help anyone establish a practice for a life of honest beauty--a perfectly imperfect life. Now more than ever, we all need to cultivate feelings of self-worth, as well as acceptance and love for ourselves. In a world where insults, criticisms, and fears are spread too generously alongside messages of unrealistic beauty, attainment, and expectation, we look for ways to "dig deep" and find truth and gratitude in our lives. A new way forward means we can't hold on too tightly to our own self-defeating thoughts or the displaced pain in our world. Instead, we can embrace the imperfection.
Good to Great by
The Challenge Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? The Study For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great? The Standards Using tough benchmarks, Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least fifteen years. How great? After the leap, the good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general stock market by an average of seven times in fifteen years, better than twice the results delivered by a composite index of the world's greatest companies, including Coca-Cola, Intel, General Electric, and Merck. The Comparisons The research team contrasted the good-to-great companies with a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed to make the leap from good to great. What was different? Why did one set of companies become truly great performers while the other set remained only good? Over five years, the team analyzed the histories of all twenty-eight companies in the study. After sifting through mountains of data and thousands of pages of interviews, Collins and his crew discovered the key determinants of greatness -- why some companies make the leap and others don't. The Findings The findings of the Good to Great study will surprise many readers and shed light on virtually every area of management strategy and practice. The findings include: Level 5 Leaders: The research team was shocked to discover the type of leadership required to achieve greatness. The Hedgehog Concept (Simplicity within the Three Circles): To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence. A Culture of Discipline: When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great results. Technology Accelerators: Good-to-great companies think differently about the role of technology. The Flywheel and the Doom Loop: Those who launch radical change programs and wrenching restructurings will almost certainly fail to make the leap. "Some of the key concepts discerned in the study," comments Jim Collins, "fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people." Perhaps, but who can afford to ignore these findings?
Grit by
In this instant New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed--be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people--that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls "grit." Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of "genius," Duckworth, now a celebrated researcher and professor, describes her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not "genius" but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance. In Grit, she takes readers into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she's learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers--from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll. Among Grit's most valuable insights: *Why any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal *How grit can be learned, regardless of I.Q. or circumstances *How lifelong interest is triggered *How much of optimal practice is suffering and how much ecstasy *Which is better for your child--a warm embrace or high standards *The magic of the Hard Thing Rule Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that--not talent or luck--makes all the difference.
The Health Care Data Guide by
The Health Care Data Guide is designed to help students and professionals build a skill set specific to using data for improvement of health care processes and systems. Even experienced data users will find valuable resources among the tools and cases that enrich The Health Care Data Guide. Practical and step-by-step, this book spotlights statistical process control (SPC) and develops a philosophy, a strategy, and a set of methods for ongoing improvement to yield better outcomes. Provost and Murray reveal how to put SPC into practice for a wide range of applications including evaluating current process performance, searching for ideas for and determining evidence of improvement, and tracking and documenting sustainability of improvement. A comprehensive overview of graphical methods in SPC includes Shewhart charts, run charts, frequency plots, Pareto analysis, and scatter diagrams. Other topics include stratification and rational sub-grouping of data and methods to help predict performance of processes. Illustrative examples and case studies encourage users to evaluate their knowledge and skills interactively and provide opportunity to develop additional skills and confidence in displaying and interpreting data. Companion Web site: www.josseybass.com/go/provost
High Performance Habits by
THESE HABITS WILL MAKE YOU EXTRAORDINARY. Twenty years ago, author Brendon Burchard became obsessed with answering three questions: 1. Why do some individuals and teams succeed more quickly than others and sustain that success over the long term? 2. Of those who pull it off, why are some miserable and others consistently happy on their journey? 3. What motivates people to reach for higher levels of success in the first place, and what practices help them improve the most? After extensive original research and a decade as the world's leading high performance coach, Burchard found the answers. It turns out that just six deliberate habits give you the edge. Anyone can practice these habits and, when they do, extraordinary things happen in their lives, relationships, and careers. Which habits can help you achieve long-term success and vibrant well-being no matter your age, career, strengths, or personality? To become a high performer, you must seek clarity, generate energy, raise necessity, increase productivity, develop influence, and demonstrate courage. This book is about the art and science of how to cultivate and practice these proven habits. Whether you want to get more done, lead others better, develop skill faster, or dramatically increase your sense of joy and confidence, the habits in this book will help you achieve it. Each of the six habits is illustrated by powerful vignettes, cutting-edge science, thought-provoking exercises, and real-world daily practices you can implement right now. If you've ever wanted a science-backed, heart-centered plan to living a better quality of life, it's in your hands. Best of all, you can measure your progress. A link to a free professional assessment is included in the book.
How Women Rise by
Overcome the twelve habits holding you back and take your career to new heights with this wise and approachable guide from two business leadership experts. Ready to take the next step in your career . . . but not sure what's holding you back? Read on. Leadership expert Sally Helgesen and bestselling leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith have trained thousands of high achievers -- men and women -- to reach even greater heights. Again and again, they see that women face specific and different roadblocks from men as they advance in the workplace. In fact, the very habits that helped women early in their careers can hinder them as they move up. Simply put, what got you here won't get you there . . . and you might not even realize your blind spots until it's too late. Are you great with the details? To rise, you need to do less and delegate more. Are you a team player? To advance, you need to take credit as easily as you share it. Are you a star networker? Leaders know a network is no good unless you know how to use it. Sally and Marshall identify the twelve habits that hold women back as they seek to advance, showing them why what worked for them in the past might actually be sabotaging their future success. Building on Marshall's classic bestseller What Got You Here Won't Get You There, How Women Rise is essential reading for any woman who is ready to advance to the next level.
