Artful Work by Dick Richards

The central thesis is simple. Art and science are one. Work and life are one. He recommends we discover this unity in ourselves. He brings us to an understanding about the wholeness in ourselves that we need to manifest in our life and our work. He appeals to the forgotten artist in us all to come into the workplace and help redress the balance so that work can be more human.

    "No man... can be a genius: but all men have a genius, to be served or disobeyed at their own peril."

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The Intelligent Enneagram by A.G.E. Blake

"This comprehensive sourcebook provides an overview of Enneagram dynamics, demonstrating a powerful model for enlarging our intelligence in many fields, from science and business to the arts and spirituality." -- Helen Palmer, author of The Enneagram

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Emerging Patterns of Innovation by Fumio Kodama

This text examines how the technology strategies of Japan's companies have enabled the country to sustain its competitive lead. It contains research on the critical topic of technological innovation and global competition.

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Handbook for Creative Team Leaders by Tudor Rickards & Susan Moger

Written in three parts, this book demonstrates the principles, the implementation process and the real-life examples which underpin what the authors call "dream teams". Particular emphasis is given to the role of leadership in stimulating creativity and new ideas into the traditional workplace.

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The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin by Tdries Shah

Many of these short teaching stories are capable of multiple interpretations and many appear ultimately enigmatic or beyond comprehension. That is perhaps where the real teaching begins - outside the bounds of reason.

Reason as we have known it has perhaps reached the limits of usefulness and here are indications of a way to a greater freedom. Set aside, if you will, the religious undertones and feast on the riches of Shah's offering.

  'When I was in the desert' said Nasrudin one day, 'I caused an entire tribe of horrible and bloodthirsty bedouins to run.''However did you do it?''Easy, I just ran, and they ran after me'. (Adventures in the Desert)

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Fourth Generation Management by Brian L. Joiner

Joiner’s idea of a 'fourth generation' of management enables us to step back from the fads and bitty techniques fired at us from all sides and to take an altogether more systematic and holistic approach. This system is clearly defined by combining three underlying principles; quality, as defined by customers, scientific method and 'all one team'. 

Having worked with Dr Deming for more than 30 years, Joiner has produced a clear manual for the application Deming's Profound Knowledge at a very practical level. His well presented and readable description of more effective management is richly illustrated with descriptive vignettes - this is a hands-on guide.

"Fourth generation management - can open your eyes to a new way to think about and approach problems and opportunities. Put these ideas to work for you and your organisation - continue to integrate and to learn. You will be amazed at what you can do".

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Good to Great by Jim Collins

Here is a book I took to readily.  It is a piece of academic research which attempts to identify the success factors of a batch of companies that have not only done well for 15 years but have then broken from the pack and excelled for a further 15 years. – no flash in the pan, these or gone with the wind like many of the In Search of Excellence examples.  There are five characteristics they think are common to all the examples and all five are needed.  These, encouragingly, map quite neatly on the methods we advocate in our RSVP process but its really valuable to have a different perspective on what makes for success. 

They are: First who then what (People are not our greatest asset – the right people are!); Level five leadership (perhaps his weakest point); Confront the brutal facts (I would interpret as facing reality and learning fast); The hedgehog – a triad of what you can be best in the world at, what you can be passionate about and what can drive your economic engine (Let’s hope you can find congruence here or you’ve had it!); A culture of discipline (I interpret as self-organisation – he omits the self word)

Collins is really useful in providing the research that supports the argument and he illustrates it with much very readable anecdotal material.  Of course, what he does not show, is how to repeat the success.  There is no magic formula – just some guiding principles - that’s where good facilitator/consultants with good tools and methods can help!  It’s a good book to get clients to read.  Recommended!

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Hands on Systematic Innovation by Darrell Mann

Hands-On Systematic Innovation provides the first practical guide to implementing TRIZ, the powerful innovation methodology, in technical contexts. Its aim is to cover the whole innovation process and help readers generate tangible benefit from wherever their start point is - whether experienced TRIZ user or novice. 

Darrell is one of the leading European practitioners of TRIZ and his deep understanding and practical experience, combined with a highly accessible style, has enabled him to dispel much of the prevailing myth and complexity in this book.

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Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind by Guy Claxton

A deeply informative account of our reason-biased, intuition-numbed way of being in a world that challenges us to be more what we could be. It shows how to discover ways of educating and organising befitting human beings on the threshold of a new millennium.

"...as if some oracle within stands opposed to the voices and dictus of the outside world"

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Leadership and the New Science by Margaret J. Wheatley

We rethink the old when presented with the new. Wheatley carries this concept to designing, leading and managing organisations. She asks: Is order different than control? Can we create more participative, and adaptive organisations? What leads to growth and renewal instead of decline?

"Eventually all orderly systems will feel the wild seductive pull of the strange chaotic attractor"!

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Learning from the Future by Fahey, Liam & Robert M. Randall

This is an excellent book, crammed with deep understanding about what the authors call 'scenario learning'. The book is concerned with the practical application of new knowledge arrived at through the process of developing alternative future scenarios. Essentially they stress the necessity to link scenario thinking to strategic planning. 

Twenty five authors contribute vast experience and a multiple perspective to make this an authoritative book and a rich source of know-how for anyone interested in scenario planning or, indeed, anyone with senior management responsibility.

As all of us need to be concerned with the shape of the future this is essential reading. 

"Scenarios offer decision makers an unrivalled methodology to learn from the future before it happens. Organisations have many options for the type of scenarios they create, how to develop and explore them, and how to link them to decision making."

