Become Who You Were Born to be by Brian Souza, Paragon Holdings, 290 Pages, $19.95 Hardcover, March 2005, ISBN 0975352202

As I am sure you all know, I get lots of books and it seems more and more good books are being self published. Seth Godin published Purple Cow and sold tons before Portfolio brought out the book we all know and love. I have a built-in bias against self published books, but I expect if I continue to get books like this, my bias will evaporate over time.
This is about the best packaged self published book I have seen since Seths. No milk carton but it is a well written and very professionally designed book.

The subject of the book is time tested, and written about often before. But this book takes a unique perspective. Usually books like these are either motivational or spiritually driven. Souza has quite a different take on the matter. As he state:

Just as musicians must make music, poets must write, and artists must paint, we all have a unique gift designed for a specific vocation that will bring both meaning and purpose to our lives. True joy and happiness will continue to elude us until we use that gift to become who we were born to be.

He breaks the process to find and utilize your talent into a five part process:

1. Discover it
2. Develop it
3. Appreciate it
4. Use it
5. Give it away

The book is then broken down into those five sections with chapters relating to the specific process; each featuring people we all know. From Lance Armstrong to Mother Theresa. The author ties in these people’s issues with the point he is making. The value of this book lies in the analysis and take-aways the author puts at the end of each of these chapters. This is a surprisingly well done book that has helped me tremendously, and could help you too. It will do more than motivate you; it will challenge you too.

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The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber, Dearborn Trade, 183 pages, $16.95, Hardcover, April 2004, ISBN 0793185688

The Radical Leap by Steve Farber is a book that has been out since April of last year. You may find it a little odd that I would review a twelve month old book. I think it came about in a similar way to how people buy books. I remember the review copy I got and thought it had a great cover. It sat on my desk for a couple of months and then I started to see it show up on our monthly Top 25 list. In December, I met Steve in person at a Tom Peters event. When I got back from the trip, I picked up the copy, started reading, and couldn’t put it down.

In this business book fable, Steve plays himself (a leadership coach) and he learns from his new friend Edg about Extreme Leadership. When you think extreme, think skiing or surfing. Part of the experience in extreme sports is taking the risk and wiping out. Steve (or Edg) says the same is the case for leadership. You have to be willing to put yourself out there to learn and get better.

Over the course of a week, Steve learns the four tenets of Extreme Leadership — Love, Energy, Audacity, and Proof: LEAP, get it? He also has to put them into practice when he finds out his friend Janice is about to get fired from her dream job. There is a great cast of characters, an interesting plot, and a wonderful twist at the end.

Here’s my favorite quote from the book:

“Relationships in the world of business…are won by paying nearly obsessive attention to the needs, desires, hopes, and aspirations of everyone who touches your business. By knowing not only when to stand firm–there is such this as tough love–but also when to sacrifice some of your own short-term needs in order for us all to be successful in the long run. And by proving through your own actions that you really love your business, your customers, your colleagues, and your employees.”

Pick it up as your next airplane read. You won’t be disappointed.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MONTHLY BOOK REVIEWS, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO JACK AT 800-CEO-READ.COM