Humble Inquiry by
Communication is essential in a healthy organization. But all too often when we interact with people-especially those who report to us-we simply tell them what we think they need to know. This shuts them down. To generate bold new ideas, to avoid disastrous mistakes, to develop agility and flexibility, we need to practice Humble Inquiry. Ed Schein defines Humble Inquiry as "the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person." In this seminal work, Schein contrasts Humble Inquiry with other kinds of inquiry, shows the benefits Humble Inquiry provides in many different settings, and offers advice on overcoming the cultural, organizational, and psychological barriers that keep us from practicing it.
If Aristotle Ran General Motors by
What does classical philosophy have to offer modern business? Nothing less than the secrets to building great morale and productivity in any size organization.This is the message that Tom Morris will deliver this year to thousands of executives of leading companies such as Merrill Lynch, Coca Cola, Bayer, and Northwestern Mutual Life.In If Aristotle Ran General Motors, Morris, who taught philosophy at Notre Dame for fifteen years, shares the knowledge that he garnered from a lifetime of studying the writings and teachings of history's wisest thinkers and shows how to apply their ideas in today's business environment. Although he frequently draws on the wisdom of Aristotle, Morris also finds inspiration in the teachings of a wide array of thinkers from many different traditions and eras. Throughout these pages we're invited to pause and consider the wordsof Confucius, Seneca, Saint Augustine, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, and many others.By looking at the inside workings of various kinds of businesses - from GE to Tom's of Maine - Morris shows why any company that is serious about attaining true excellence must adhere to four timeless virtues first identified by Aristotle more than two thousand years ago: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, and Unity. Morris makes clear that the most successful companies encourage a corporate culture that ensures that all interactions among colleagues, employees, bosses, clients, customers, and suppliers are infused with dignity and humanity. Moreover, the book provides clearly stated strategies for how everyone who works can make these qualities the foundation for their everyday business (and personal) lives. If Aristotle Ran General Motors presents the most compelling case of any book yet written for a new ethics in business and for a workplace where openness and integrity are the rule rather than the exception. It offers an optimistic vision for the future and a plan for reinvigorating the soul back into our professional lives.
If Disney Ran Your Hospital; 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently by
Using examples from his work with Disney and as a senior-level hospital executive, Fred Lee challenges the assumptions that have defined customer service in healthcare. In this book, he focuses on the similarities between Disney and hospitals - both provide an "experience," not just a service. It shows how hospitals can emulate the strategies that earn Disney the trust and loyalty of their guests and employees. The book explains why standard service excellence initiatives in healthcare have not led to high patient satisfaction and loyalty, and it provides principles that will help hospitals gain the competitive advantage that comes from being seen as "the best" by their own employees, consumers, and community.
Improving Healthcare with Control Charts by
Do you feel you are drowning in a sea of data and wondering how you can learn from all of this information? While measuring quality efforts in healthcare is essential to the overall performance of any healthcare organization, it is also very complex, leaving many feeling overwhelmed and with a lot of unanswered questions: What are SPC methods and can they really help to improve healthcare? How can control charts be used to monitor key processes and outcomes? How can physicians use control charts to improve their clinical practice? In his latest book, Dr. Raymond Carey answers these questions and more as he helps to explain the need for, and the use of, SPC in healthcare. In Improving Healthcare with Control Charts: Basic and Advanced SPC Methods and Case Studies, Carey expands on his previous best-selling book, Measuring Quality Improvement in Healthcare, by providing more in-depth information on problems commonly experienced in constructing and analyzing control charts. He outlines specific SPC concepts, theories, and methods that will help improve measurement and therefore improve overall performance. Carey also presents many new case studies applying advanced methods and theory to real life healthcare situations.
Inventology: how we dream up things that change the world by
A doctor realizes that an innocent-looking tube is killing his patients, then reads a newspaper article that inspires him to create a better version that serves as an early warning system for infections. A father cleans up after his toddler and builds a “sippy” cup that won’t spill. An engineer dreams of a different world and pioneers the cell phone.
By studying breakthroughs like these, we can learn how people imagine their way around “impossible” problems to discover groundbreaking answers. Pagan Kennedy reports on how enduring methods of invention can be adapted to the twenty-first century, as millions of us deploy tools like crowdfunding, big data, and 3-D printing to address our needs or realize our dreams. Drawing on fresh research and the surprising stories behind many inventions old and new to reveal the steps that most reliably produce discovery, Inventology is a myth-shattering book and a must-read for anyone who is curious about creativity and the mental leaps required to solve our most challenging problems.
Leaders Eat Last by
The New York Times bestseller by the acclaimed, bestselling author of Start With Why and Together is Better. Now with an expanded chapter and appendix on leading millennials, based on Simon Sinek's viral video "Millenials in the workplace" (150+ million views). Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled. This is not a crazy, idealized notion. Today, in many successful organizations, great leaders create environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things. In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why? The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general. "Officers eat last," he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What's symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: Great leaders sacrifice their own comfort--even their own survival--for the good of those in their care. Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside. Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking.
Leadership and the New Science by
We live in a time of chaos, rich in potential for new possibilities. A new world is being born. We need new ideas, new ways of seeing, and new relationships to help us now. New science-the new discoveries in biology, chaos theory, and quantum physics that are changing our understanding of how the world works-offers this guidance. It describes a world where chaos is natural, where order exists "for free." It displays the intricate webs of cooperation that connect us. It assures us that life seeks order, but uses messes to get there. Leadership and the New Science is the bestselling, most acclaimed, and most influential guide to applying the new science to organizations and management. In it, Wheatley describes how the new science radically alters our understanding of the world, and how it can teach us to live and work well together in these chaotic times. It will teach you how to move with greater certainty and easier grace into the new forms of organizations and communities that are taking shape. You'll learn that- Relationships are what matters-even at the subatomic level Life is a vast web of interconnections where cooperation and participation are required Chaos and change are the only route to transformation In this expanded edition, Wheatley provides examples of how non-linear networks and self-organizing systems are flourishing in the modern world. In the midst of turbulence, Wheatley shows, we create work and lives rich in meaning.
