To help answer that question, I went to the PASS website to look for its mission statement. I couldn’t find it in the dropdown menus. I searched the site. No results found.

That’s disappointing.

And perhaps it explains why the organization is struggling as it is now.

The Mission of PASS

I served on the PASS Board of Directors from January of 2001 through December of 2007. I poured my heart and soul, not to mention thousands of volunteer hours, into the organization. I served in many capacities, including Executive Vice President of Finance, during some very trying times. In fact, I was in the EVP role when we decided the relationship with the former management company was unsalvageable and we needed to move in a different direction. But that’s another story.

Thinking back, I’m struggling to remember the official Mission Statement we had back then. I’m certain we had one.

But I remember well what my mission was. I know exactly why I served.

I served in appreciation for those who had gone before me in the SQL community, who had given freely of themselves so that I, and many others like me, could benefit from their experiences.

I served to create a place where we could connect with fellow SQL Server professionals and improve our craft.

I served to pay it forward to the up-and-coming SQL professionals who would undoubtedly surpass all I could do. I wanted to do for them what others had done for me.

I was but a small part of much larger effort. My role was tiny compared to those I served along side – both on the board and other volunteers. And that’s not false humility on my part. At times, I really was in over my head. But the team I served with was strong and we carried each other when needed.

Although I don’t want to speak for them, I suspect they served for the same reasons I did.

Connect. Share. Learn.

The reasons that I served those many years ago still exist today. I believe there are seasoned SQL Server veterans who still want to connect with those following in their footsteps. I believe that good data professionals still want to share with other good data professionals to sharpen their skills. And I believe still that our SQLFamily actively wants to help the next generation learn.

Connect. Share. Learn.

I did see that on the PASS website. Connect. Share. Learn.

That’s the closest thing that I could find on the PASS website that could be counted as a Mission Statement. I think those three words encapsulate why SQL professionals from around the globe are PASS members. Imagine, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide with a shared heart for the SQL Server community.

So, if we run with that. PASS has not outlived its usefulness or its purpose.

Are there other places to connect? Other places to share? To learn?

Absolutely. PASS has never had a monopoly on those things. It wouldn’t be healthy for the SQL Community if PASS did. But that doesn’t mean the community isn’t better for the organization’s efforts and presence.

I know I have benefited personally and professionally. The knowledge I’ve gained. The relationships I’ve made. The friendships that I cherish. I’ve certainly benefited from PASS.

An Organization on Life Support

But now, PASS is in dire straits. I don’t believe that’s been officially communicated, but we all know it’s true.

The pandemic has exposed and amplified every weakness in PASS’ operations and structure. From its complete dependence on in-person events for revenue to the way it relies on a for-profit company for senior leadership and staffing, every aspect of PASS that could be a liability has become a massive, potentially devastating death nail for the organization.

That grieves me.

I wish PASS was not in this predicament. I wish decisions had been made differently over the past 10 years. I wish there was a better revenue model. I wish there was a different arrangement with the management company. And, I wish the Board of Directors had a trusted advisor, one with sound business acumen, that could provide unbiased advice.

I don’t mean to cast stones. That’s not the point here.

I’m not second guessing any specific decisions or arrangements. Now is not the time for that. That time will come.

I hope.

But it’s not guaranteed.

Helping PASS

Let’s face it. Without support from the SQL Community that it helped nurture, PASS may not exist in 6 to 12 months.

It may not survive.

If you’ re like me, you don’t want to see that happen. You’d like for PASS to be around next year, and the year after that. Maybe not in its current form. Maybe not without significant changes. But at least still be around.

So, how can we help? How can we give back to an organization that’s benefited our careers and enriched our friendships? A few ways come to mind.

First, register for the PASS Virtual Summit. It’s 100% online so there are no travel costs. It’s reasonably priced, currently 599 USD for the 3-day event and 399 USD for a pre-conference seminar. Or you can opt for the bundle which provides 5 full days of training for 999 USD. That’s 200 USD per day, and you can access the content for 12 months.

Second consider buying a PASS Pro Membership. I know. You get almost nothing for that membership. It was a kneejerk reaction to try to bring in a bit of revenue. That’s OK. Just consider your PASS Pro Membership a vehicle to donate approximately 100 USD to an organization you support in principle.

Third, assuming PASS comes through this, scathed or not, consider running for the Board of Directors. Be the change you’d like to see. Applications are open until 9 October, 2020.

