Author: Allen Cheng

If you’re asked who the greatest CEO of the last century was, one name might naturally come to mind: Jack Welch. Sure, he achieved great financial return and is trumpeted by the press. But is Jack Welch really the greatest CEO of the century? According to the author of The Outsiders, no—not even close. There are CEOs who performed better during worse economic periods.

Studying companies broadly, the author ended with eight CEOs and companies with standout performance during the 20th century. Looking deeper into their management practices, he found **virtually identical patterns to their management style and capital allocation decisions**. These strategies were unorthodox but directly caused their outsized results. These CEOs and their management practices are the subject of _The Outsiders_.

_The One-Minute Manager_ is a guide for managers looking to empower their employees and teach them to succeed in their jobs, with minimal direct guidance. As the title suggests, most of what we consider “management” takes one minute or less. One-minute managers build their employees up by defining success through short **one-minute goals** and performance standards; providing immediate and direct positive feedback through **one-minute praisings**; and offering constructive criticism aimed at correcting behavior through **one-minute redirects**. This management style motivates employees and gives them the confidence and skills to become stewards and champions of their _own_ success.

In _The One Thing_, real estate entrepreneur Gary Keller argues that the key to extraordinary success is focusing daily on the “One Thing” that’s most important for achieving your goal, rather than scattering yourself in many directions. Keller and co-author Jay Papasan explain how to determine your goal or life purpose, then focus intensely on getting there, while avoiding pitfalls such as multitasking, relying on an unprioritized to-do list, thinking too small, misunderstanding willpower and discipline, and neglecting your personal life. When you know and focus exclusively on the most important thing every day, everything else falls into place. Extraordinary focus on One Thing brings extraordinary success.

_The Miracle Morning_ presents best-selling author and speaker Hal Elrod’s antidote to living the kind of mediocre life that most people accept as normal. Elrod argues that everyone is capable of achieving their dreams in every area of life, including relationships, finances, career, health, spirituality, and happiness. The answer is committing yourself to personal development by getting up early and following a simple daily routine of silence, affirmation, visualization, exercise, reading, and writing, which can empower anyone to transform any area of life in a surprisingly short time.

In _The Millionaire Next Door_, authors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko skewer the myths about how (and where) most millionaires live, and what it takes to become one. Their extensive research published in 1996 identified the sometimes surprising characteristics and habits shared by many millionaires. For instance, millionaires are often bargain shoppers (they buy used cars and off-the-rack clothing), pay only a small percentage of their wealth in income taxes, and shun the lavish lifestyles we often associate with being rich.

The book explains how to determine what your net worth should be, according to your age and income, and how you can build wealth over time and become a millionaire—if you have the discipline.

_The Last Lecture_ by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, is a distillation of his life lessons and experiences. Written with reporter Jeffrey Zaslow, the best-selling book is an expanded version of a “Last Lecture” Pausch gave in 2007, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The “Last Lecture” series was a tradition in which professors presented their philosophy of life, as if it were their last chance to share what was important to them. It truly was a last chance for Pausch, who had only months to live. His book and lecture, which went viral and has been viewed by millions, are about living your dreams.

In 1951, a 30-year-old African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks entered Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated for cervical cancer. In a matter of months she was dead, overcome by her cancer’s malignancy. Her cancer _cells_, however, would prove immortal—and change medicine forever.

_The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks_ tells the story of Henrietta, her family, and her incredible cells. Tracking both the scientific advances owed to “HeLa” cells and the struggles of Henrietta’s descendants, author Rebecca Skloot leads readers through the history of cell research, the ethical implications of scientific study, and the human story of a poor and ailing family whose matriarch contributed to some of 20th-century science’s greatest achievements.

In our society, we admire success-oriented people, or go-getters. But in _The Go-Giver_, authors Bob Burg and John David Mann turn that idea on its head. They argue that you should make _giving_ rather than _getting_ your first priority in business and in life—and success will follow. In the form of a business parable in which a mentor puts a frustrated go-getter on the path to success and fulfillment, the authors explain why and how you can change from being a go-getter to a go-giver by practicing the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.

How do you feel about New Year’s resolutions, breaking rules, or keeping commitments to yourself? These might seem like simple questions, but your answers point to a personality type that defines why and how you take action.

_The Four Tendencies_ explains the four very different personalities determining how we deal with external and internal expectations. Learn why your daughter won’t do anything when you ask her to, why your spouse will go to the ends of the earth for you but can never seem to do anything for himself, and why your colleague asks too many questions at team meetings.

_The Five People You Meet in Heaven_ is a poignant story about a man named Eddie’s journey after death. In heaven, he meets five people who teach him about the meaning and value of his own life. Through their stories and lessons, Eddie learns about connection, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love.

Through this book, you’ll have the chance to imagine your own life’s purpose and the lives you’ve touched along the way. The author is Mitch Albom, best-selling author of _Tuesdays with Morrie_ and _The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto_.