The Leadership Challenge by
The most trusted source of leadership wisdom, updated to address today's realities The Leadership Challenge is the gold-standard manual for effective leadership, grounded in research and written by the premier authorities in the field. With deep insight into the complex interpersonal dynamics of the workplace, this book positions leadership both as a skill to be learned, and as a relationship that must be nurtured to reach its full potential. This new sixth edition has been revised to address current challenges, and includes more international examples and a laser focus on business issues; you'll learn how extraordinary leaders accomplish extraordinary things, and how to develop your leadership skills and style to deliver quality results every time. Engaging stories delve into the fundamental roles that great leaders fulfill, and simple frameworks provide a primer for those who seek continuous improvement; by internalizing key insights and putting concepts into action, you'll become a more effective, more impactful leader. A good leader gets things done; a great leader aspires, inspires, and achieves more. This book highlights the differences between good and great, and shows you how to bridge the chasm between getting things done and making things happen. Gain deep insight into leadership's critical role in organizational health Navigate the shift toward team-oriented work relationships Motivate and inspire to break through the pervasive new cynicism Leverage the electronic global village to deliver better results Business is evolving at an increasingly rapid rate, and leaders must keep pace with the changes or risk stagnation. People work differently, are motivated differently, and have different expectations today--business as usual is quickly losing its effectiveness. The Leadership Challenge helps you stay current, relevant, and effective in the modern workplace.
Leadership from the Inside Out by
Grow the Whole Person to Grow the Whole Leader This long-awaited third edition turns leadership development inside out for a new generation of authentic, purpose-inspired leaders. Balancing timeless principles with emerging research, this new edition offers- . Two new chapters- "Story Mastery" and "Coaching Mastery" . New case studies, stories, and exercises in every chapter . New validating research from the frontiers of leadership, neuroscience, psychology, and human potential . An even more powerful and transformative development experience Now framed in eight profound and pragmatic "mastery areas," this book serves as an integrated growth experience that helps leaders understand how to harness their authentic, value-creating influence and elevate their impact. Cashman demonstrates that his trademark "grow the whole person to grow the whole leader" approach, focusing on purpose-driven leadership, is even more relevant in today's hypercomplex world. For everyone from CEOs to emerging leaders, this new edition of a proven classic advances the art and science of leadership.
Leading Change, with a New Preface by the Author by 
Leading Matters by
In Leading Matters, current Chairman of Alphabet (Google's parent company), former President of Stanford University, and "Godfather of Silicon Valley," John L. Hennessy shares the core elements of leadership that helped him become a successful tech entrepreneur, esteemed academic, and venerated administrator. Hennessy's approach to leadership is laser-focused on the journey rather than the destination. Each chapter in Leading Matters looks at valuable elements that have shaped Hennessy's career in practice and philosophy. He discusses the pivotal role that humility, authenticity and trust, service, empathy, courage, collaboration, innovation, intellectual curiosity, storytelling, and legacy have all played in his prolific, interdisciplinary career. Hennessy takes these elements and applies them to instructive stories, such as his encounters with other Silicon Valley leaders including Jim Clark, founder of Netscape; Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State and Stanford provost; John Arrillaga, one of the most successful Silicon Valley commercial real estate developers; and Phil Knight, founder of Nike and philanthropist with whom Hennessy cofounded Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University. Across government, education, commerce, and non-profits, the need for effective leadership could not be more pressing. This book is essential reading for those tasked with leading any complex enterprise in the academic, not-for-profit, or for-profit sector.
Lean Doctors by
This practical, how-to book clearly and succinctly takes the reader through six proven "success steps" for implementing lean in any healthcare environment: 1. Create physician flow 2. Support physician value-added time 3. Visually communicate patient status 4. Standardize everyone's work 5. Lay out the clinic for minimal motion 6. Change the care delivery model Why go through such a transformation? Because it works. Tell a doctor that he can see the same number of patients, offering the same high quality and personal care, and have an extra 90 minutes at the end of his clinic day -- and that means something. Tell the staff that they can look forward to actually ending on time, with satisfied patients, no backlog, and having focused their attention completely on quality patient care -- and they will listen. These Lean principles and success steps work in clinics ranging from orthopedics to neurology to cardiac care -- the specialty doesn't matter. They work in small practices and large hospital settings. Lean methodology provides the tools to address the frustrations patients and doctors alike experience in the clinic process. Included throughout the book is a case study showing the lean transformation undertaken at the Orthopedic Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, with numerous quotes and insights from those actually involved. This transformation resulted in patient wait times being reduced by more than 70 percent, the clinic being able to see 25 percent more patients in less space, patient satisfaction scores sometimes reaching 100 percent, and staff satisfaction scores improving by more than 25 percent.