Objections

But wouldn’t giving money to PASS simply enable them to continue making bad decisions, decisions that I disagree with? Wouldn’t the money just go into the pockets of the for-profit the management company, C&C? Isn’t supporting PASS now the same as endorsing every decision they’ve made to this point? Besides, haven’t they lost their way and don’t they treat the SQL Community they claim to love poorly these days?

Those are tough questions, ones I’ve wrestled with myself. This has been a difficult post for me to write because there is an element of truth in each of those questions.

But I can tell you that I believe we are past the point of enabling, past the point of disagreeing on principle.

For PASS to be around to reform, it must first survive. And frankly I’m doubtful it can without substantial help. If we can help it survive, we can change it and make it better.

Has PASS Outlived Its Purpose?

I don’t think PASS has outlived its purpose. I think it’s just as relevant today as when founded twenty-plus years ago.

The question is: will it have a future?

I, for one, hope so.

[Edit – 10/2/2020] After this post was originally published, Chris Yates (@YatesSQL), the current Vice President of Marketing for PASS, reached out to me. The PASS Mission Statement may be found here. It reads: “Empower data professionals who leverage Microsoft technologies to connect, share, and learn through networking, knowledge sharing, and peer-based learning.”

The post Has PASS Outlived Its Purpose? appeared first on The SERO Group.

Free SQL Server Training Resources

Often these IT Professionals, sometimes called “Accidental DBAs,” do an admirable job, even with little formal SQL Server training. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources available online for the “Accidental DBA.” Here are a few free SQL Server learning resources worth checking out:

1. Microsoft Resources and Labs

Microsoft has put together quite a few learning opportunities available to the public for free. These are in several different formats so you can pick the one you’re most comfortable with. Here are a few you may want to check out:

1. Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (CTP 3.2) Lab. In this self-paced lab, you’ll learn how to use SQL Server 2019 to solve business challenges.
2. Microsoft AI School. Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic in today’s business environment. In Microsoft AI School, you’ll “find the information, learning materials, and resources you need to start building intelligence into your solutions.”
3. SQL Server Tutorials. More than just Online Documentation, SQL Docs is a great place for detailed information about how to use SQL Server. It includes tutorials that will step you through learning the database technology.
4. EdX. Founded by Harvard and MIT, EdX is a place where education is freely available to everyone online. Microsoft has partnered with EdX to provide free courses online for SQL Server. Here are a few:
   • Querying Data with Transact-SQL.
   • Developing SQL Databases.
   • Analyzing and Visualizing Data with SQL Server Reporting Services.
5. Channel 9. Microsoft produces a lot of video content for SQL Server and other products. They make it available online via Channel 9.

2. YouTube Channels

YouTube can be a great resource for learning just about anything. From changing a tire to playing the ukulele, you can find it on YouTube. It should come as no surprise that there are a lot of great SQL Server training videos available as well. Of course, since just about anyone can create a video, you’ll want to be careful. Not everyone is the expert that they portend to be online. Do your own research. Here are a couple of places to start.

1. SQL Server YouTube Search. A list of SQL Server-related videos.
2. Microsoft SQL Server YouTube Channel. Microsoft SQL Server home on YouTube.

3. SQLSaturdays and Virtual Groups

For many years, I was on the board of Directors for a global user group called PASS. The organization is committed to providing learning opportunities for professionals around the globe and to helping the community to better connect with one another. There are a couple of ways PASS helps with this.

1. SQLSaturdays are a series of free one-day training events in cities around the world. These events, as the name suggests are held on Saturdays and are free to attend. They typically have some of the best and most well-known SQL Server experts around. Look for a SQLSaturday near you and plan to attend. You’ll see some great content and better yet make some incredible connections.
2. Virtual Groups. Through live webinars, PASS Virtual Groups offer top-notch training no matter where you happen to be. Check out a list of upcoming webinars.

Summary

With a new release every 18 to 24 months, keeping up with the latest changes can be a challenge. Hopefully, these free resources will help. We also have an ever growing SQL Script Library available to help get you started with some of the more common tasks.

Want to work with The Sero Group?

Want to learn more about how SERO Group helps organizations take the guesswork out of managing their SQL Servers? It’s easy and there is no obligation. 

Schedule a call with us to get started.

The post Want to Learn SQL Server? Here Are 3 Free Sources appeared first on The SERO Group.

It’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts. – John Wooden

As an avid reader and life-long learner, this quote by Coach John Wooden really speaks to me. I don’t want to wax too philosophical here, but life is a journey and we owe it to ourselves and those we influence to stretch ourselves and continually renew our minds so that we can be our best with our God-given talents.

