Accel5®’s Business Book Summaries of the Month: January 2022

Add these summarized business books from Accel5 to your January reading list.

We’re ringing in the New Year with brand-new Business Book Summaries covering a variety of topics from emotional intelligence and leadership to networking, stress management and communication. Keep reading to learn more about the most recent additions to Accel5^®.

The Five Disciplines of Inclusive Leaders
Andrés T. Tapia & Alina Polonskaia

Summary: Break down the core pillars of inclusive leadership. Practicing these five core disciplines of authenticity, emotional resilience, self-assurance, inquisitiveness and flexibility will help you activate and develop inclusive leaders throughout all levels of your organization.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Diversity
• Leadership
• Managing Others

The Business of Belonging
David Spinks

Summary: Since the inception of the Internet and online business, success has been driven by an organization’s ability to build and leverage a community of customers. David Spinks draws on more than 10 years of experience advising on community development to establish the measurable financial value of community engagement and offers practical advice for creating your own strong, engaged and loyal community.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Managing Others
• Networking
• Relationship Building

Calm Within the Storm
Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Summary: With a blend of case studies, solid research, and Dr. Hanley-Dafoe’s personal and professional experience, this practical guide shows you how to recover from adversity with a greater understanding of yourself and others and get the skills you need to stay resilient in a chaotic, changeable world.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Managing Self
• Resilience
• Stress Management

Choosing Courage
Jim Detert

Summary: After listening to thousands of people recount stories of courage in the workplace — as well as moments when courage failed to materialize — University of Virginia Professor Jim Detert gained insights on what courage means and how it can be nurtured and fostered. His findings helped him clarify how courage could be used to achieve noble feats and realize wins by speaking up for values, protecting others, championing causes and promoting ideas that can help teams and organizations prosper.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Goals & Priorities
• Managing Self

Crucial Conversations, Third Edition
Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, & Emily Gregory

Summary: Many interpersonal problems start when people disagree on high-stakes, emotional issues. Crucial Conversations, Third Edition explores what people can do and say in the moments those disagreements occur to improve their relationships, build loyalty, foster inclusivity and reduce friction.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Communication
• Managing Self
• Problem Solving

Demanding More
Sheree Atcheson

Summary: Our identity and cultural backgrounds influence the way we navigate and interact with the world around us. That’s why biases that have been embedded into the structures and systems that surround our lives can be extremely effective obstacles to inclusivity in our workplaces and communities. Demanding More provides context and insights to inform much-needed conversations about what promoting diversity, equity and inclusion really means and to help you take meaningful steps for a brighter future.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Diversity
• Culture
• Managing Self

Leading with Feeling
Cary Cherniss & Cornelia W. Roche

Summary: People with emotional intelligence (EI) accurately identify and understand their own emotional reactions, as well as those of individuals around them. They use their emotions to make sound decisions and to act in impactful ways. Leading with Feeling provides nine leadership strategies that are linked to EI capabilities, designed to help leaders at all levels use their EI in more strategic ways

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Leadership
• Managing Others

Not Done Yet!
Bonnie Marcus

Summary: Many female professionals over the age of 50 experience gendered ageism in the workplace. They’re often pushed aside and ignored despite having more wisdom and experience than their younger colleagues. In Not Done Yet! Bonnie Marcus demonstrates that women over 50 can advance their careers by confronting their fears about aging and developing a strategic mindset.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Credibility
• Expertise
• Managing Self
• Resilience

Sales Management That Works
Frank V. Cespedes

Summary: Selling is changing, but much current conventional wisdom about the impact of e-commerce, big data, AI and other megatrends is misleading and not supported by empirical facts. Sales Management That Works provides a step-by-step guide to developing a contemporary sales model that will help companies develop a superior salesforce, set competitive prices, and establish a multichannel approach to connecting with customers.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Management
• Managing Others
• Sales

Truth Be Told
John O’Brien & David Gallagher

Summary: In early 2020, pre-pandemic, company leaders from around the world met in Switzerland to develop the “Davos Manifesto 2020.” Though they hoped the document could mark a shift toward stakeholder capitalism, which values growth through production methods that are sustainable over time, they struggled with the practical implications of the consensus amid a global economy full of high-stakes, short-term horizons.

For those looking to improve upon these competencies:

• Management
• Managing Others
• Sales