It was more than a dozen years ago when a colleague of mine at the time, Teresa White, first introduced me to the work of today’s guest.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit I hadn’t already been studying his work. You might say Teresa’s introduction makes this interview today possible.





I’m talking about Tom Rath, author of StrengthsFinder 2.0, Amazon’s top-selling nonfiction book of all time, and How Full Is Your Bucket and several others.




Today, we dive into two of his latest works:

* Life’s Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World (out today!)
* It’s Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

We spend the majority of our time on the first of these two works, and attempt to show you how to make your work and life more meaningful, and greatly boost your wellbeing.
Click the play button below to join our conversation now, or keep scrolling for a summary.
Join in on our chat below


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In today’s episode, Tom and I discuss:

* How to redesign the job you have into the job you want
* What to put in “place” of ‘follow your passion.’ 
* Why answering how you can best contribute – versus what are your passions – is really life’s great question
* And lots more!


Tom’s New Books
You can order both Life’s Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World and It’s Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life right now!
Tom in Action

Books Tom Recommends
Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day by Todd Henry
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture In Crisis by J.D. Vance
Check Out These Additional Resources
Visit Tom’s website here for more about him and his work.
Be sure and grab your copy of Tom’s book now.
Considering bringing Tom to speak to your group.
Connect with Tom on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Visit the Contribify website Tom and I mentioned.

304: Discover How You Contribute to the World with Tom Rath

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Today, I’m featuring one of the 9 books I’m most looking forward to in 2024. 






This marks the fourth author (or authors, in this case) of the nine I’ve manage to showcase so far. Who knows, maybe I’ll eventually interview all nine! 



Today’s guests are the coauthors of the book MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact. I believe it to be the handbook that everyone who wants to be successful in their career needs to read. 



The promise of this book is simple: if you buy this book on Friday, you will be better at your job by Monday.MicroSkills is built on one core, easy-to-learn principle: every big goal, complicated task, healthy habit, and, yes, even what we think of as character traits, can be broken down into small, learnable, skills that can be practiced, and incorporated real-time. The doctors call these: MicroSkills.



I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Dr. Landry and Dr. Lewis and there work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.



Join in on our chat below







Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS







In today’s episode, I ask Drs. Landry and Lewiss about:




* How to limit the time you spend in meetings



* The art of learning to pause before saying “yes” to new opportunities



* What leaders need to know about giving useful feedback 



* And lots more!




Order Adaira and Resa’s Book



You can order your copy of MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact right now!



Consider Ordering My Book Too! 



Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free!



Note-Making Mastery Cohort AND the Read to Lead Community



Note-Making Mastery Cohort is now available as a self-paced course! Check it out. 



Also, consider giving ReadtoLead+ a try free for two weeks! 



Books They Recommends



Write Useful Books by Rob Fitzpatrick



<a href="https://amzn.

523: Small Actions, Big Impact with Drs. Adaira Landry and Resa Lewiss


Today’s episode is a milestone episode in so many ways. It’s episode 400, of course, but several other “yours, mine, and ours” type milestones are also at play. To hear about each one of them, click the play button below.






Today’s guest, Liz Wiseman, has been one of my favorite leadership authors for the better part of fifteen years, ever since I first learned of her work with her first book Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. 



But Multipliers needs to now move over and make room on the shelf for her latest, as I feel it’s a book every employee, regardless of their title, should read. 



It’s called Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact. 



Drawing on insights from leaders at top companies, Liz explains what the most influential players are doing differently, how small and seemingly insignificant differences in how we think and act can make an enormous impact, and why—with a little coaching—this mindset is available to everyone who wants to contribute at their highest level.  



I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Liz and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.



Join in on our chat below







Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS







In today’s episode, Liz and I chat about:




* The key differences in how Impact Players think and work



* Why it’s important to look beyond your ideal job and, instead, do the job that needs to be done



* Examples of how top contributors deal with pressure and high-demand situations



* And lots more!




Order Liz’s Book



You can order your copy of Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact right now!



Consider Ordering My New Book Too! 



Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free! 



Liz in Action









Check Out These Additional Resources



Grab a copy of Liz’s book now.



522: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact with Liz Wiseman (an Encore Presentation of Episode 400)

While technically today’s featured book was released in 2019 (December 31 to be exact), I’ve dubbed it my favorite book of 2020!
Upon reading it, I immediately wanted to share it and attempt to teach its concepts to others. That, to me, is the mark of a great book.

