Top Books On Career Success

Some of my favorite books on career success, career advice and career management are from the “Harvard Business Review on …” series. I like them because they are written by thought leaders in their fields. A lot of these have become classics in the management/leadership field. The “Harvard Business Review on …” series are made up of a series of articles that are organized into a book. That makes it easy to read and digest.

I also benefited tremendously from reading books written by objective thinkers like Richard Carlson, Peter Drucker and Robert I. Sutton.

Here are my highly recommend picks for you.

You're making a living. But are you having a life? If not, you're putting yourself at risk for burnout--and your company at risk for lowered performance from you and your team. To stay productive on the job, you need to bring your whole self to work--balancing professional and personal commitments and safeguarding your emotional, physical, and psychological health.

This series gives you the insights, tools, and practices you need to do all that.

Articles in this book include:
1. Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Under Perform
2. The Human Moment At Work
3. The Corporate Athlete
4. Are You Working Too Hard
5. Sleep Deficit: The Performance Killer
6. Decisions And Desire
7. Leading By Feel
8. The Dangers Of Feeling Like A Fake

A must-have resource for staying productive and healthy on the job.

A collection of reflective articles walks readers through tough career challenges--from effective time management to part-time arrangements to launching a new career.

Articles in this book include:
1. Reawakening Your Passion For Work
2. Goodbye Career, Hello Success
3. The Right Way To Be Fired
4. Managing Oneself
5. A Second Career: A Possible Career
6. Five Strategies Of Successful Part-Time Work
7. Managing Your Boss
8. A Survival Guide For Leaders

Before they can effectively manage others, managers have to be adept at managing themselves. That requires truly understanding their own passions and motivations, strengths and weaknesses. This guide offers sage advice from business greats, including Peter F Drucker and John P Kotter, on how managers can improve personal performance and productivity and in the process, become better managers of those they lead.

Articles in this book include:
1. Almost Ready: How Leaders Move Up
2. Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Under Perform
3. What’s Your Story?
4. How To Play To Your Strengths
5. Do Your Commitments Match Your Convictions?
6. The Best Advice I Ever Got
7. Managing Your Boss
8. Managing Oneself

With offerings ranging from the timeless classic "Management Time Who's Got the Monkey" to innovative, cutting edge ideas, this book provides busy managers with strategies for more effective time and stress management, and offers insights into what a manager's job really entails. This is a must read for any professional wanting to work more effectively and become a better manager.

Articles in this book include:
1. Management Time: Who's Got The Monkey?
2. Beware The Busy Manager
3. What Effective General Managers Do
4. The Making Of A Corporate Athlete
5. Managers Can Avoid Wasting Time
6. All In A Day's Work
7. The Very Real Dangers of Executive Coaching
8. Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves

We all know them or know of them--the jerks and bullies at work who demean, criticize, and sap the energy of others, usually their underlings. It could be the notorious bad boss or the jealous coworker, but everyone agrees that they make life miserable for their victims and create a hostile and emotionally stifling environment.

Fed up with how these creeps treat others and poison the workplace, Sutton declares war and comes out calling them exactly what they are--"certified assholes." Caricatured in sitcoms such as The Office, these brutes are too often tolerated until irreparable damage is done to individuals and the organization as a whole.

Sutton's "no asshole rule" puts a stop to the abuse in no uncertain terms. Similar rules have transformed such companies as JetBlue, the Men's Wearhouse, and Google into shining examples of workplaces where positive self-esteem creates a more productive, motivated, and satisfied workforce. If you have ever been a victim, just reading Sutton's analysis brings calm relief, empowerment, and reassurance that you're not alone.

Best-selling author Richard Carlson, Ph.D., shows readers how to interact more peaceably and joyfully with colleagues, clients, and bosses and reveals tips to minimize stress and bring out the best in themselves and others.

This is a must-read book for anyone in a stressful work environment. It teaches us how to cope better in work-related difficulties, as well as in our personal life.