My Summer Reading List

A member of my mentor program asked me the other day what I choose for my summer reading.  It's a good question because I think reading and learning is indispensable for a successful retailer.  Stimulating your mind is essential to stimulating ideas.  So here's what I'm reading this summer.

Every day I read a large number of blogs which I'll post in my next posting. I try to not miss the daily online edition of The Wall Street Journal. I've said this here many times; I firmly believe that every retailer should read the "Marketplace" section of the Journal to see what's happening in industries besides our own.

I subscribe to Time, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company.  Magazines are great when I travel, so if I'm off the road for a bit I do get behind in reading them.

Now for my summer books.  I've shared before that I often read multiple books at once. Call it retail ADS I guess.  The downside is that it can take me a while to get through a book. The upside is I'm reading and learning in multiple areas.

So here what's on my desk, nightstand, and in my pool and computer bags.

1. The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, by Joseph Michelli.  I've gotten to know Joseph from work we've done with the National Association of College Stores.  Joseph is brilliant, funny, and writes a great book.  I've just started into this one and have already learned a lot. 

The five leadership principles are:

1) Define and Refine

2) Empower through Trust

3) It's Not about You

4) Deliver WOW

5) Leaving a Lasting Footprint

The chapter on remaining relevant to customers should be required reading for all retailers. I'll share more thoughts and lessons from the book after I finish it.  I can tell you already that you should buy this book, read it and use it.

I'm also reading

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Chip and Dan Heath.

Sam's Teach Yourself Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 in 24 Hours. (I have colleagues who tell me I should outsource this part of my business, but I have to confess that it's one of my favorite things to do.  It's more hobby than work.)

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, by Jeffrey Toobin. (I don't read much fiction so I read this kind of book for fun. So far it's pretty good.)

Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back, by Frank Schaeffer. (Very interesting book.)

So let me ask, is there anything you're reading that you would recommend? More important, are you reading enough to stay fresh and on top of your game?

Comments

[Joseph Michelli]

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my new book. By sharing your favorable thoughts with others through your blog, you are making a significant contribution to the positive impact of the book. I appreciated this so much that I have posted a link to your blog on my blog. I am extremely grateful.
Joseph Michelli, PhD