Lean Hospitals by
Healthcare leaders around the world are facing tough challenges, including the need to deliver better value for patients and payers, which means improving quality while reducing cost. It might seem impossible to do both, but organizations around the world are proving it's possible, through Lean. Health systems are able to enhance all dimensions of patient care, including both safety and service, while creating more engaging and less frustrating workplaces for healthcare professionals and staff... all leading to improved long-term financial performance. Building on the success of the first two editions of this Shingo Prize-Winning book, Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement, Third Editionexplains how to use the Lean philosophy and management system to improve safety, quality, access, and morale while reducing costs. Lean healthcare expert Mark Graban examines the challenges facing today's health systems, including rising costs, falling reimbursement rates or budget constraints, employee retention, and harm to patients. The new edition of this international bestseller (translated into eight languages) begins with an overview of Lean methods and mindsets. It explains how engaging staff and leaders in Lean practices such as value stream mapping and process observation can help reduce wasted motion for caregivers, prevent delays for patients, and improve the long-term health of your organization. In addition to a new introduction from John Toussaint, this updated edition includes: New and updated material on identifying waste, A3 problem solving, employee idea management, kanban for materials management, and strategy deployment New case studies and examples--including a new 5S case study (Franciscan St. Francis Health) and other case examples highlighting the challenges and successes of an academic medical center and a small urgent access hospital, featuring quotes and stories from executives New examples and updated data throughout, including revised chapters on patient safety and patient flow challenges and the improvements driven by Lean Detailing the mindsets and methods needed for a successful transition to a Lean culture, the book provides the understanding of Lean practices--including value stream mapping, standardized work, error proofing, root cause problem solving, and daily improvement processes--needed to reduce common hospital errors and improve performance in other dimensions. The balanced approach outlined in this book will guide you through the process of improving the quality of care and service while reducing costs in your hospital. *The Lean Certification and Oversight Appeals committee has approved Lean Hospitals as recommended reading for those in pursuit of Lean Bronze Certification from SME, AME, Shingo Prize, and ASQ
Learned Optimism by
National Bestseller The father of the new science of positive psychology and author of Authentic Happiness draws on more than twenty years of clinical research to demonstrate how optimism enchances the quality of life, and how anyone can learn to practice it. Offering many simple techniques, Dr. Seligman explains how to break an "I--give-up" habit, develop a more constructive explanatory style for interpreting your behavior, and experience the benefits of a more positive interior dialogue. These skills can help break up depression, boost your immune system, better develop your potential, and make you happier.. With generous additional advice on how to encourage optimistic behavior at school, at work and in children, Learned Optimism is both profound and practical-and valuable for every phase of life. "Vaulted me out of my funk.... So, fellow moderate pessimists, go buy this book." --Marian Sandmaier, The New York Times Book Review
Managing Generation X: how to bring out the best in young talent by
This bestseller stresses a practical approach to managing Gen Xers in the workplace, including giving them the freedom to succeed.
Managing the Unexpected by
Since the first edition of Managing the Unexpected was published in 2001, the unexpected has become a growing part of our everyday lives. The unexpected is often dramatic, as with hurricanes or terrorist attacks. But the unexpected can also come in more subtle forms, such as a small organizational lapse that leads to a major blunder, or an unexamined assumption that costs lives in a crisis. Why are some organizations better able than others to maintain function and structure in the face of unanticipated change? Authors Karl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe answer this question by pointing to high reliability organizations (HROs), such as emergency rooms in hospitals, flight operations of aircraft carriers, and firefighting units, as models to follow. These organizations have developed ways of acting and styles of learning that enable them to manage the unexpected better than other organizations. Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of the groundbreaking book Managing the Unexpected uses HROs as a template for any institution that wants to better organize for high reliability.
Managing to Learn by
p When John Shook worked at Toyota he noticed that the senior experts on the Toyota Production System often drew simple maps when on the shop floor. These maps showed the current physical flow of a product family and the information flow for that product family as they wound through a complex facility making many products. /p
Mindset by
The updated edition of the book that has changed millions of lives with its insights into the growth mindset. After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset--those who believe that abilities are fixed--are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset--those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment. In this edition, Dweck offers new insights into her now famous and broadly embraced concept. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. She also expands the mindset concept beyond the individual, applying it to the cultures of groups and organizations. With the right mindset, you can motivate those you lead, teach, and love--to transform their lives and your own. Praise for Mindset "A good book is one whose advice you believe. A great book is one whose advice you follow. This is a book that can change your life, as its ideas have changed mine."--Robert J. Sternberg, co-author of Teaching for Wisdom, Intelligence, Creativity, and Success "An essential read for parents, teachers [and] coaches . . . as well as for those who would like to increase their own feelings of success and fulfillment."--Library Journal (starred review) "Everyone should read this book."--Chip Heath and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick "One of the most influential books ever about motivation."--Po Bronson, author of NurtureShock "If you manage people or are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset."--Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start 2.0
No Ego by
The New York Timesbestselling author ofReality-Based Leadershiprejects the current fad of "engaging" employees and the emotional drama of "meeting their needs"--returning leadership to leaders and productivity to businesses. For years now, leaders in almost every industry have accepted two completely false assumptions--that change is hard, and that engagement drives results. Those beliefs have inspired expensive attempts to shield employees from change, involve them in high-level decision-making, and keep them happy with endless "satisfaction surveys" and workplace perks. But what these engagement programs actually do, Cy Wakeman says, is inflate expectations and sow unhappiness, leaving employees unpreparedto adapt to even minor changes necessary to the organization's survival. Rather than driving performance and creating efficiencies, these programs fuel entitlement and drama, costing millions in time and profit. It is high time to reinvent leadership thinking. Stop worrying about your employees' happiness, and start worrying about their accountability. Cy Wakeman teaches you how to hire "emotionally inexpensive" people, solicit only the opinions you need, and promote self-awareness in your whole team.No Egodisposes with unproven HR maxims, and instead offers a complete plan to turn your office from a den of discontent to a happy, productive place.
