37 CEO Nuggets Including Punk Rock, Scaling, Human Capital & More [CEO Bookshelf]

You’ve heard you are what you eat, well we believe that you are what you read. Teach a CEO presents lessons from our bookshelf on how you can improve and grow your venture. We have taken gems or nuggets from our library and provide them for CEO’s, startups, entrepreneurs and business owners.

Punk Rock Attitude in Business – 7 CEO Nuggets

1. A personal philosophy brings clarity; it helps you understand who you are. When our actions and any and every environment are aligned with our principles and beliefs, we can be authentic to our true self. A personal philosophy that is in tune with your true self enables you to live a life of conviction. It encourages you to be the real you. (The Punk Rock of Business)
2. Pure, strip down, no bullshit – beautiful! You will come to see that Punk Rock Business is all about adopting an attitude that echoes the attributes of punk. The punk rock business person says, “I am not okay with the current status quo,” and vows to do something about it. I detest mediocrity, as I want to do amazing things. I see no sense in playing safe, because there is no such thing as job security anymore. I am not going to stick to some conservative, cautious game plan, because life is precious, and life is about creating something amazing with the people you choose to share your life with. (The Punk Rock of Business)
3. I see eight elements in the attitude of punk rock music in the punk rock movement to that I love when it comes to business today… Element 1: Have a Cause … Element 2: Build a Movement…Element 3: Create New and Radically Different Ideas…Element 4: Drive Speed in Action… Element 5: Say It As It Is… Element 6: Be Authentic… Element 7: Put Yourself Out There….Element 8: Reject Conformity. (The Punk Rock of Business)
4. You really must know who you are and then be true to yourself. Be comfortable with yourself, and when you have an opportunity that you have never dreamed of, go for it without any hesitation, without worrying about what people may think. (The Punk Rock of Business)
5. Energy must be a constant companion to you and your team, every single day. Your number one job is to give energy and mobilize your people into action. If you want to do great things you need energy and lots of it. Energy will attract like-minded souls; it will create momentum, it will sustain the team when things get difficult, and it will enable them to push on when they get tired. (The Punk Rock of Business)
6. Humility is the x-factor that differentiates the truly great leaders. It allows you to be more demanding because the push you give people will be received in a better way. (The Punk Rock of Business)
7. Demand excellence in everything you do. Start to accept mediocrity or try to pass off average as being good or seek to excuse or explain away substandard performance, all you were going to do is redefine who you are and what you want to be known for. Demanding excellence is great, but recruiting people to your team who self-imposed that requirement is so much more important. Search them out and attract them to your team. (The Punk Rock of Business)

Human Capital – 6 CEO Nuggets

1. What most people don't understand is that managing people processes is more than in administering state and federal regulations and managing the paperwork…. Your people management should be a well developed plan much like your business plan or your marketing plan. Your human resource functions should be developed to align with your company's business goals and culture. It is much more than administrating standard operating procedures. (Power People)
2. Recruiting top talent is one of the most important strategies in the human capital arena. Developing strategies for identifying and marketing to prospective employees is critical for winning the war on talent. (Power People)
3. Training can help your company create a culture of investing in your people. (Power People)
4. The negative affect employee turnover has on a small business can be damaging and debilitating. (Power People)
5. Managing people is viewed by business owners, CEOs, and managers as one of the most challenging aspects of business. Many of us are subject matter experts in our core business function, but most managers are not experienced or equipped to deal with the diverse challenges of attracting, selecting, and retaining top talent. We each bring our strengths and weaknesses into our businesses and enhance our experience and knowledge to choose the actions and strategies needed to achieve maximum results. Managing human capital can be overwhelming, but it is not impossible. (Power People)
6. This book has presented success strategies for the five primary and essential areas I have found necessary in managing human capital. They are: #1: Recruiting strategies, #2: Compensation Strategies, #3: Training and Development Strategies, #4: Retaining Top Talent Strategies, #5: Managing Risk. (Power People)