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The Living Company by Arie De Geus

Organisations are first a community of human beings and have lives beyond the economic bottom line. They must create an identity, find their place in the world, and change to meet the future. De Geus shows us a path to follow in this growing, maturation, and adaptation process. 

"...the harmony between the value system of the members and that of the institution must be particularly strong"

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The Marvelous Adventure of Cabeza De Vaca by Haniel Long

This is a timeless masterpiece sensitively recast and brought to light by Haniel Long. It is short, gripping and inspiring.

A simple account of events of five hundred years ago when Cabeza de Vaca's travels created a situation where to live was an act of will - and genuine commitment - requiring unbelievable courage and forebearance. He further chose to share his new-found wisdom with his king.

  This 'little' book is a big companion for life. It is unhesitatingly recommended as essential to any leader's library.

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Mid-Course Correction by Ray C. Anderson

Ray Anderson is founder and chairman of Interface, the worlds largest carpet manufacturer. This is his personal account - straight from the shoulder - of a quest for sustainability by a man who did it his way. The story is told with passion and is very readable. It's a great tale and quite inspiring. Ray Anderson wants his company to achieve full sustainability - putting more back into nature than it takes out of it according to the most rigorous computations. It's a breathtaking challenge. 

The systems models illustrate very well how understanding the dynamics of relationship can enable change to be brought about. Every business leader, every government official and politician (and all their followers) should read this book. Essential reading!

"My company's technologies and those of every other company I know of anywhere, are plundering the earth! THIS CANNOT GO ON INDEFINITELY, CAN IT?"

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The Mind Map Book by Tony and Barry Buzan

This magnificantly colourful book gives an introduction to the skills of mind mapping together with a clear exposition on how visualising our thinking and memory processes can enhance learning, understanding and recall.

"A well organised book that allows you to rapidly grasp the principles behind Mind-Mapping, the basics of the techniques, then understand how to apply it in various circumstances"

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New Rules for the New World by Eddie Obeng

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Profit Beyond Measure by H. Thomas Johnson and Anders Broms

Using insightful studies of Toyota and Scania, the two biggest and most successful auto manufacturers in the world, Johnson and Broms illustrate that organising like natural systems pays off. Most of the competition is still stuck in a mindset that thinks of manufacturing as a mechanistic process and overlooks the people dimension. Taking a more holistic and human perspective has, apparently, paid off for these two giants. 

The analysis shows how Managing by Means displaces Managing by Results, overturning the principles of conventional management accounting, to achieve outstanding outcomes. This is a cultural approach in which ways and means are inseparable, so those who would emulate the success of these leading organisations can get nowhere near as long as they think on fragmentary lines.

The book is nicely balanced and a very informative and thought provoking read that is highly recommended.  

"This enormous emphasis on the quanitative view and minimal emphasis on the patterned view is, I believe, the easiest way of descent into hell"Gregory Bateson

"The factor that makes all the difference between Toyota and its major competitors is systems thinking"

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Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation by Kees Van Der Heijden

In his experience at Royal Dutch Shell, van der Heijden moved people to new level of thought imperative for scenario planning. The process goes beyond the level of an unchallenged pattern of assumption into a future holding mystery and potential. 

"...strategy management takes place within a context of uncertainty about the future"

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Life & Death in the Executive Fast Lane by Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries

World–renowned management guru and expert in corporate neurosis Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries puts organizations on the couch. By combining the dismal science of management and the impossible profession of psychoanalysis, Kets de Vries presents eclectic advice on how things really work in organizations.

These brief and insightful essays not only decipher problems that are common in organizational life, but they also shed light on some of the underlying dimensions that often go unnoticed.

Kets de Vries covers everything from leadership and entrepreneurship to downsizing and managing acquisitions, using contemporary examples like Robert Maxwell, Jack Welch, Tom Peters, Robert Coles, and John Gardner.

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A Simpler Way by Margaret J. Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers (Audio Cassette)

Living without trauma - the secret of letting natural self organisation and evolution take place.

Scientists, philosophers, poets, and novelists explore how life organises and what the new paradigm looks like in a world order independent of human domination where we are free to play, create, experiment, discover.

  "Life is irresistably organising... We are good partners in the process."

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The Theory of Constraints by Eric Noreen, Debra Smith and James T. Mackey

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Creative Management by Malcolm Goodman

This innovative textbook is carefully written to take the reader from familiar, traditional management rechniquesx, through to less familiar creative techniques.

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Corporate Creativity by Alan G. Robinson & Sam Stern

Creativity is unpredictable. Dramatic breakthroughs or minute improvements are unplanned and unexpected. The authors outline six essential elements that turn creativity's erratic nature into a strategy that can be nurtured and applied to build a creativity-friendly workplace.

"...it makes no sense to manage creativity by quotas, ...it is the substance that counts not the quantity"

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Knowing How To Know by Idries Shah

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Lateral Thinking by Edward De Bono

This book, which is now internationally known and a bestseller, is a textbook of creativity. It shows how the habit of lateral thinking can be encouraged and new ideas generated. The author has worked out special techniques for doing this, in groups or alone, and the result is a triumph of entertaining education.

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Bliss by Amanda Lowe

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Creative Management by Jane Henry

This book explores the impact of creative thought upon management action. It successfully combines theoretical analysis with practical suggestions for developing and applying creative processes in real-life situations.

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Business in the Ecological Age by Charles Garfield (Audio Cassette)

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The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

In the rainforests of Peru, an ancient manuscript has been discovered. Within its pages are 9 key insights into life itself - insights each human being is predicted to grasp sequentially, one insight then another, as we move toward a completely spiritual culture on Earth

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The Competent Manager by Richard E. Boyatzis

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