There are a lot of ways to do that. One is to read voraciously. Each year I try to read or listen to at least 50 books. Some books I read for fun and entertainment. Many I read to learn something – how to be a better speaker, how to learn a new outdoor skill, how to better hobby farmer, and yes, how to be a better leader in my business.

Recommended Reading

I’m often asked to recommend books on specific topics. That’s why I created a Recommended Reading list. Each year I add a book or two to the list. 2018 was a banner year for my reading; I added four books to the Recommended Reading list. If you only read a few books each year, read these.

• It’s Your Ship by Capt. D. Michael Abrashoff. The United States Navy doesn’t have a monopoly on the highly-regimented, top-down leadership style. In fact, many companies still have this corporate culture. In It’s Your Ship, Abrashoff recounts how he was able to take a below average ship and turn it into one of the best ships in the Navy. His crew developed a sense of ownership and pride in their work. His bosses recognized Benfold’s accomplishments and rewarded the crew with additional liberty and flexibility. Abrashoff’s approaches work in the corporate world as well. This book is a must-read for leaders.
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. In the book, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin share some of the leadership lessons they learned on the battlefield where a minor mistake could have grave and lasting consequences. They distill the lessons into principles and share how they can be applied to business and everyday life. This book should be required reading for all high school seniors and business majors.
• The Like Switch by Jack Schafer. Jack Shafer spent years with the FBI, preparing spies for their missions and helping to recruit spies from other countries. During his career, he developed strategies for reading people, building trust, and developing long-term relationships. This is not a book about deceitfully manipulating people. This book shares how to build better and stronger relationships.
• Permission to Screw Up by Kristen Hadeed. Many business and leadership books are sanitized and polished. The authors share their successes without revealing the many painful mistakes and setbacks that plagued them along the way. This is not one of those books. In her book, Permission to Screw Up, Hadeed shares how she inadvertently started and grew a business hiring only millennials. She tells her engaging and personal story in an entertaining and thought-provoking way. In the end, the leadership lessons she shares seem more real and less academic, more applicable and less theoretical, more heartfelt and less boastful. Entertaining and informative, this book will help you build a better team.

Other Books Worth Your Time

I also read a lot of books that narrowly miss being added to the list. They are really good books but just don’t quite make the “hall of fame.” Here are the Top 5 Books I read in 2018 that didn’t quite make the Recommended Reading list but are still worthy of your time.

1. Crucial Confrontations by Kerry Patterson, et al. The authors provide sound tactical advice for handling difficult situations with others. They explain why these conversations are important to have and offer guidance on how to approach them.
2. Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger Institute. Written as a fable, the book illustrates how we frequently trap ourselves in a “box” of self-justification. We create an internal narrative that places blame on others and blinds us to what is really happening.
3. Finish by Jon Acuff. According to the author, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. Many people start something, a personal goal at home or a professional project at work, but tend to lose interest or find it too challenging to finish. In this humorous book, Acuff shares ways that he’s found to finish what you’ve started.
4. Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I’ve read a lot of books on productivity over the years looking for how to accomplish more in a shorter period of time. McKeown contends that this is the exact wrong approach. We should focus on getting only the right things done and eliminate everything else.
5. The Bullet Journal by Ryder Carroll. For years I’ve searched for a way to manage my To Do list. I’ve tried paper-based systems (ala Getting Things Done), electronic methods, and everything in between. I’ve written about my attempts in the past. I’ve finally found a system that works for me – The Bullet Journal.

No matter your superpowers, you can always learn something new. And these books can help.

What about you? Read any good books lately?

The post The 9 Best Books of 2018 appeared first on The SERO Group.

Have you ever been asked that question? If you’ve worked for a large organization, I bet you’ve seen that question on a formal Employee Satisfaction Survey. In smaller companies, the question may come from a manager who has Googled “Good questions to ask during an annual review.” In both cases, the company wants to learn what makes an employee happy. Happy employees don’t leave a company; dissatisfied and disengaged employees leave.

When an employee leaves, it’s costly. The hard costs of finding and onboarding a replacement are bad enough, but when you factor in the opportunity costs of deferred projects, the lowered morale of having to cover the responsibilities of the departed employee, and the reputation of being a place with high turnover, the costs are even higher.

Often when an employee leaves, she is asked why, either by her manager when she turned in her notice or by an HR Rep during the exit interview. “They offered more money” is a common excuse. So is “it’s more convenient to where I live.” In almost every case, those answers are disingenuous, or incomplete at best. Happy employees aren’t looking for another job nor do they listen when called by a recruiter.

So why do they leave? 

