I haven?t shared with you what I?ve been reading since my blog post on December 6th. So here is a small summary of two of those books. Every 2 to 3 weeks I will write such a post aimed to encourage you in your own reading plan. Plus, I like to share with you a quick summary of all the books I read in case they may be of interest to you.
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin
Even though I have been familiar with the main idea of this book, I had never read it. If you are in the marketing or message-sharing field, this book will be very interesting to you. Its core message is this:
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- A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.
- Examples of great tribes would be consumers of Apple computers or Harley-Davidson motorcycles. These brands create excitement and almost fanatic loyalty in the group that adopts them. They create a tribe.
- A group needs only two things to be a tribe according to Seth: a shared interest, and a way to communicate. He says that tribes also need leadership.[/unordered_list]
Tribes is a small book of 157 pages. In typical Seth Godin fashion (as he admits toward the end of the book), the focus of the writing is a bit dispersed. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in building tight loyalty with people around their idea(s) or organization.
The Sir Winston Method: The Five Secrets of Speaking the Language of Leadership by James Humes
Written by a former presidential speech-writer and Winston Churchill enthusiast, this book is about public speaking. Written in 1991, I found its ideas to be very helpful and not outdated. In large part, it draws on how Winston Churchill lead a nation, indeed the world, from a constrained reality to a resounding triumph founded on his rhetoric.
Mr. Humes shares many stories from his personal life experiences with different presidents and other societal leaders. He shares specific public speaking principles and tricks. For example, he advises, ?Do not start with a joke or with a cordial introduction.? He says at the beginning of your speech to simply stand at the podium and stay standing for several seconds until there is absolute silence. Then start sharing something from the heart; start with something powerful.
The Sir Winston Method is 187 pages long. It is very well written, full of stories, clarifications, and examples. If you desire to do any public speaking (even if you want to speak to your team), I would recommend reading this book.
Continue reading and growing.
Your friend,