Scaling – 13 CEO Nuggets

1. The goal of scaling is to build a replicable system for delivering products and services that allow businesses to increase their customer base without having to increase their overhead at the same pace. Traditional growth model has fostered a vicious efficiency, causing companies that hit a wall that they cannot break through. For instance, company gains a few new clients, so they hire more people to serve these clients, adding cost at nearly the same way that they're adding revenue. The method in this book will show you how to grow, replicate, and expand while at the same time building a self-managed company that you can step away from for periods of time as it continues to soar. (Scale or Fail)
2. The SCALEit method starts with Strategic Vision, then moves to Cash Flow, Alliance of the team, Leadership, and Execution, where everything comes together. (Scale or Fail)
3. Cash flow is a crucial part of business and you must have rock-solid strategies in place to support your growth and protect your through the rocky times. However, before anything else, you must first believe it will come together. There will always be down periods, but they won't stay that way as long as you remain focused on the vision of where you are going, believe it to your core, even if you are not there yet… and then mix in a ridiculous amount of persistence…. (Scale or Fail)
4. In my mind cash flow is a living force. If you think of cash in terms of currency, it's not a big leap to regarding it as business energy – the electrical currents flows back and forth and sustains your company. You must be able to tap into the electrical current of cash flow when you need it most. (Scale or Fail)
5. Leaders must work on their confidence all the time. They have to be able to handle the entrepreneurial roller coaster: business shoots up, business plummets, business shoots up again. Simply accepting this fact can help you become a more resilient leader. (Scale or Fail)
6. A key component to successfully scaling is ensuring that goods and services are delivered systemically. (Scale or Fail)
7. As you scale your business be aware that you're the one who is trying to replace yourself. You need to practice holding your courage to let go and find people can handle some of your To-do's. (Scale or Fail)
8. Scaling your business is one of the wildest rides you will ever take in your life. It gives you the opportunity to utilize your gifts and solutions to not only affect those around you, but to literally impact millions – and potentially billions – of people around the world. In the process you will build an asset that you that can support your desired lifestyle for years to come. (Scale or Fail)
9. To scale our organizations, we must scale leadership. This is an inherently human process. (Scaling Leadership)
10. The top 10 skills for high creative leaders: Strong people skills and interpersonal capability, Visionary, Team builder, Personable/approachable, Leads by example, Passion and drive, Good listener, develops people, and empowers people and positive attitude. (Scaling Leadership)
11. The top 10 of highly reactive leaders: Drive and passion, visionary, strong networker, domain / technical knowledge, results focused, intelligent / brilliant, strong people skills and interpersonal capability, creative / innovative, personable / approachable, positive attitude. (Scaling Leadership)
12. How do the very best of these leaders transform themselves, scale their leadership, and in doing so transform their organization? We have learned a lot about how to do this from the leaders we have worked with. In our experience, three key steps will get you there: #1 – start with yourself, #2 – Develop leadership teams, #3 – Build leadership systems. (Scaling Leadership)
13. Is the current state of leadership up to the challenge? We don't think so. Furthermore, we think that even creative leadership is not enough…. Integral leadership is required. It is the future of leadership. In Mastering Leadership, we describe Integral leadership supported by a Self-Transforming Internal Operating System in some depth. Only 5% of leaders are operating here. (Scaling Leadership)

Value Conscious Negotiating – 6 CEO Nuggets

1. This book depicts my road trip that guided me to realize the success that I enjoyed today. We began with concepts and actions designed to enhance your awareness of your strengths and gifts. That's your VALUE. From there, we take the steps that will define your clear understanding of what you want and why it's worth going for in your life. You'll be more CONSCIOUS and once that foundation has been created you be shown 9 proven negotiation techniques that will better empower you in NEGOTIATING skills to realize your success. (On Your Terms)
2. I started by recognizing each associate as CEO of their own business. I suggest that, as CEOs, they are in charge of all monetizing activity – self-promotion, time management, business development, budgeting, and customer service for starters…. Discernment is not a skill you magically acquire; it's an ongoing practice that requires continual recalibration and awareness. Practicing discernment helps you on track and ensures both your progression toward and production of what you want. and you start to become a very effective CEO, guiding your course towards your success. (On Your Terms)
3. 99% of the time, reaching a goal doesn't happen overnight or in one giant leap. Accepting that many variables and steps go into the pursuit of any dream is the healthiest way to mentally prepare for the quest ahead. (On Your Terms)
4. Understanding that when you are clear about your priorities in the eight aspects of your life, the more likely it is that you will start filling your time with the things that matter to you – the things that bring you closer to your success. (On Your Terms)
5. Restoring my peace, clear that I can't control the outcome or anyone else involved in it, I start to realize that I can redirect that energy more fully on my focus to positively control my actions. (On Your Terms)
6. The 9 negotiation keys: demonstrating enthusiasm, asking clarifying questions, defining your intention to serve, Illuminating the objective, recapping the objective, crafting the strategy, establishing your value, introducing the pivot, identifying next steps. (On Your Terms)