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, once the fundamental physiological and safety needs are met (typically with financial compensation), the higher level needs of social belonging, esteem, and self-actualization become more of an influence on motivation and behavior. Notice that these are not dependent on financial compensation, rather they are concerned with the workplace environment and corporate culture.

So, if your team is fairly or even generously compensated, yet are unhappy, are disengaged, and are leaving the company, the glaring question is: why. Why are they leaving and what can you do about it? (By the way, the only thing worse than an unhappy and disengaged employee who leaves is an unhappy and disengaged employee who stays.)

The answer will vary by organization. however, the following are frequently cited as key desires by IT professionals. 

• “More autonomy in what I’m working on.”
• “More flexibility on when I’m working.”, 
• “A better work/life balance for my life”

Less often explicitly stated, but just as important nonetheless, are:

• “Knowing that I’m making a difference to my team or customers.”
• “Feeling that I’m known, that I’m respected, and that my contributions are valued.”
• “Being able to tell when I’m doing a good job.”

So, what can you do to help your team feel engaged and valued? According to Verne Harnish and his team at Gazelles in their book Scaling Up, managers are responsible for 70% of the variances in employee engagement scores. That’s good news. It means that we, as IT managers and leaders, have the ability to influence our team through our own behaviors to create a better and more engaging environment for them. We are not helpless and impotent, subject to the whims of the marketplace and to the confines of our corporate policies. We can make a difference for our team. 

In the book, Harnish goes on to say that to help their teams stay engaged, managers should:

1. Help people play to their strengths. 
2. Don’t demotivate; “dehassle.”
3. Set clear expectations, and give employees a clear line of sight. 
4. Give recognition, and show appreciation. 
5. Hire fewer people, but pay them more. 

Depending on your company, you may not have a lot of control over number 5, but the first 4 are something you can do. It may not be obvious to you at first. It may not be easy for you, but learning to motivate and engage your team is something that you, as a leader, must learn to do.

IT leaders who come from a highly technical background are often ill-prepared to lead a team of IT professionals. This is particularly true when the new leader is promoted and asked to lead a team of former peers. Leadership is a completely different set of skills than those which made him successful as an individual contributor. However, leadership is a skill that can be learned. With our coaching clients, we find that new leaders can leverage the same tenacity and drive that propelled them to success as an individual contributor to become a great leader of IT professionals.

Don’t know where to start? Have a look at our Recommended Reading list. Still have questions, give us a call or send us an email. 

The post What Does Your IT Team Really Want? appeared first on The SERO Group.

One of the biggest events of the year for data professionals is just one week away. The PASS Summit in Seattle, Washington, kicks off on November 6, 2018. Each year the event draws thousands of attendees from around the globe for three days of intensive learning, engaging networking, and embracing camaraderie. If you’ve never been, I highly encourage it. I’ve been to the annual conference 16 times, speaking at a dozen of them. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend this year.

What’s that? You can’t go either? There’s always next year. But just because you cannot make it to Seattle this year doesn’t mean you cannot continue growing in knowledge of your craft. Successful IT professionals make continual learning a part of their routine.

So, what are some options for learning SQL Server? Here are a few that we regularly recommend to those we coach and mentor. 

• PASStv.  Although PASS makes many of the sessions from the conference available for purchase on its website, some recordings from the conference, from the 24 Hours of PASS, and virtual chapter meetings are available for free on YouTube. Just search for SQL Server PASStv and you’ll get a long list of available sessions worth watching. For example: 
  • Watch Brent Tune Queries by Brent Ozar
  • SQL Server 2016 Always On Availability Groups Enhancements by Jimmy May
  • 7 Tips to Performance Tuning, Optimization, and Everything by Pinal Dave
  • But It Worked in Development by Brent Ozar
• YouTube Videos. PASS doesn’t have the market cornered on good SQL Server content on YouTube. There are other videos available as well. For example, if you search for SQL Server, you can watch these great sessions: 
  • SQL Server 2017 Deep Dive by Bob Ward
  • SQL Server 2016 Hidden Gems with Adam Machanic
  • Running SQL Server in a Docker Container on a Mac by Kendra Little
  • T-SQL: Bad Habits and Best Practices with Aaron Bertrand 
• Vendor Resources. Many SQL Server tools manufacturers create a lot of educational content to help you not only learn to use their products but to learn SQL Server concepts as well. Some are videos. Others are free ebooks. For example:
  • SentryOne Resources
  • Redgate Hub
  • Microsoft Channel 9
• White Papers. Quite a few companies create white papers and other technical documents that can be helpful as you learn. There are good collections curated by others: 
  • SQL Skills 
  • MSSQLTips
  • PASS 
• Paid Training Sites. Although free training is good, sometimes high-quality training is available from paid sites. These offer some reasonably priced alternatives to in-person conference attendance.  
  • Lynda.com
  • PluralSight.com
  • PASS Summit Recordings

This list is not meant to be comprehensive. Rather it’s designed to spark interest and to offer proof that good education is available online, often for free.

