What I read

USA TODAY, March, 2008 by Patrice Gaines

*What he's reading now: Great People Decisions: Why They Matter So Much, Why They Are So Hard, and How You Can Master Them by Claudio Fernandez-Araoz. We always need to make the right people decisions. I can use all the help I can get.

*Books that helped him most in his career: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan and Charles Burck and Winning by Jack Welch.

Both of these books exhibit a management and leadership style that is practical, straightforward and timeless.

I've actually themed meetings around the principles from both of these books. I've required people in my organization to read them. I've quizzed them on the content, and I've been amazed to watch the influence these kinds of books can have on an...