Affirmation for Millenials – 5 CEO Nuggets

1. If you fail, Own It. Come back stronger the next day…. sometimes, we resort to excuses. The most productive, successful people avoid leaning on them as often as possible. Don't be afraid to hold yourself accountable. You have barriers to break. (Keep It 100)
2. Long-term success is more important than short-term wins. You need to balance maintain. Constantly pushing yourself to work without a break, from dawn until dusk, is not the best thing for the human psyche. It's also bad for your inner glo. (Keep It 100)
3. Today's habits build tomorrow's victories. (Keep It 100)
4. Clutch plays make the highlight reel, but consistent excellence breeds champions… don't shy away from stepping up to the plate and delivery when the pressure is on, but don't let lack of pressure serve as a sign that you can stop moving the needle. Push the envelope consistently. Don't leave results the chance. (Keep It 100)
5. The people who make the biggest impact attain the biggest wins are those who saw the persisting problem within the world by altering the way society functions. It takes a lot of energy to create the wave, but once you do, the ride is amazing. (Keep It 100)

Books on The CEO Bookshelf

Descriptions are from Amazon.com

• The Punk Rock of Business: Applying a Punk Rock Attitude in the Modern Business Era – Author Jeremy Dale believes that too many businesses create an environment that encourages mediocrity and corporate norms that deliver lukewarm results at best. In The Punk Rock of Business, Dale offers a road map away from average and towards innovation through a mindset rooted in punk rock principles. In this fast-paced, actionable guidebook, readers will find: Eight punk rock principles to help you redefine your place in the corporate world–for the better, A set of characteristics to strive for that will liberate you and accelerate your success, Countless examples—drawing on both the classic stories from the music genre's industry-changing legacy and Dale's years of business success—to illustrate these principles and characteristics in action, Straightforward lessons and actions to start taking today—right now—to break through corporate norms and build something greater. Punk rockers had a cause. They aimed for authenticity and refused to conform. In doing so, they created a dramatic change that shook society to its core. It was a much-needed wake-up call for the conservative part of the music industry. Jeremy Dale wants you to do the same in the business world, and in The Punk Rock of Business, he gives you the tools you need to accomplish that goal.
• Power People: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Managing Human Capital – Looking for an all-in-one solution to maximizing results from your company’s employees? Look no further than People Power! Employees can make or break a business—yet many companies have no idea how to manage their incredibly valuable “human capital.” Now, for the first time, HR expert Scholley Bubenik, President of Premier HR Solutions, unlocks the secrets she’s learned over her thirty years of human resources experience in People Power. Detailing her time-tested, practical and proven strategies, Bubenik gives you the tools you need to assemble—and keep in place—the kind of team that will take your business to the top. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, business owner or manager, these innovative insights and nuts-and-bolts advice will help you get the most out of your employees while helping them achieve true job satisfaction. Maximizing employee engagement means you’ll need to do more than simply abide by state and federal regulations and file the right paperwork at the right time—you need to develop a plan that aligns your company’s business goals and culture with your people’s. The key to this is Bubenik’s “Five Strategies”—a set of principles which, when implemented together, provide a comprehensive approach to the process of recruiting, training and retaining. In addition, People Power also includes interactive exercises that help you customize the book’s content to your own specific business situation—allowing you to take instant advantage of Bubenik’s hard-won HR knowledge.
• Scaling Leadership: Building Organizational Capability and Capacity to Create Outcomes that Matter Most – How do senior leaders, in their own words, describe the most effective leaders—the ones that get results, grow the business, enhance the culture and leave in their wake a trail of other really effective leaders? Conversely, how do senior leaders describe the kind of leader that undercuts the organization’s capacity and capability to create its future? This book, based on groundbreaking research, shows how senior leaders describe and develop leadership that works, that does not, that scales, and that limits scale. Is your leadership built for scale as you advance in today’s volatile, uncertain, dynamic, and disruptive business environment? This context puts a premium on a very particular kind of leadership—High-Creative leadership capable of rapidly growing the organization while simultaneously transforming it into more agile, innovative, adaptive and engaging workplace. The research presented in this book suggests that senior leaders can describe the High-Creative leadership with surprising clarity. They also describe with equal precision the High-Reactive leadership that cancels itself out and seriously limits scale. Which type of leader are you? You scale your leadership by increasing the multiple on your leadership in three ways. First, by developing the strengths that differentiate the most effective leaders from the strengths deployed by the most Reactive and ineffective leaders. And second, by increasing your leadership ratio—the ratio of most the effective strengths to the most damaging liabilities. Third, by developing High-Creative leaders all around you. Scaling Leadership provides a proven framework for magnifying agile and scalable leadership in your organization. Scalable leadership drives forward-momentum by multiplying high-achieving leaders at scale so that growth, productivity and innovation increase exponentially. Creative leaders multiply their strengths beyond technical competence by leading in deep relationship, with radical humanity, passion and integrity.