These online experiences are no substitute for actually being at the conference where you can meet the speakers, connect with others in your industry, ask questions of the product teams, and immerse your self in the SQL Server goodness that is PASS. But, if you cannot make it to the World’s Largest SQL Family Reunion, these are good opportunities to expand your knowledge. 

The post Learning SQL Server appeared first on The SERO Group.

That question haunted me some twenty years ago while I was in the early stages of building The SERO Group. I wanted more experience to better serve my clients and to better understand how to lead my employees and contractors. I wanted to be stretched. I wanted to be challenged and to be mentored as I assumed more and more responsibilities both from a technical and from a business-leadership perspective. Yet, as a young entrepreneur, I didn’t where to start.

I’ve since learned that many technical professionals wrestle with the same question. “How can I prove myself without being given the opportunity to do the job?” 

Fortunately, I stumbled upon a great opportunity. As the leader of a local SQL Server User Group, I was presented with a complimentary registration to the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) Community Summit. At the time, PASS was a fledgling group started by key individuals in the SQL Server community with the organizational backing and financial support of Microsoft and Computer Associates.

While at the association’s second annual conference in San Francisco, I met and got to know some of the leaders of the group. They asked me to help the organization grow by volunteering some of my time. I started by communicating with other local user groups from around the nation. Later I served on the Board of Directors and was responsible for conference operations. After five years on the board, I became the organization’s Vice President of Marketing and eventually the Executive Vice President of Finance. 

During my tenure on the Board of Directors, I was presented with the exact opportunities (aka challenges) that I had so desperately sought before. I was stretched beyond my comfort zone and guided in my growth. Before passing the baton to the next generation of leaders, I had: 

• Helped set the strategic initiatives and direction for a 250,000 member global organization.
  
• Provided the financial oversight and fiscal responsibility for a multi-million dollar budget.
• Worked with an incredibly astute group of colleagues to fundamentally transform the association’s management which helped to create a budgetary surplus for the first time in the organization’s history. 
• Gained a better understanding of business, leadership, and team dynamics.  
• Become an 8-time recipient of the prestigious Microsoft MVP Award for sharing my knowledge and experiences with the SQL Server community.  

Most years, it was time-consuming. Often, it was stressful. Sometimes, it was frustrating. But, looking back it was one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career and provided an opportunity for unparalleled growth that I could not have achieved on my own.

Why volunteer your time?

I would encourage you to look outside their day jobs for career-enhancing experiences and opportunities. Why?

1. Gain and share your technical experiences. Local non-profits are often in need of professional assistance yet do not have the financial resources to pay for them. By volunteering your time with a local charity, you may have access to technical projects that are not available to you at work. Perhaps you can offer to help a local organization with some data analytics so they can better understand their donor demographics?
2. Grow and develop your leadership experiences. Leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed. However, this skill, like all others, requires practice and patience. Volunteering your time with a local Boy’s or Girl’s Club, the Boy Scouts of America, or Trail Life USA Troop can help you observe accomplished leaders in action while doing a good deed.
3. Broaden and share your business insights. Although charities and non-profits exist to serve their constituents, the organizations must remain solvent in order to accomplish their missions. By volunteering your time with a non-profit, you’ll be exposed to the business challenges and decisions that the organization is facing. 
4. Strengthen and extended your project experience. One of the benefits of working with multiple organizations is that you see different ways of doing things. Different strokes for different folks as the saying goes. By volunteering, you can quickly see a variety of different approaches to business and technical situations.
5. Make professional and personal connections. The world is full of really great people who want to “pay it forward” by unselfishly helping others. By offering your time and experiences to others, you’ll undoubtedly meet people like this. You can learn from them, perhaps even teach them something, and do more good together.  
6. Broaden and share your perspectives. Although we can learn from others, being immersed in an environment and personally walking through an experience further underscores and solidifies in your mind the lessons learned. With more exposure, you’ll have a broader set of experiences from which to draw. Plus you’ll be able to share your experiences with others. 
7. Create shared experiences. Life is enriched by the shared experiences we create. Social media is no substitute for a personal interaction with others. By volunteering your time, you’ll create more shared experiences with and for others. 

