One of the highlights of 2007 in my Personal MBA program was to finish it out with an eye opening book from Tom Rath. Entitled, “Vital Friends“, Tom takes us on an interesting journey through the lives of many people on their jobs and ties in how friendships have made all the difference in job success.

This book takes on a very controversial subject to many managers, the question of friendships at work. With so many corporate policies prohibiting interaction between employees off the job or managers having any interactions with subordinates this book will certainly stir the pot. With Tom’s easy listening voice, he draws you in to each story and paints a very convincing story that we should all have friends at work.

And his team’s landmark discovery — that people who have a “best friend at work” are seven times as likely to be engaged in their job — is sure to rattle the structure of organizations around the world.

Drawing on more than five million interviews conducted by The Gallup Organization, some of the true research highlights of the book include…

• People with at least three close friends at work were 46% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their job and 88% more likely to be satisfied with their life.
• Friendship is the silver lining in a marriage, accounting for approximately 70% of overall marital satisfaction, and was found to be more than 5 times as many people ranking it as more important than sex or “intimate relations.”
• Friendships may affect your waistline. If your best friend has a very healthy diet, you are more than five times as likely to have a very healthy diet yourself.

This book made a lot of sense and from personal experience, most of the things listed in this book are true in my life. Some quick points that came to light through the chapters…

• We need a friend who “Expects us to be somebody”
• We all need friends to add meaning to our lives
• We eventually become like our best friends
• We have different friends for different needs in our lives
• The best friendships are not well-rounded  

Successful friendships are the ones in which friends play a specific role in your life. Tom Rath clearly illustrates the “Eight Vital Roles” that friends play: Builder, Champion, Collaborator, Companion, Connector, Energizer, Mind Opener and Navigator. The fatal mistake in friendships is forcing one person to fill every role.

The book comes with a personal code that allows you to access the Vital Friends website. Here you can discover and track your own personal friends and the roles that they have in your life.

This book ranks in my top 10 audio books for 2006. It will open your eyes and help you see the vital role that friendship plays in all of our lives. Make sure to add this to your Personal MBA reading list.

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I plugged in the iPod to my car audio system and headed down the road. I was looking forward to listening to my latest Audible selection,  Why We Want You To Be Rich, by Donald Trump & Robert Kiyosaki. The audio book started with the usual introduction and then presented me with a visual of a large conference room. The audio continued…

The crowd grows silent as the limousine pulls up outside. Suddenly everyone crowds the door and forms two distinct lines. “It’s the Donald,” someone yells out from the crowd.

In walks Donald Trump and his entourage, giving hi fives to the lines of admiring fans just like football players coming on to the field for introductions.

In a word… who cares??

The first third of this audio book was a blatant promotion of Donald Trump & Robert Kiyosaki. In fact the promotion was played over and over. I found myself wanting my money back. I wanted to hear about their ideas, not limousine rides and high dollar conventions. Just when I started to push the off button, Robert started in on one of his great stories. Soon I was hooked back in.

This audio book quickly redeemed itself and presented a fascinating contrast between two very powerful and wealthy men. Point after point the book became more interesting. The book is presented in an different way than most collaborative books. Each chapter is about a specific subject and the two authors take turns expounding on each one.

It’s like listening to two separate books combined into one. The authors talk about each other but do not actually engage in conversation. They have read each others ideas and they respond with their own ideas on the subject and then to the other person’s thought. The contrast is sometimes striking yet they always seem to agree on the basic principles.

The book presents financial ideas and concepts but no specific investing advice. With the world changing ever so quickly this is actually a timely and valuable read.

Just skip the first third of the book.

I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars… some great concepts hidden among blatant self promotion and hype.

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Have you ever picked up a book and read the first chapter and then said to yourself “Ah-Ha”, that’s it! It’s called an Ah-Ha moment and these 5 books all contain numerous examples. I have been amazed at the material I’ve learned that has had a major effect on the way I look at the world. I recommend that you pick up a copy and see what I mean. Here are some of the Ah-Ha moments that I’ve had over the past year

1. Leave out one of these 7 Things and your business may suffer
Patrick Hanlon will take you on an amazing journey with companies like Nike, Starbucks, and UPS and show you why they have been so successful. Patrick list seven things that are an absolute must for any company to include in their “brand.” Leave any one of them out and your business may suffer.

2. Reach this “point” and your business will change forever
There is a point in the life of an idea, product, or personality that can take on amazing proportions. Business may increase 100 fold in just a few days when you hit it. While often elusive, Malcolm Gladwell will give you some clues how to achieve this magical “point” in your life or business.

3. Success does not equal money and power.
Three amazing authors will lead you on a journey through the generally held concepts of success and challenge each one of them. I’ve come away with a new outlook on success and what it really means!

4. This company will affect the way you do business.
No matter what business you are in the presence of this company will have an effect on the way you do business. Charles Fishman reveals some of the secrets of this amazing enterprise. From pricing, to supply chain, to the way you market your product, this book will really open your eyes to the power of this growing corporation.