Nurses, Moving Beyond the Bedside by 
One Piece of Paper by
A robust, authentic model for creating and clearly articulating a personal leadership philosophy Based on leadership expert Mike Figliuolo's popular "Leadership Maxims" training course, One Piece of Paper teaches decisive, effective leadership by taking a holistic approach to defining one's personal leadership philosophy. Through a series of simple questions, readers will create a living document that communicates their values, passions, goals and standards to others, maximizing their leadership potential. Outlines a clear approach for identifying a concise and meaningful set of personal leadership maxims by which leaders can live their lives Explains and applies four basic aspects of leadership: leading yourself, leading the thinking, leading your people, and leading a balanced life Generates a foundational document that serves as a touchstone for leaders and their teams Simple, applicable, and without pretense, One Piece of Paper provides a model for real leadership in the real world.
On the Mend by
Part case study, part manifesto, this groundbreaking new book by a doctor and a healthcare executive uses real-life anecdotes and the logic of lean thinking to make a convincing argument that a revolutionary new kind of healthcare -- lean healthcare -- is urgently needed and eminently doable. In On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and Transform the Industry John Toussaint, MD, former CEO of ThedaCare, and Roger A. Gerard, PhD, its chief learning officer, candidly describe the triumphs and stumbles of a seven-year journey to lean healthcare, an effort that continues today and that has slashed medical errors, improved patient outcomes, raised staff morale, and saved $27 million dollars in costs without layoffs. Find out: * How lean techniques of value-stream-mapping and rapid improvement events cut the average "door-to-balloon" time for heart attack patients at two hospitals from 90 minutes to 37. * What ThedaCare leaders did to replace medicine's "shame and blame" culture with a lean culture based on continuous improvement and respect for people. * How the lean principle of "building in quality at the source" broke down divisions among medical specialties allowing teams to develop patient care plans faster. * Why traditional modern management is the single biggest impediment to lean healthcare. * How the plan-do-study-act cycle coupled with rapid improvement events cut the wait time at a robotic radiosurgery unit from 26 days to six. * How the lean concept of "one piece flow" saved time in treating ischemic stroke patients, increasing the number of patients receiving a CT scan within 25 minutes from 51% to 89%. * How senior leaders at other healthcare organizations can begin their own lean transformations using a nine-step action plan based on what ThedaCare did -- and what it would do differently. Toussaint and Gerard prove that lean healthcare does not mean less care. On the Mend shows that when care is truly re-de
Own the Room by 
Patients Come Second by
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER Americans enjoy the finest healthcare delivery system in the world, but most people will tell you that we still have a long way to go. Far too frequently, patients leave the doctor's office or hospital feeling confused, angry, or neglected. Healthcare leaders recognize this problem, but in their focus on patients (and sometimes financials), they often overlook the true key to lasting patient loyalty and satisfaction: their employees. Patients Come Second shakes up the traditional healthcare model, arguing that in order to care for and retain patients, leaders must first create exceptional teams and find ways to engage nurses, administrative staff, physicians, supervisors, and even housekeeping staff and switchboard operators. By connecting employees' work with a higher purpose and equipping them with the tools to become leaders themselves, patient care can be dramatically transformed. And with continuing healthcare changes on the horizon and ever-rising pressure to acquire and keep patients, doing so now is more important than ever. Britt Berrett, president of an 898-bed hospital, and Paul Spiegelman, founder and CEO of a successful patient-experience company, are the perfect guides to the changes needed in healthcare leadership. With a rich combined experience in their field, they have filled each chapter with an abundance of engaging, insightful stories and write with a humor and friendliness that balances and enhances the urgency of their message.
Polarity Management by
Some complex problems simply do not have "solutions." The key to being an effective leader is being able to recognize and manage such problems. Polarity Management presents a unique model and set of principles that will challenge you to look at situations in new ways. Also included are exercises to strengthen your skills, and case studies to help you begin applying the model to your own unsolvable problems.
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership by
The guide to approaching leadership in a rapidly changing world. When change requires you to challenge people's familiar reality, it can be difficult, dangerous work. Whatever the context--whether in the private or the public sector--many will feel threatened as you push though major changes. But as a leader, you need to find a way to make it work. Ron Heifetz first defined this problem with his distinctive theory of adaptive leadership in Leadership Without Easy Answers. In a second book, Leadership on the Line, Heifetz and coauthor Marty Linsky highlighted the individual and organizational dangers of leading through deep change in business, politics, and community life. Now, Heifetz, Linsky, and coauthor Alexander Grashow are taking the next step: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership is a hands-on, practical guide containing stories, tools, diagrams, cases, and worksheets to help you develop your skills as an adaptive leader, able to take people outside their comfort zones and assess and address the toughest challenges. The authors have decades of experience helping people and organizations create cultures of adaptive leadership. In today's rapidly changing world, The Practice of Adaptive Leadership can be your handbook to meeting the demands of leadership in the midst of complexity.