Don’t know where to start? I’d suggest starting with what interests you. Have a passion for helping local youth? Volunteer for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Want to get into information security? Check out your local ISACA chapter. Love backpacking, contact the local hiking group. Follow your interests. 

By the way, the organization where I got started, PASS, is currently soliciting applications to serve on the Board of Directors. If you’re interested, check out the application form. 

Have a volunteer experience that you’d like to share, drop me a line or leave a comment. I’d love to hear it. 

The post How Can I Get the Experience I Want When My Current Job Won’t Let Me? appeared first on The SERO Group.

I didn’t go to many games, but I remember flipping through the program at a game once. There was a page where fans could score the game, marking each play as it occurred and helping us to recall afterward the reasons we had hope for the next game.

Baseball, a Statistician’s Game

Baseball aficionados have long kept detailed records about games played. Statistics exist going all the way back to 1871. Want to know which batter led the league in Strike Outs in 1929? You can. It was the appropriately named Hack Wilson with 83. Who had the most Doubles in a single season? That’s Earl Webb in 1931 with 67. What pitcher has had the worst ERA with at least 5 games played? Phillies fans may remember Patrick Schuster’s 2016 performance when he had a whopping 45 ERA in 6 games. 

With all this data readily available, Major League Baseball gives IT Professionals a fertile playing field for learning analytics and statistics.

Learning Data Science with Baseball

Want to learn statistical analysis with R or Python? Or perhaps you would like to explore PowerBI? MLB gives us plenty of data with which to play and learn. Want to learn how to join tables and write subqueries? Again MLB has a rich dataset for you. 

Here’s a source of data that I’ve used for testing and for creating presentations when I speak at conferences and SQLSaturdays: SeanLahman.com. The site provides free downloads of MLB data going back to 1871. It’s available in CSV, Microsoft, Access, and SQL Server files.

Download the data and begin experimenting today. And if you want to develop a deeper sense of empathy, just look at the stats for the 1978 Braves, who had a record of 69-93 and gave up 150 more runs than they scored. Now that’s character building.

Looking for some humorous examples of data analysis gone wrong? Check out Beware of Spurious Correlations when Analyzing Your “Big Data.”

The post Data! Getcha Data Here! appeared first on The SERO Group.

As part of her latest leadership development venture, she is working with a small group of already established young leaders as they continue to broaden their leadership horizons. I was humbled that she’d ask for my input on the books I’ve found to be of value.

As I began thinking about my top five books, I turned to my list of Recommended Reading and Resources. This list includes books on becoming a better leader, on building a thriving business, on networking with your peers, and on developing other skills that will prove useful in the business world. I thought it would be easy to simply pick five from this list.

I was wrong.

As I browsed through the books, I realized that many of them were written from a business perspective. For example, The Phoenix Project is an excellent book on leadership that I recommend to every IT leader that I work with in my consulting practice. However, the concepts and applicability may be lost on a 19-year-old without the experience of working in a rather dysfunctional IT shop, one where Murphy’s Law reigns and politics abound.

So as good as The Phoenix Project is, I culled it from my list of books I would recommend in my Top 5. Also gone were Dave Ramsey’s Entreleadershp and most of the books by Patrick Lencioni for similar reasons.

I looked for books that teach leadership principles without presupposing use in growing a business or managing a specific environment. I also considered books that, while not specific to leadership, would be helpful for developing leaders.

Top 5 Leadership Books

So, what are my Top 5 books I’d recommend to developing leaders? Five books that I think all leaders should read at some point in the careers, and the earlier, the better? I’ve compiled the list below. These books are listed in the order I’d suggest reading them, not because of their level of influence or degree of greatness, but rather, because of the order of the concepts presented.

Here are the concepts that influenced my selection:

1. You must understand that truly great leaders are flexible in the ways they lead and serve their teams.
2. To best serve your team, you must understand them and their preferences.
3. You must acknowledge that you cannot do it all and that your team has a near limitless potential if you only unleash it.
4. Adversity will come. It always does. But a good leader can shepherd his team through the difficult times.
5. You must accept responsibility for every facet of your team and your role.

And now for the Top 5 List.

1. Leadership and the One Minute Manager

In his classic book Leadership and the One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard debunks the concept of a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. We know this intuitively. You would not lead a six-year-old the same way you would a 66-year-old. Yet for some reason, many people buy into the notion that they should adopt a single approach to leadership. In this short and easy to read allegory, Blanchard shows how we should adapt our leadership style to best serve those we are leading.