What is this amazing book?
Well, it’s the New York Times bestseller Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by Dr. BJ Fogg. Or, as BJ would now call it if he could rename it, Tiny Habits: The Future of Behavior Design.
The book sleeve on the front cover says confidently, “This book will change your life.” Just yesterday, my wife saw the book on my desk and asked if the claim was true. I answered with a resounding “YES!”
With breakthrough discoveries in every chapter, you’ll learn the simplest proven ways to transform your life. Whether you want to lose weight, de-stress, sleep better, or be more productive each day, Tiny Habits makes it easy to achieve.
Click the play button below to join our conversation now, or keep scrolling for a summary.
Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS 
In today’s episode, Dr. Fogg and I explore:

* How tiny can be transformative
* His e=mc2-level behavior model
* How to use the model not just to create good habits but how to adjust the model to bring an end to bad habits
* And lots more!

Dr. Fogg in Action

Dr. Fogg’s Book
You can order Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything right now!
Books Dr. Fogg Recommends
Don’t Shoot the Dog: The Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor
Social Learning and Imitation by Neal E. Miller
The Principles of Psychology Vol. 1 & 2 by William James
Check Out These Additional Resources
Visit Dr. Fogg’s website for more on him and his work.
Grab a copy of Fogg’s book now.
Invite Dr. Fogg to keynote your next event.
Connect with Dr. Fogg on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Don’t miss this super-secret resource BJ shared during out interview.

521: The Future of Behavior Design with Dr. BJ Fogg (an Encore Presentation of Episode 324)

What an honor it is to be asked to participate in the launch of the 30th Anniversary Edition of the #1 business book of the 20th century!
And what a treat it is to talk to the son and namesake of the author himself, Mr. Stephen M. R. Covey.

I can honestly say, if the Read to Lead Podcast were to come to an end after today, I would be at complete peace with that.
Why? Because today I am privileged to conduct what is arguably the single most important interview of my 30+ year career.
Not only is Stephen M. R. Covey an accomplished author in his own right (with a New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book under his belt), but he’s agreed to field questions from a handful of those impacted by his father’s book over the years.
By “those impacted” I’m talking about you! That’s right. Every question I’m posing to Stephen was submitted by a listener to the podcast.
Of course, the book I’m referring to is called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition.
This is a ‘can’t miss’ conversation!
Click the play button below to join our conversation now, or keep scrolling for a summary.
Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS 
In today’s episode, Stephen and I explore your questions around:

* Beginning with the End in Mind
* Thinking Win-Win
* Being Proactive rather than Reactive
* And lots more!


30th Anniversary Edition Out Now
You can order The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition right now!
Stephen in Action

Books Stephen Recommends
The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildy Important Goals by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, and Jim Huling
The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M. R. Covey
Check Out These Additional Resources
Visit Stephen’s website for more on him and his work.
Find out more about Stephen’s services.
Connect with Stephen on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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520: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – 30th Anniversary Edition (an Encore Presentation of Episode 319)


If I had to make the difficult choice of selecting just 20 books to access for the remainder of my life, I could do a lot worse than the 20 written so far by today’s special guest.



Seth Godin is special to me for a lot of reasons; not the least of which is he is almost singlehandedly responsible for helping rekindle my love of reading.



Seth Godin image credit Darius Bashar and Archangel


In fact, you could go so far as to say that, without Seth Godin, there’s a real good chance the last seven-plus years of my life would have been spent doing something else. 



But thanks to his book Purple Cow, I’m here instead. And the beauty of that is, so are you. 



Seth’s latest book, released last week, is called The Practice: Shipping Creative Work, and I am thrilled to dive into it in this episode with Seth and with you. 



I hope you’ll click the play button below to join our conversation now. For a summary, just keep scrolling.



Join in on our chat below







Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS







In today’s episode, I ask Seth about:




* Trusting yourself enough to do what you were made to do



* Why he believes that seeking reassurance is futile



* Why he feels authenticity is a trap



* And lots more!




Seth’s New Book



You can order a copy of The Practice: Shipping Creative Work right now.



Seth in Action







Books Seth Recommends



The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield



The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander



Just Kids by Patti Smith



Check Out These Resources



Visit Seth’s website for more on him and his work.



Grab a copy of Seth’s book now.



Inquiring about inviting Seth to keynote your next event? <a href="seth@sethgodin.

519: The Practice and Shipping Creative Work with Seth Godin (an Encore Presentation of Episode 344)

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304: Discover How You Contribute to the World with Tom Rath

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