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BY Joel Junker

Suggested Reading for Military to Corporate Transition

After my last post about the importance of preparation and reading, I figured I would get questions about what to read.  Below are suggested readings for a potential transition from military to business.

(We have a more comprehensive Reading Program^© for those candidates enrolled in our Development and Preparation Program^©.)

PCS to Corporate America, 3rd Ed. (Roger Cameron). The book is full of excellent information on preparing for a transition to include interviewing tips.  To order your copy by phone, call 1-800-222-9235 (or from Germany, 0800-85-22670), or order via the web at www.cameron-brooks.com.

Good to Great (Collins).  This book is considered one of the best business books ever written.  It illustrates management strategies, practices and disciplines moving companies from average performance to consistently great performance.  You can also read Collins’ other popular book, Built to Last, or search the internet for other articles featuring him.

The Goal:  A Process of Ongoing Improvement (E. Goldratt).  This will be one of the best business books you will ever read, and it is relevant to both the military and Corporate America.  

12:  The Elements of Great Managing (Wagner and Harter).  The Gallup organization interviewed 10 million people in the workplace to determine the 12 elements necessary to improve employee engagement in the workplace.  If you don’t have time to read the whole book, I highly recommend reading the first few pages of each chapter to understand each principle.

Leading Self-Directed Work Teams, A Guide to Developing New Team Leadership Skills (K. Fisher).  High performance teams are changing the business world.  Fisher’s book will help you master the team leadership skills you will need to be successful in business.

The following is a list of authors who continually write excellent books on business, leadership and self-development. 

Ken Blanchard – Considered a leadership/management expert, Blanchard writes his books in the form of fables packed with great lessons.  Our favorites include One Minute Manager and the One Minute Manager series, Raving Fans (great customer service book), Gung Ho! and High Five! The Magic of Working Together.  Blanchard co-authored many of these books with Spencer Johnson who wrote Who Moved My Cheese?, an excellent short book on change leadership.

Ram Charan – A leading independent business consultant, Charan has written numerous recent business best sellers.  He writes with a straight to the point, bottom up front style, making it easy for the reader to understand.  Top books include What Every CEO Wants You to Know and Profitable Growth is Everyone’s Business.

Stephen Covey – His book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was first printed in 1989 and is still a best seller today.  In addition to this classic, he has several other excellent leadership and self-development books.  In addition to 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, our top recommendations are The 8^th Habit and Principle-Centered Leadership. 

John Maxwell – An internationally recognized leadership expert, motivational speaker and author, you can’t go wrong selecting any of his books.  21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership continues to be one of his top selling books.

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Joel Junker