Tag Archives: books

Holacracy

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, is one of the guys that I’m always taking notes from. Back in March, I read an article in Fast Company about his decision to move the company to adopt Holacracy. Holacracy is “…a new way of running an organization that removes power from a management hierarchy and distributes it across clear roles, which can then be executed autonomously, without a micromanaging boss.

Today, the book came in.

If you or anyone you know has implemented Holacracy, I would love to hear about the experience and learn whatever you can teach me.

I started reading it tonight and as the book reads – ‘change can be elegant’.

Sounds fun.

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Current Reading List

The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring – by Parker J. Palmer

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If found Palmer’s thoughts on action to be very enlightening. I’m seeing a lot better after these words and will for sure reread again very soon.

Walden; on, Life in the Woods – by Henry David Thoreau

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I know I’m late to the ball on this one, but it’s beautiful. I’m not sure if something can become more true as it ages, but it appears that these words are waltzing into our modern world like wine.

Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, and Repair – by Anne Lamott

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I think we sow for ourselves a blanket over time with our experiences and insight we gather throughout our days. Everyday gathering another piece of a meaning, hope, and joy to stitch to the blanket we’ve been sowing all our lives. My blanket is bigger and my soul is warmer after I read Anne’s words.


If you don’t read and these titles don’t interest you, no worries. But I ask you to give something a shot. Google the galaxies, check out a TED talk, and just find a way to get curious about something. I think you’ll find that the more dots you find, the more dots you’ll connect.

And it’s all connected.

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Mid-Year Books and Summer Suggestions

If you’re looking for some reading this summer, here’s a few books I’ve read this year and would recommend. Enjoy.

On Looking

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Alexandria Horowitz gives us all an elbowing nudge as a reminder of what we look over, look around, miss, and miss out on. You’ll see what I mean when you read her words.

Moonwalking With Einstein

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You didn’t know there were such thing as mental athletes did you? This one takes some time and focus, but it’s a lovely peek into how our memory works (or how much we think we know at this time about the plumbing of the mind).

The Wisdom of Insecurity 

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Here’s the CliffsNotes: Anxiety is too much future in your presence and guilt and shame is too much past in your presence. Now > Then and There.

The Everything Store

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A very interesting look behind the walls of a relentless company and relentless man, Jeff Bezos. They leave an empty seat in every corporate meeting as symbol of the customer being in the meeting and having a say. Love that.

Leonard da Vinci: Flights of the Mind

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I left this book with two thoughts: 1) Genius is much more organic than we’ve been told and sold that it is. 2) Art is a three-way fight between man, mind, and soul.

The Innovator’s Dilemma

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From here on out, here’s the winning business model: Where there’s peace, disturb it.

Memos from the Chairman

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I’ll read this again and again. It’s hilarious and drills home the appreciation of the dollar, paper clips, and turning off the lights when you leave a room.

Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Brilliance

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This book has probably moved into my top 20 list and is the perfect read for anyone that is about to graduate from school, looking to start something, take a chance, or go after a dream.

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Future Music

Charlie Tremendous Jones said, “The only difference between where you are now, and where you’ll be next year, are the books you read and the people you meet.”

In other words, success will be found in shaking more hands with your paper cut fingers.

It is people and ideas that hold the melody to the music you will be (or won’t be) making 12 months from now.

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