In today’s busy world, the demands on an individual’s time can be overwhelming. In fact, forty-two percent of American workers feel that they are overworked. High speed technology, downsizing, and increased customer demands have created an impatient, time-impoverished society. In Make Every Second Count, author Robert Bly acknowledges that twenty-five hours cannot be jammed into a twenty-four hour day; however, an individual can solve the most critical time-management problems by increasing personal productivity. It is unlikely in today’s work environment that workloads will decrease. However, if employees can learn to be more efficient at work, they can conquer their workload and find more free time for enjoyment. To download three free summaries, please visit our site. Related book summaries in the BBS library: The Time Trap, Successful Time Management for Dummies, The Personal Efficiency Program

In The Blame Game, Ben Dattner examines the detrimental effects of focusing on the assignment of blame and credit. There is general acceptance that people should receive praise for good deeds, and they should not be blamed undeservedly. However, an overemphasis on culpability can create a negative work environment that hinders creativity, honesty, and teamwork. Dattner traces the origins of this obsession, explores the role of personality, and offers suggestions for creating an environment that focuses on future success instead of past mistakes. To download three free summaries, please visit our site. Related book summaries in the BBS library: It’s All Politics, All Rise, Games at Work

John Baldoni, author and leadership consultant, believes that "when organizations succeed, it is because they know what they do and why they do it. We say they have ‘purpose.’" In Lead with Purpose, Baldoni lays out a plan for companies whose goals may have become lost in cultures of bureaucracy, lack of creativity, and icy relations among managers and employees. Purpose is an organization’s big picture. All tasks performed by an organization and its employees should focus on a common purpose, whether it is to become the market leader in manufacturing a particular product of delivering health care that makes people well while treating them with dignity and respect. To download three free summaries, please visit our site. Related book summaries in the BBS library: The Purpose Linked Organization, Common Purpose, The Why of Work

"Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly." — Stephen R. Covey The death of Stephen R. Covey on Monday was a shock to many. Covey was one of the most influential management gurus of our time, writing best-selling books that include The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 8th Habit, and First Things First. In addition to his success in teaching and writing, Covey was also a devoted husband and father. His full obituary can be read here.

In Leading with Emotional Intelligence, Reldan S. Nadler presents a handbook filled with real-life examples and step-by-step strategies to raise Emotional Intelligence and help leaders coach their teams to become "Star Performers," or performers with high emotional intelligence. Today, organizations are faced with complex daily dynamics that can result in chaos and low performance, even in the most intelligent workforces. This influences leadership and results in confusion, frustration, defensiveness, and over- or under-managing that affects employee performance. Ultimately, argues Nadler, the way out of this loop is to enhance Emotional Intelligence. To download three free summaries, please visit our site. Related book summaries in the BBS library: Put Emotional Intelligence to Work, Emotional Intelligence for Managing Results in a Diverse World, The Other Kind of Smart

Research has shown that when employees are focused and fully engaged, they are more productive at work. In Contented Cows Still Give Better Milk, Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden suggest that employees are more likely to happily work to the best of their abilities when their employers adopt leadership habits that make the organization a great place to work. They describe the practices that have helped top companies hire, cultivate, and retain satisfied employees that are dedicated to building wealth. To download three free summaries, please visit our site. Related book summaries in the BBS library: Happiness at Work, Make Work Great, Love ‘em or Lose ‘em

As we move deeper and deeper into the political season, it has becomes even more apparent that personal image is of utmost importance to candidates. While this is true for politics, it is also something that we should all be aware of as we seek advancement in our own careers, approach job interviews, and present ourselves online. Alan Barnard and Chris Parker recognize the correlation between political campaigns and success in their book Campaign It!. In their book, they explain that a campaign is a process-driven way of thinking and behaving that can produce success in any area of life. They claim that: Campaigns must have a cause, principle, or aim that will improve some aspect of a current situation. The cause provides the motivation—and sometimes, the courage—to campaign. The audience is the person or group that needs to approve or endorse the communication campaign. Campaigners must take the time to discover their values, beliefs, behaviors, and agendas, and then identify potential communication channels to reach each segment. The campaign is brought to life and the narrative is shared through the integration of activities, which must be properly sequenced and fully integrated so that each one lays the foundation for the succeeding one. As the campaign narrative is told through integrated activities, it should change audience question marks of doubt into exclamation marks of commitment. To read more, visit http://www.bizsum.com/summaries/campaign-it.

In China Versus the West, Ivan Tselichtchev describes the Western economic crisis that occurred parallel to unyielding Chinese growth and how this created a global power shift. He explains the genesis of China’s stronghold. It refuses to accelerate the appreciation of its currency, it actively invests in Third World countries to gain access to natural resources and garner political clout, and its national resources companies now compete globally. China is also emerging as a technological innovation and R&D center, and has used its financial strength to acquire many Western companies. China’s economic strength allows it to shape global markets to its advantage. The West requires a comprehensive China policy that increases exports, enhances competitiveness in a global market with China-imposed rules, counterbalances China’s influence in Third World countries, and retaliates against China’s unequal conditions for competition. To download three free summaries, please visit our site. Related book summaries in the BBS library: The Coming China Wars, Doing Business in China, China’s Megatrends