Leaders Get Real

"There's no greater recommendation than when an author tells you to read someone else's book."

When Guy Kawasaki, author of 15 books, said this in our Podcast chat, the idea bubbled up for an episode with great authors sharing what they have found to be great reads. From these compelling interviews with best-selling authors Liz Wiseman, Chip Conley, Doly Chugh and Guy himself, you'll fill your reading list with stellar books -- from must-read classics to fresh new releases. What leadership books do you think they suggested? And what are your leadership favorites?

New York Times bestselling author Chip Conley is a rare entrepreneur who has disrupted his favorite industry...twice. At age 26, as founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, he took an inner city motel and turned it into the 2nd largest boutique hotel brand in America. Inspired by the work of famed psychologists Maslow and Frankl, Chip’s books, PEAK and Emotional Equations, share his theories on transformation and meaning in business and life. His new book, Wisdom @ Work was inspired by his post-50-year-old experiences as both a mentor and unexpected intern at Airbnb. 

In this interview you’ll hear the humbling experience of this business icon when joining Airbnb with an average employee age half his own in a sector where his industry knowledge was golden but his tech knowledge was almost nil. In the process he made some amazing discoveries about the advantages of a multi-generational workforce, the importance of cultivating a beginner’s mind, and the power of curiosity.

Ebony Beckwith shared her favorite quote by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in our interview: “The business of business is to improve the state of the world."No doubt Ebony shares that passionate belief as Chief Philanthropy Officer for Salesforce where she leads a 40 person team responsible for engaging more than 36,000 employees in community service, as well as administering millions of dollars in grants to improve communities around the world.

Ebony has been recognized as one of San Francisco Business Times’ Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business. Ebony and her team have achieved meaningful results with their work locally and internationally in education and workforce development. In this episode, we discuss authentic leadership, ingredients of a high engagement culture, and the power of corporations investing in their communities.

Guy Kawasaki is a Silicon Valley icon who first became known as Apple’s Chief Evangelist, launching the MacIntosh with epic success in Apple’s early days. From there he published many game-changing books: Selling the Dream, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, and more. His rich and varied career includes start-ups, venture capital, Garage.com, Advisor to Google, and now, a return to his role of Chief Evangelist with Canva, an innovative company aiming to democratize design the same way the Macintosh democratized computers.

In our chat, we discuss Guy’s 15th book coming out soon, Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life, a Chicken Soup for the Soul, (or as he says, “Miso Soup for the Soul”) kind of book, full of stories: the ups and downs of working with Steve Jobs, becoming Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, reflecting on his family’s immigrant experience, adopting 2 kids from Guatemala, learning to surf at 62, and more. You’ll enjoy this lively interview, filled with wisecracking humor and laughs, as well as heartfelt wisdom about leading, evangelizing, parenting and life. 

Guy Kawasaki is a Silicon Valley icon who first became known as Apple’s Chief Evangelist, launching the MacIntosh with epic success in Apple’s early days. From there he published many game-changing books: Selling the Dream, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, and more. His rich and varied career includes start-ups, venture capital, Garage.com, Advisor to Google, and now, a return to his role of Chief Evangelist with Canva, an innovative company aiming to democratize design the same way the Macintosh democratized computers.

In our chat, we discuss Guy’s 15th book coming out soon, Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life, a Chicken Soup for the Soul, (or as he says, “Miso Soup for the Soul”) kind of book, full of stories: the ups and downs of working with Steve Jobs, becoming Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, reflecting on his family’s immigrant experience, adopting 2 kids from Guatemala, learning to surf at 62, and more. You’ll enjoy this lively interview, filled with wisecracking humor and laughs, as well as heartfelt wisdom about leading, evangelizing, parenting and life. 

Guy Kawasaki is a Silicon Valley icon who first became known as Apple’s Chief Evangelist, launching the MacIntosh with epic success in Apple’s early days. From there he published many game-changing books: Selling the Dream, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, and more. His rich and varied career includes start-ups, venture capital, Garage.com, Advisor to Google, and now, a return to his role of Chief Evangelist with Canva, an innovative company aiming to democratize design the same way the Macintosh democratized computers.

In our chat, we discuss Guy’s 15th book coming out soon, Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life, a Chicken Soup for the Soul, (or as he says, “Miso Soup for the Soul”) kind of book, full of stories: the ups and downs of working with Steve Jobs, becoming Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, reflecting on his family’s immigrant experience, adopting 2 kids from Guatemala, learning to surf at 62, and more. You’ll enjoy this lively interview, filled with wisecracking humor and laughs, as well as heartfelt wisdom about leading, evangelizing, parenting and life. 

Guy Kawasaki is a Silicon Valley icon who first became known as Apple’s Chief Evangelist, launching the MacIntosh with epic success in Apple’s early days. From there he published many game-changing books: Selling the Dream, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, and more.  His rich and varied career includes start-ups, venture capital, Garage.com, Advisor to Google, and now, a return to his role of Chief Evangelist with Canva, an innovative company aiming to democratize design the same way the Macintosh democratized computers.

In our chat, we discuss Guy’s 15th book coming out soon, Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life, a Chicken Soup for the Soul, (or as he says, “Miso Soup for the Soul”) kind of book, full of stories: the ups and downs of working with Steve Jobs, becoming Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, reflecting on his family’s immigrant experience, adopting 2 kids from Guatemala,  learning to surf at 62, and more. You’ll enjoy this lively interview, filled with wisecracking humor and laughs, as well as heartfelt wisdom about leading, evangelizing, parenting and life. 

Do you have a personal improvement goal or a change you want to make at work that has proven resistant to your sincerest intentions, smartest plans, and best efforts? Discover a path to personal breakthrough from this Interview with Harvard faculty and 3-time author, Lisa Lahey, revealing deceptively simple insights from Immunity to Change: How to Overcome it and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization. 

When Oprah Winfrey listed the Top Ten Things You Should Do to Start the New Year Right, number ONE on the list was, “Try the Immunity-to-Change approach." This ground-breaking, award-winning approach has helped tens of thousands of people make lasting changes at work and in their private lives.

Justin Bariso is the author of the best selling book, EQ Applied, and one of Inc.com's most popular columnists. His thoughts on leadership, management, and emotional intelligence have been featured by TIME, CNBC, and Forbes. He has been recognized repeatedly by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice” in Management and Workplace Culture.

In this age of instant communication, constant distractions, and major conflict, a high emotional intelligence quotient, or EQ, is more important than ever. But what exactly is emotional intelligence? And what does it look like in real life and leadership? In this interview, Justin shows us with current examples of leaders you know, personal experiences and practical ideas to grow your own EQ.

Explore the power of messaging in your leadership (and even your parenting) in this Podcast episode with the Author of “What’s Your Message: Public Speaking with Twice the Impact Using Half the Effort. Cam’s book has rave reviews from Jack Welch and Seth Godin

CEO for Vivid Learning, a company which works with a number of international organizations including Walt Disney, BBC Worldwide, Fox Sports Johnson & Johnson Medical, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Within this capacity, he not only oversees the direction of the company but also works as a speechwriter, messaging consultant and public speaking coach for his clients. He has a background as a radio executive for Southern Cross Austereo where he developed marketing and advertising campaigns. His first book, What's Your Message?: Public Speaking with Twice the Impact, Using Half the Effort is out now.