By Platinum Team February 2, 2018

The Bookshelf: Our List of Good Reads

This post is part of a quarterly series stemming from our team’s love of growth and learning. Here we share some worthwhile reads for any clients, partners and friends who are passionate about personal development too!

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Have you ever had a book really light a fire under you? What have you read that has challenged you or moved you to deeper personal growth?

Time and time again, we find ourselves discussing good reads within our team and with our partners and our colleagues in the industry. We simply can’t help ourselves — growth and learning are part of our DNA as a company. Since more and more folks keep coming to us for recommendations of books and resources, we thought it’d be valuable to share a glimpse of that conversation here too.

If you’re game for some personal growth in your own life, our hope is that you’ll find something intriguing within the pages of one of these picks from our team. So without further adieu, here are five books to kick us off.

 

Love Is The Killer App by Tim Sanders

The nutshell: Be a lovecat. That’s the central call in this book. Tim encourages you to take up a posture of openness in your approach to work. He walks through the power of sharing your knowledge, your network and your compassion.

Why we love it: This book frees you to show and share kindness and compassion at work. It encourages you to view the business world through a lens of abundance instead of scarcity — bearing a spirit of love towards your colleagues and even your competitors.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to build a stronger network and grow their personal and professional community can benefit from this one!

 

15 Laws of Invaluable Growth by John Maxwell

The nutshell: “Working hard doesn’t guarantee success. And hope isn’t a strategy.” John Maxwell asserts that you need to have a plan for your personal growth, and this book walks you through 15 laws that help you shape that plan.

Why we love it: This one has something in it for everyone. There’s always some facet of your life that you can grow in, and this book can meet you where you are in that growth journey.

Who it’s for: If you thrive on a sense of structure and want a clear game plan with action items for personal growth, this book is great for you.

 

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

The nutshell: The StrengthsFinder assessment answers the question — where do you have the greatest potential to develop strengths? It provides a common language of the 34 most common innate talents and helps you identify your top five themes of talent.

Why we love it: StrengthsFinder is all about focusing the conversation on what’s right in people. It helps give us the words to talk about the amazing qualities present in each of us and bring our best to every arena of life.

Who it’s for: If you need a little help identifying what your superpowers are, this one’s for you. To be able to walk into any conversation — whether it be a team meeting, a job interview or personal chat — with a better understanding of the value you can bring to others, can be so powerful.

 

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

The nutshell: As the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh shares tales of creating the revolutionary company that keep you on the edge of your seat and help you rethink the way you look at life and business.

Why we love it: The company is known for its stellar customer service practices, and we’ve taken a ton of notes on how to deliver top-notch service to our homeowners.

Who it’s for: If you’re intrigued by first-hand accounts of successful businesses or want to learn more about running a company and taking care of customers, this book has plenty to offer.

 

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

The nutshell: This book tackles the question — why do some leaders and organizations inspire while others don’t? Simon Sinek asserts that a clear sense of WHY or purpose makes all the difference. “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

Why we love it: Few people and organizations know why they do what they do. We love the way this book calls you toward that deeper conversation at the core of any life or business.

Who it’s for: If you want to become more effective in the way you inspire people — be that personally or as a company — this book can be great. It helps you move beyond the typical “what” and “how” conversations.