There was a whole lot of learnings, challenges, and things to be thankful for in 2022.
At home, our eldest (who has autism) graduated from high school with honors. Our middle child had his Confirmation and learned to drive a car for the first time. Finally, our youngest had his First Communion and learned to ride a bike! We were also blessed with the opportunity to travel to quite a few places during the summer.
At work—it’s the first full year for the 2022-2023 Executive Development Program (EDP) cohort. Here, I’m joined with 24 other leaders across our organization to go on a journey of education, experience, and execution that’s necessary to prepare us for senior roles in the future. From classes at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business to working in small teams tackling projects prescribed by our executives and then presented to our CEO, our COO, and their direct reports. It’s like taking on a second full-time job—one that is as riveting as it is fulfilling.
In short, 2022 has been extra busy. I was only able to read around 35 books—15 short of the previous year and my goal of 50. Below are my top 10 picks from my 2022 reading list:
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant (Eric Jorgenson) – “’Clear thinker’ is a better compliment than ‘smart.’ …if someone is using a lot of fancy words and a lot of big concepts, they probably don’t know what they’re talking about.”
The Culture Code (Daniel Coyle)* – “One misconception about highly successful cultures is that they are happy, lighthearted places. (Successful cultures) are energized and engaged. (Team members) are oriented less around achieving happiness than around solving hard problems together.”
How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In (Jim Collins) – “(Ask these question) when making risky bets and decisions…what’s the upside, if the events turn out well? What’s the downside (if it fails)? Can you live with the downside—truly?”
Master Mentors v2: 30 Transformative Insights from our Greatest Minds (Scott Jeffrey Miller) – “(As a leader) my job was to understand where my weaknesses were, to build on my strengths, and fill in my weaknesses with other people.”
The Psychology of Money (Morgan Housel) – “Rockefeller’s product—his deliverable—wasn’t what he did with his hands, or even his words. It was what he figured out inside his head. So that’s where he spent most of his time and energy.”
Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future (Dorie Clark) – “(In getting feedback) If three people tell you you’re a horse, buy a saddle. In other words, listen to what those in the outside world are telling you, because they’re probably right.”
The Six Types of Working Genius (Patrick Lencioni) – “(Ideation) Wonder and Invention, (Activation) Discernment and Galvanizing, (Implementation) Enablement and Tenacity.”
The Fine Art of Small Talk (Debra Fine) – “Small talks is the verbal equivalent of that first domino: It starts a chain reaction with all kinds of implications for your life.”
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln (James C. Humes) – “If you have to spend a lot of time explaining the slide or exhibit, don’t use it in your talk or presentation.”
Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness (Tim S. Glover) – “The four components of Winning: Talent, Intelligence, Competitiveness, and Resilience.”
Please comment below with your book recommendations. I already have 23 books lined up for 2023. Looking forward to see your recommendations!