The Learning Library
One of the ways that I “Help Leaders Blossom” is to read. I love books that are well researched, well presented and have a practical orientation. This section of my website is designed to support your leadership journey by helping to choose your next good read, and grow your leadership capacity.
I read (and listen to) books on leadership, organization development, strategy formation, change … the list goes on, so I’ve organized the books into categories that make sense to me, and I have added brief comments with some of my thoughts. I’ve also added links to short video clips that may peak your interest. My goal was to read a book a week for a year (starting Oct 2018) and the tally came in at 59 books.
Quiet Leadership: Help People Think Better – Don’t Tell Them What to Do!
2006, by David Rock. I was first read “Quiet Leadership” after hearing Rock lecture at a coaching conference around 2008. I routinely suggest this title to coaching clients who want to move away from an ineffective command and control leadership style they...
Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization
2009, by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey This book is essential to understanding why people in organizations get stuck and what to do about it. I often work with leaders who come to me feeling frustrated and out of options. They keep trying to...
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A leadership Fable
2002, by Patrick Lencioni Patrick Lencioni’s model is a classic that I believe every leader should be familiar with. He makes clear the five factors that create dysfunctional teams. They are (1) Absence of Trust (2) Fear of conflict (3) Lack of...
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
2018, by Brene Brown I’m a huge fan of Brene Brown’s work and I’ve only recently had the opportunity to do a deep dive into a number of her books. I listened to Dare to Lead in the audio format, and loved the fact that she read personally rather than hiring...
Finding Our Way: Leadership For an Uncertain Time
2005, by Margaret J. Wheatley This was the first book I read on CAS Theory, and it was really helpful to understand how Wheatly was one of the pioneers of applying CAS Theory to human systems. Wheatly describes a simpler way to lead that aligns with human nature...
Assessment Tools
The Iris Group is experiences in the use and integration of the following assessment tools. All are available as online instruments.
Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI©)
Based on the research of Quinn and Cameron, two leading experts on organizational culture, the OCAI has been validated across hundreds of organizations. It is based on the competing values framework and provides insights into current and preferred cultures. We have found it particularly helpful in the early stages of mergers and acquisitions.
Visit the OCAI website
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI©)
Marion Howell is a certified MBTI assessor and facilitator. The MBTI is the most validated psychometric tool in use today. It provides powerful insights into personality preferences which are helpful in both personal anf team development.
StrengthFinder©
This Gallup instrument is based on extensive research by Marcus Buckingham and others. It allows individuals to identify their top five strengths across five domains.
Values in Action (VIA Survey)
Research tells us that individuals who use their character strengths lead happier, more satisfying lives. The VIA Survey is a validated instrument that guides individuals to know their 24 character strengths and provides an in-depth VIA Character Reports.
Reflected Best Self
Based on the work of Laura Morgan Roberts in the area of positive organizational studies, this assessment approach invites perspectives from different people on ways in which an individual has had a positive impact.