2. Taking Flight!

Have you ever completed a task that wasn’t on your To-Do List and then added it just so you could experience the satisfaction of checking it off the list? Or does that sound completely nuts to you? If you are a High D like me, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

The DISC profile is a great, easy to use tool for quickly identifying your communication and behavioral preferences. With a little effort, you can begin to understand others’ preferences as well, and that will help you to better communicate and work with others. Sound dry and boring? It could be. But Merrick Rosenberg makes it interesting and easy to understand in Taking Flight!

In the short and simplified fable, a group of birds is challenged and must figure out how to respond. As you read, you learn that each species represents a different classification in the DISC model – Dominant, Influential, Steady, and Compliant. The birds must use their strengths to work together and overcome the challenge. In the second part of the book, the concepts are explained in detail.

Understanding the DISC profiles can help you to better communicate with your team, to offer constructive feedback in a more effective manner, and to delegate in a way that helps your direct reports to succeed.

3. Turn the Ship Around!

As leaders, we’ve been told that the buck stops with us, that we are responsible. Period. As a result, many attempt to control all aspects of their teams. They make all decisions. They become experts in every area. They micromanage everything, suppressing the voices and ideas from their teams and relegating them to a bunch of task-takers rather than leveraging their God-given abilities and harnessing their enthusiasm.

That’s what almost happened to USN Captain David Marquet when he was put in charge of his first submarine. But a last-minute surprise force him to adopt a new style of leadership, one that helped him to transform the worst submarine in the fleet into one of the best. In his book, Turn the Ship Around!, Captain Marquet recalls just how he did it. It’s an interesting and informative read.

4. Shackleton’s Way

In 1914, Ernest Shackleton assembled a small crew of able-bodied seamen in hopes of becoming the first team to cross the barren and fridged landscape of Antarctica. His attempt, however, was thwarted when his ship, the Endurance, was trapped in the frozen waters of the Weddell Sea. As the ice crushed the ill-fated ship, Shackleton and his team were left floating aimlessly on a small sheet of ice on the harsh and unforgiving seas.

For over a year, Shackleton and his crew endured the hardships of being lost at sea and forgotten by those they left behind. Assumed dead, they faced overwhelming odds and were forced to make difficult decisions in an attempt to survive and effect their own rescue.

In a story every bit as spectacular and amazing as Apollo 13, Shackleton led his crew to safety without losing a single man. And what’s more, many of his crew wrote in their diaries during the trials “One of the best days of my life.”

In Shackleton’s Way, Margot Morrell thoroughly researched Sir Ernest Shackleton’s multi-year ordeal and has documented the principles that he used to lead his men to safety. Shackleton, who has been called “the greatest leader that ever came on God’s earth, bar none,” created a sense of camaraderie among his crew, managed strong personalities during difficult times, took calculated risks, and successfully led his team to safety during the most trying of times.

5. Extreme Ownership

Navy SEALs are often thought to be high-octane adrenaline junkies with a reckless regard for people and structure. Jocko Willink and Lief Babin prove that this is seldom the case. In their book, Extreme Ownership, the duo share leadership lessons they learned on the battlefield and in the streets of some of the most dangerous places on earth.

In each chapter, they share a story from the frontlines that illustrates an effective leadership principle in action. They tell of times when they had imperfect information and had to make a decision quickly of times when other units didn’t cooperatively participate in the planning and execution phases of a mission, and of times when the higher-ups seemed to micromanage their teams’ areas of responsibility. Then Willink and Babin explicitly describe the leadership principles involved and even tell how they have applied these principles in their post-service leadership consulting business.

“Oh, but, they were in the military so, of course, their teams had to comply. In the real world, it’s not like that,” you say? Willink and Babin answer that objection. When the stakes are high, even life-endangering, they tell, you must earn the respect of your team and communicate the “whys” of the mission. People will not risk their lives without believing in the men or women who lead them.

This book is one of the best books on personal responsibility and leadership that I’ve read. If you only read one of these books, this is the one you should select.

Conclusion

It’s been said that the most successful people learn constantly and read voraciously. I’d have to agree with that and I’d encourage anyone who is charged with leading in any capacity to read these books.

But, these books only represent a start; they are the first steps of a journey. Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, for example, is a great book that could have easily been added to this list. So is It’s Your Ship by Capt. Michael Abrashoff. I’m sure there are many more.

Have a book that has really influenced your life or career? I’d love to hear about it. I’m always looking for my next good read.

The post 5 Books Every Leader Should Read appeared first on The SERO Group.

Many of the books I read so that I can grow professionally. Books on developing better leadership skills, on becoming more effective in what I do, on fostering deeper and stronger relationships within teams, and on how businesses can make better use of their data, are some of the topics that interest me.