Presence by
Have you ever left a nerve-racking challenge and immediately wished for a do over? Maybe after a job interview, a performance, or a difficult conversation? The very moments that require us to be genuine and commanding can instead cause us to feel phony and powerless. Too often we approach our lives' biggest hurdles with dread, execute them with anxiety, and leave them with regret. By accessing our personal power, we can achieve "presence," the state in which we stop worrying about the impression we're making on others and instead adjust the impression we've been making on ourselves. As Harvard professor Amy Cuddy's revolutionary book reveals, we don't need to embark on a grand spiritual quest or complete an inner transformation to harness the power of presence. Instead, we need to nudge ourselves, moment by moment, by tweaking our body language, behavior, and mind-set in our day-to-day lives. Amy Cuddy has galvanized tens of millions of viewers around the world with her TED talk about "power poses." Now she presents the enthralling science underlying these and many other fascinating body-mind effects, and teaches us how to use simple techniques to liberate ourselves from fear in high-pressure moments, perform at our best, and connect with and empower others to do the same. Brilliantly researched, impassioned, and accessible, Presence is filled with stories of individuals who learned how to flourish during the stressful moments that once terrified them. Every reader will learn how to approach their biggest challenges with confidence instead of dread, and to leave them with satisfaction instead of regret. "Presence feels at once concrete and inspiring, simple but ambitious -- above all, truly powerful."-New York Times Book Review
Principle Centered Leadership by
From the author that brought you the New York Times bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People comes a foundational guide to leadership. How do individuals and organizations survive and thrive amid tremendous change? Why are efforts to improve organizations failing despite the millions of dollars in time, capital, and human effort being spent on them? How do we unleash creativity, talent, and energy within ourselves--and others--in the midst of pressure? Is it realistic to believe that balance among personal, family, and professional life is possible? Stephen R. Covey demonstrates that the answer to these and other dilemmas is principle-centered leadership, a long-term, inside-out approach to developing people and organizations. The key to dealing with the challenges that face us today is to develop a principle-centered core within both ourselves and our organizations. Dr. Covey offers insights and guidelines that can help you apply these principles both at work and at home--leading not just to a new understanding of how to increase quality and productivity, but also to a new appreciation of the importance of building personal and professional relationships. The result is a more balanced, more rewarding, and more effective life.
Quality Health Care by
Written by an internationally-recognized expert in the field of quality management, this book will serve as your guide for planning and implementing a successful quality measurement program in your healthcare facility. It begins by presenting an overview of the context for quality measurement, the forces influencing the demand for quality reform, how to listen to the voice of the customer, and the characteristics of quality that customers value most. Youll also learn how to select and define indicators to collect data and how to organize data into a dashboard that can provide feedback on your progress toward quality measurement. Finally, this book shows you how to analyze your data by detailing how variation lives in your data, and whether this variation is acceptable. Case studies are provided to demonstrate how quality measurement can be applied to clinical as well as operational aspects of healthcare delivery.
Range by
The #1 New York Times bestseller that has all America talking: as seen/heard on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, Morning Joe, CBS This Morning, The Bill Simmons Podcast, Rich Roll, and more. "Fascinating. . . . If you're a generalist who has ever felt overshadowed by your specialist colleagues, this book is for you." --Bill Gates "The most important business--and parenting--book of the year." --Forbes "Urgent and important. . . an essential read for bosses, parents, coaches, and anyone who cares about improving performance." --Daniel H. Pink Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you'll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world's top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule. David Epstein examined the world's most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields--especially those that are complex and unpredictable--generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They're also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can't see. Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.
Reframing Organizations by
Set aside trends to focus on the fundamentals of great leadership Reframing Organizations provides time-tested guidance for more effective organizational leadership. Rooted in decades of social science research across multiple disciplines, Bolman and Deal's four-frame model has continued to evolve since its conception over 25 years ago; this new sixth edition has been updated to include coverage of cross-sector collaboration, generational differences, virtual environments, globalization, sustainability, and communication across cultures. The Instructor's guide has been expanded to provide additional tools for the classroom, including chapter summary tip sheets, mini-assessments, Bolman & Deal podcasts, and more. These recent revisions reflect the intersection of reader recommendations and the current leadership environment, resulting in a renewed practicality and even greater alignment with everyday application. Combining the latest research from organizational theory, organizational behavior, psychology, sociology, political science and more, the model detailed here provides real guidance for real leaders. Guide, motivate, and inspire your team's best performance as you learn to: Optimize group, team, and organizational structure Build a positive, collaborative dynamic across generations, teams, and sectors Understand power and conflict amidst the internal and external political landscape Shape your organization's culture and build a cohesive sense of spirit Bolman and Deal's four-frame model has withstood the test of time because it offers an accessible, compact, and powerful set of ideas for navigating complexity and turbulence. In today's business climate, leadership trends come and go; today's flash in the pan is tomorrow's obsolete strategy, but a leadership framework built on a solid foundation will serve your organization well no matter what the future holds. Reframing Organizations provides clear guidance and up-to-date insight for anyone facing the challenges of contemporary leadership.
The Resilience Factor: Seven Essential Skills for Overcoming Life's Inevitable Obstacles by
Resilience is a crucial ingredient–perhaps the crucial ingredient–to a happy, healthy life. More than anything else, it's what determines how high we rise above what threatens to wear us down, from battling an illness, to bolstering a marriage, to carrying on after a national crisis. Everyone needs resilience, and now two expert psychologists share seven proven techniques for enhancing our capacity to weather even the cruelest setbacks.
The science in The Resilience Factor takes an extraordinary leap from the research introduced in the bestselling Learned Optimism a decade ago. Just as hundreds of thousands of people were transformed by "flexible optimism," readers of this book will flourish, thanks to their enhanced ability to overcome obstacles of any kind. Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté are seasoned resilience coaches and, through practical methods and vivid anecdotes, they prove that resilience is not just an ability that we're born with and need to survive, but a skill that anyone can learn and improve in order to thrive.
Readers will first complete the Resilience Questionnaire to determine their own innate levels of resilience. Then, the system at the heart of The Resilience Factor will teach them to:
• Cast off harsh self-criticisms and negative self-images
• Navigate through the fallout of any kind of crisis
• Cope with grief and anxiety
• Overcome obstacles in relationships, parenting, or on the job
• Achieve greater physical health
• Bolster optimism, take chances, and embrace life
In light of the unprecedented challenges we've recently faced, there’s never been a greater need to boost our resilience. Without resorting to feel-good pap or quick-fix clichés, The Resilience Factor is self-help at its best, destined to become a classic in the genre.