• Scale or Fail: How to Build Your Dream Team, Explode Your Growth, and Let Your Business Soar – Scaling a business is not for the faint of heart. It’s a mind-bending journey that causes millions of business owners around the globe to either throw in the towel—or avoid risk entirely and suffer from smallness and mediocrity. Most of these businesses fail because they are ill prepared to face the real challenges involved in scaling. Either they don’t have the bandwidth to keep up with the sales demand or production, miss out on major opportunities due to fear, or keep making the same mistakes over and over because systems and processes aren’t in sync with the rate of growth. To truly scale, you must upsize your strategic practices, implement new marketing strategies, find new ways to build your team, and expand your mindset to break through whatever is keeping you stuck at the same level. Then you must be willing to take the leap into the giant unknown – to make your impossible possible. In Scale or Fail, author Allison Maslan—who has successfully scaled ten companies from scratch and has guided thousands of small businesses to do the same—shares her revolutionary SCALEit Method ® for successfully growing, replicating, and expanding your business. She also shares pivotal mindset strategies she’s used to break the fear barrier as a trapeze artist so you can move past any obstacle, take strategic Big Picture risks, and fulfill your dreams of business expansion and skyrocketing profit.

• On Your Terms: Discovering a More Joyful and Purpose-Filled Life Through Value Conscious Negotiating – Finally, there is a working manual that explores the three essential ingredients of success. On Your Terms gently guides you in three steps: (1) More fully claiming your personal value (2) Identifying the success you want to create (3) Empowering yourself to effectively negotiate those outcomes. Resourcing his own personal wealth of experiences – in business and in life – Nick Segal presents an entertaining and self-revealing exploration of his personal success adventure that will inspire anyone willing to do the work to more fully realize their own heartfelt dreams of success. Segal's approach is a simple and proven methodology: a “paint by numbers” series of action steps designed to enhance personal confidence and develop practical new skills for creating happiness and success. His personable, encouraging, and often humorous style will naturally lift you into the realization that success is not only possible, but very much attainable. And attainable on your terms.
• Keep It 100 – This book will moisturize your ashy elbow, negate your unpaid parking tickets, and defend your hairline against all threats – foreign and domestic. That's a lie, but you knew that. You also know that life can feel like a cruel joke, particularly on Mondays. This book was written to help you persevere, laugh, and excel despite whatever storms life might throw your way. This book is the result of a Google Doc and a dream.