Already this year, I’ve read three books that I’ve added to my Recommended Reading list. These were insightful, yet entertaining, applicable, yet engaging.

It’s Your Ship The United States Navy doesn’t have a monopoly on the highly-regimented, top-down leadership style. In fact, many companies still have this corporate culture. In It’s Your Ship, Abrashoff recounts how he was able to take a below average ship and turn it into one of the best ships in the Navy. His crew developed a sense of ownership and pride in their work. His bosses recognized Benfold’s accomplishments and rewarded the crew with additional liberty and flexibility. Abrashoff’s approaches work in the corporate world as well. This book is a must-read for leaders.

Permission to Screw Up Many business and leadership books are sanitized and polished. The authors share their successes without revealing the many painful mistakes and setbacks that plagued them along the way. This is not one of those books. In her book, Permission to Screw Up, Hadeed shares how she inadvertently started and grew a business hiring only millennials. She tells her engaging and personal story in an entertaining and thought-provoking way. In the end, the leadership lessons she shares seem more real and less academic, more applicable and less theoretical, more heartfelt and less boastful. Entertaining and informative, this book will help you build a better team.

The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over Jack Shafer spent years with the FBI, preparing spies for their missions and helping to recruit spies from other countries. During his career, he developed strategies for reading people, building trust, and developing long-term relationships. This is not a book about deceitfully manipulating people. This book shares how to build better and stronger relationships.

If you are or desire to be a leader in your organization, I’d highly recommend that you pick up a copy of these three books. They are well worth your time.

The full Recommended Reading list is here.

Enjoy!

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If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” Abraham Lincoln was reported to have said once when accused of playing both sides of an issue. It’s good to see a politician with a self-deprecating sense of humor.

Scott Adams of Dilbert fame and the writers of The Office have some hysterical views on corporate politics. They poke fun at the corporate incompetence and the silly politics to which many in the business world can relate.

Not So Funny in the Real World

Unfortunately, there’s very little funny that’s to those who find themselves in a back-stabbing, alliance-building, sell-your-own-mother-if-it-wins-points-with-the-boss world of office politics.

As a consultant, I’ve worked with thousands of people at all levels of an organization and across most every industry. I’ve seen corporate politics in action. I’ve witnessed some of its brutality and the carnage it leaves in its wake. It’s painful to watch someone trample another as he protects his own little fiefdom.

Fortunately, as an “outsider”, I’m seldom the target of such attacks. Nevertheless, I thought it would be good to do a bit of research into the topic. So, I turned to the granddaddy of all books on politics: Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince.

Applying Princely Advice To Office Politics

Much like Sun Tzu’s The Art Of War, The Prince is considered by many to be a timeless classic that’s as applicable today in business as it was to governance in the period that it was originally written. When read with a discerning eye, it’s chock full of savvy advice for leaders.

For example, when you notice a subtle, slowly escalating issue, Machiavelli advocates confronting the issue sooner rather than later. There’s no sense in ignoring the issue and allowing it to gain momentum.

Therefore, the Romans, foreseeing troubles, dealt with them at once, and, even to avoid a war, would not let them come to a head…

Likewise, Machiavelli proposes that the wise Prince will seek counsel from those around him albeit under very restricted conditions.

The only way for a prince to guard himself from flattering adulation is to make it understood that he will not be offended if he is told the truth.

and,

…this is an axiom which never fails: that a prince who is not wise himself will never take good advice…

A warning against complacency is also made.

Princes who give more thought to luxury than to arms often lose their principality.  In fact, the quickest way to lose a principality is to neglect the art of war, and the best way of acquiring one is to be a master in this art.

Take Some Advice With A Grain Of Salt

Not all advice proffered by Machiavelli is beneficial in my opinion and it should be measured against your own moral compass.

At times, Machiavelli’s advice can be calculating and callous. He seems to be of the opinion that the ends justifies the means no matter the cost. For example, when assuming power over a principality,

Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.

Additionally, according to The Prince, we should not grow colleagues and direct reports.

From this a general rule is drawn which never or rarely fails: that he who is the cause of another becoming powerful is ruined; because that predominancy has been brought about either by astuteness or else by force, and both are distrusted by him who has been raised to power.

In Summary

I’m glad to have read The Prince. It’s a classic in every sense of the word. I must say, though, that it’s not an easy read. The sentence structures used can be rather complex at times even though the tone is fairly conversational.

Even some 500 years after its writing, it has some good insights into politics. Just being aware of these issues is good, even if you choose not to follow them.

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