Seeing Systems by
In this extensively revised and updated edition of his classic book, Barry Oshry shows how we can transform "system blindness" into "system sight," enabling us to live and work together in productive partnership. Based on more than thirty years of research and packed with illustrative cases and solid systems theory on human interaction, Seeing Systemsprovides a penetrating look at the dynamics of systems and a unique foundation for revolutionizing our understanding of system life. This new edition features an extensive new section on having the wisdom and courage to face and work with the reality of uncertainty, and a new epilogue describing how Oshry is currently using theater, blogs, and podcasts to extend his multi-pronged revolution aimed at transforming system blindness into system sight.
Start with Why by
The inspiring, life-changing bestseller by the author of LEADERS EAT LAST and TOGETHER IS BETTER. In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who've watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY -- the third most popular TED video of all time. Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way -- and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.
Stewardship by
Stewardshipwas provocative, even revolutionary, when it was first published in 1993, and it remains every bit as relevant and radical today. Most organizations still rely on patriarchy and hierarchy as their core form of governance, stifling initiative and spirit and alienating people from the work they do. Peter Block asserts that a fundamental shift in how we distribute power, privilege, and the control of money can transform every part of an organization for the better, and he examines the nitty-gritty of implementing these reforms. This revised and expanded edition includes a new introduction by Block addressing what has and hasn't changed since the first edition and a new chapter on applying stewardship to the common good of the wider community. This visionary yet pragmatic book is sure to open your mind and change the way you do your job forever.
The Team Handbook: How to Use Teams to Improve Quality by
High-performing teams can only exist when they revel in discovery, battle well, grow together, and live their purpose. This handbook is the foremost resource on teamwork for both leaders and team members. Having sold over 800,000 copies in its first edition, the second edition expands the scope and takes the methodology to the next level in: New team start up Team growth Team roles and responsibilities Meeting skills Conflict resolution Problem solving Sponsor and management responsibilities Discussion management Decision-making methods Basic improvement tools
The Toyota Way by
How to speed up business processes, improve quality, and cut costs in any industry In factories around the world, Toyota consistently makes the highest-quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer, while using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory, and half the floor space of its competitors. The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability. Complete with profiles of organizations that have successfully adopted Toyota's principles, this book shows managers in every industry how to improve business processes by: Eliminating wasted time and resources Building quality into workplace systems Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology Producing in small quantities Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector
The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership: Achieving and Sustaining Excellence Through Leadership Development by
The Missing Link to Toyota-Style Success--LEAN LEADERSHIP Winner of the 2012 Shingo Research and Professional Publications Award "This great book reveals the secret ingredient to lean success: lean leadership. Not only is it a pleasure to read, but it is also deep and enlightening. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in lean: it's both an eye opener and a game changer." --Michael Ballé, Ph.D., coauthor of The Gold Mine and The Lean Manager "This will immediately be recognized as the most important book ever published to understand and guide 'True North Lean' and the goal of perpetual business excellence." --Ross E. Robson, President and CEO, DnR Lean, LLC, and the original Director of The Shingo Prize "An excellent book that will shape leadership development for decades to come." --Karen Martin, Principal, Karen Martin & Associates, and author of The Kaizen Event Planner About the Book: TOYOTA. The name signifies greatness-- world-class cars and game-changing business thinking. One key to the Toyota Motor Company's unprecedented success is its famous production system and its lesser-known product development program. These strategies consider the end user at every turn and have become the model for the global lean business movement. All too often, organizations adopting lean miss the most critical ingredient--lean leadership. Toyota makes enormous investments in carefully selecting and intensively developing leaders who fit its unique philosophy and culture. Thanks to the company's lean leadership approach, explains Toyota Way author Jeffrey Liker and former Toyota executive Gary Convis, the celebrated carmaker has set into motion a drive for continuous improvement at all levels of its business. This has allowed for: Constant growth: Toyota increased profitability for 58 consecutive years--slowing down only in the face of 2008's worldwide financial difficulties, the recall crisis, and the worst Japanese earthquake of the century. Unstoppable inventiveness: Toyota's approach to innovative thinking and problem solving has resulted in top industry ratings and incredible customer satisfaction, while allowing the company to weather these three crises in rapid succession and to come out stronger. Strong branding and respect: Toyota's reputation was instrumental in the company's ability to withstand the recalls-driven media storm of 2010. But what looked to some to be a sinking ship is once again running under a full head of steam. Perhaps the Toyota culture had weakened, but lean leadership was the beacon that showed the way back. In fact, writes Liker, the company is "as good and perhaps a better model for lean leadership than it ever has been." of innovation and growth. Yet, Industry Week reports that just 2 percent of companies using lean processes can likewise claim to have had long-term success. What the other 98 percent lack is unified leadership with a common method and philosophy. If you want to get lean, you have to take it to the leadership level. The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership shows you how.