5. You and 50,000 other people came to the same conclusion.
How is it possible to know what the majority of the people in any large group are thinking? And are these people right? James Surowiecki explores this remarkable topic and will reveal some statistics that are truly staggering.

All five of these books have changed my world view in one way or the other. From subtle little ideas to giant concepts each one of these books should be on your must read list. All of them are available in hardcover, audio, and as a download from iTunes.

I’m headed out to Palm Springs this weekend for The Summer Symposium hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Speakers Association. I’m looking forward to hearing some great speakers and hoping to improve my speaking and presentation skills. Since I’ll have a 2 hour drive I decided to download some podcasts to take along in the car.

I decided to look up some of my fellow bloggers podcasts and headed over to Rosa Say’s blog, Talking Story. I went down the list in her Ho’ohana Community and found the following…

The cranky middle manager show with Present Like a Pro

Kevin Eikenberry on the Advanced Selling Podcast

Dwayne Melancon With Lisa Haneberg on Focus & Change

Greg Balanko-Dickson & Phil Gerbyshak in How’s your Creative IQ?

Easton Ellsworth via the Podcasting Roundtable

Lisa Haneberg and her Virtual Fireside Podcasts

Rosa is hosting a learning symposium all month on her site and it will be great to hear some of the participants via their podcasts. Be sure to check out her month of learning series.

You can also check out the MBA On The Run podcasts here.

We also have put up a test video podcast here.

Have a great weekend!

Over the past year I’ve had the pleasure of reading and listening to a number of great books. Books that motivate and inspire and have changed my life for the better. I thought I would share one of the gems with you today.

The “Fred Factor” is a small book that touts just over 100 pages. It’s based on a true story of a Postman named Fred and his extraordinary gift of helping and encouragement. Written by author and motivational speaker Mark Sanborn, this little book is a powerhouse of motivation for individuals or groups. I’ve put together a short 6 minute podcast that will give you a short introduction to this great little book.

Podcast: The Fred Factor

Subscribe to the Podcast Feed

 As part of the MBA On The Run program, I’ve had the pleasure of listening to over 30 popular business oriented audio books this year. I would like to share some of my reviews and experiences with you. Over the next few months, I hope to be able to bring you a book review
a week. Some will be podcasts and other will be written reviews.

I’ve included my list of titles below. Most are available as audio books which are available on iTunes and also in printed version which are available online through our success store.

Many of these titles are powerful, life changing works.

Leadership Titles

• The First 90 Days: Michael Watkins
• Fit To Lead: Christopher P. Neck
• 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: John Maxwell
• 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leaders Day: John Maxwell
• Coach: Lessons On the Game of Life: Michael Lewis
• Becoming A Person of Influence: John Maxwell

Networking-People Skills

• How To Win Friends & Influence People:  Dale Carnegie
• How to Make People Like You: Nicholas Boothman
• 25 Ways to Win With People: John Maxwell
• Brag: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn: Peggy Klaus
• Never Eat Alone: Keith Ferrazzi

Business-Entrepreneurship

• The Wal-Mart Effect: Charles Fishman
• Millionaire Upgrade: Richard Parkes Cordock
• The E-Myth Revisited: Michael E. Gerber

Life Hacks & Organization

• Making a Good Brain Great: Daniel G. Amen
• Stumbling on Happiness: Daniel Gilbert
• 60 Second Procrastinator: Jeff Davidson
• Getting Things Done: David Allen
• Ready For Anything: David Allen

Success & Motivation

• Integrity: Dr. Henry Cloud
• The Success Principles: Jack Canfield
• Racing to Win: Joe Gibbs
• The Seven Hidden Secrets of Motivation: Todd Beeler
• Failing Forward: John Maxwell
• Today Matters: John Maxwell

Marketing & Branding

• Primal Branding: Patrick Hanlon
• All Marketers Are Liars: Seth Godin
• The Wisdom of Crowds: James Surowiecki
• The Big Moo: Seth Godin & Group of 33
• The Tipping Point: Malcolm Gladwell

Financial

• Rule #1: Phil Town
• Little Book That Beats The Market: Joel Greenblat
• Rich Dad-Poor Dad: Robert T. Kiyosaki

Innovation, Technology, & Creativity

• The World Is Flat: Thomas L. Friedman
• The Ten Faces of Innovation: Tom Kelley
• 10 Quick Steps to Blogging: Bryan Hoff
• On Writing Well: William Zinsser
• Blink: Malcolm Gladwell

Storytelling

• The Alchemist: Paulo Coelho
• The Fred Factor: Mark Sanborn
• Don’t Eat The Marshmallow Yet: Joachim de Posada

Inspirational-Spiritual

• If You Want To Walk On Water: John Ortberg
• The Purpose Driven Life: Rick Warren
• The Greatest Salesman In The World: Og Mandino

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