Turn the Ship Around! by
"One of the 12 best business books of all time.... Timeless principles of empowering leadership." - USA Today "The best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution." --FORTUNE Since Turn the Ship Around! was published in 2013, hundreds of thousands of readers have been inspired by former Navy captain David Marquet's true story. Many have applied his insights to their own organizations, creating workplaces where everyone takes responsibility for his or her actions, where followers grow to become leaders, and where happier teams drive dramatically better results. Marquet was a Naval Academy graduate and an experienced officer when selected for submarine command. Trained to give orders in the traditional model of "know all-tell all" leadership, he faced a new wrinkle when he was shifted to the Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Facing the high-stress environment of a sub where there's little margin for error, he was determined to reverse the trends he found on the Santa Fe: poor morale, poor performance, and the worst retention rate in the fleet. Almost immediately, Marquet ran into trouble when he unknowingly gave an impossible order, and his crew tried to follow it anyway. When he asked why, the answer was: "Because you told me to." Marquet realized that while he had been trained for a different submarine, his crew had been trained to do what they were told--a deadly combination. That's when Marquet flipped the leadership model on its head and pushed for leadership at every level. Turn the Ship Around! reveals how the Santa Fe skyrocketed from worst to first in the fleet by challenging the U.S. Navy's traditional leader-follower approach. Struggling against his own instincts to take control, he instead achieved the vastly more powerful model of giving control to his subordinates, and creating leaders. Before long, each member of Marquet's crew became a leader and assumed responsibility for everything he did, from clerical tasks to crucial combat decisions. The crew became completely engaged, contributing their full intellectual capacity every day. The Santa Fe set records for performance, morale, and retention. And over the next decade, a highly disproportionate number of the officers of the Santa Fe were selected to become submarine commanders. Whether you need a major change of course or just a tweak of the rudder, you can apply Marquet's methods to turn your own ship around.
Understanding A3 Thinking by
Winner of a 2009 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Prize. Notably flexible and brief, the A3 report has proven to be a key tool In Toyota's successful move toward organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and improvement, especially within its engineering and R&D organizations. The power of the A3 report, however, derives not from the report itself, but rather from the development of the culture and mindset required for the implementation of the A3 system. In Understanding A3 Thinking, the authors first show that the A3 report is an effective tool when it is implemented in conjunction with a PDCA-based management philosophy. Toyota views A3 Reports as just one piece in their PDCA management approach. Second, the authors show that the process leading to the development and management of A3 reports is at least as important as the reports themselves, because of the deep learning and professional development that occurs in the process. And finally, the authors provide a number of examples as well as some very practical advice on how to write and review A3 reports.
Where Good Ideas Come From by
From the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got To Now and Unexpected Life The printing press, the pencil, the flush toilet, the battery--these are all great ideas. But where do they come from? What kind of environment breeds them? What sparks the flash of brilliance? How do we generate the breakthrough technologies that push forward our lives, our society, our culture? Steven Johnson's answers are revelatory as he identifies the seven key patterns behind genuine innovation, and traces them across time and disciplines. From Darwin and Freud to the halls of Google and Apple, Johnson investigates the innovation hubs throughout modern time and pulls out applicable approaches and commonalities that seem to appear at moments of originality. Where Good Ideas Come From gives us both an important new understanding of the history of innovation and a set of useful strategies for cultivating our own creative breakthroughs.
Why? by
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio investigates perhaps the most human of all our characteristics--curiosity--as he explores our innate desire to know why. Experiments demonstrate that people are more distracted when they overhear a phone conversation--where they can know only one side of the dialogue--than when they overhear two people talking and know both sides. Why does half a conversation make us more curious than a whole conversation? In the ever-fascinating Why? Mario Livio interviewed scientists in several fields to explore the nature of curiosity. He examined the lives of two of history's most curious geniuses, Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Feynman. He also talked to people with boundless curiosity: a superstar rock guitarist who is also an astrophysicist; an astronaut with degrees in computer science, biology, literature, and medicine. What drives these people to be curious about so many subjects? Curiosity is at the heart of mystery and suspense novels. It is essential to other forms of art, from painting to sculpture to music. It is the principal driver of basic scientific research. Even so, there is still no definitive scientific consensus about why we humans are so curious, or about the mechanisms in our brain that are responsible for curiosity. Mario Livio--an astrophysicist who has written about mathematics, biology, and now psychology and neuroscience--explores this irresistible subject in a lucid, entertaining way that will captivate anyone who is curious about curiosity.
Why Hospitals Should Fly by
How can it be that a checked bag on an airline flight is still exponentially safer than a patient in an American hospital? Simply put, one industry has learned the realities of what it takes to make a human system safe, and the other has not. So what does it take to dramatically improve patient safety and service quality? It takes a host of new and different (and sometimes radical) methods centered on supporting the people on the front lines – those who actually take care of the patient. It takes a hospital like the one in this story: St. Michael’s.
Writing for Social Scientists by
Students and researchers all write under pressure, and those pressures--most lamentably, the desire to impress your audience rather than to communicate with them--often lead to pretentious prose, academic posturing, and, not infrequently, writer's block. Sociologist Howard S. Becker has written the classic book on how to conquer these pressures and simply write. First published nearly twenty years ago, Writing for Social Scientists has become a lifesaver for writers in all fields, from beginning students to published authors. Becker's message is clear: in order to learn how to write, take a deep breath and then begin writing. Revise. Repeat. It is not always an easy process, as Becker wryly relates. Decades of teaching, researching, and writing have given him plenty of material, and Becker neatly exposes the foibles of academia and its "publish or perish" atmosphere. Wordiness, the passive voice, inserting a "the way in which" when a simple "how" will do--all these mechanisms are a part of the social structure of academic writing. By shrugging off such impediments--or at the very least, putting them aside for a few hours--we can reform our work habits and start writing lucidly without worrying about grades, peer approval, or the "literature." In this new edition, Becker takes account of major changes in the computer tools available to writers today, and also substantially expands his analysis of how academic institutions create problems for them. As competition in academia grows increasingly heated, Writing for Social Scientists will provide solace to a new generation of frazzled, would-be writers.
You Are a Badass® by
Packed with humor, inspiration, and advice, You Are a Badass is the #1 New York Times bestselling self-help book that teaches you how to get better without getting busted. In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up twenty-seven bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, and Make some damn money already. The kind you've never made before. By the end of You Are a Badass, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.