Stephen R. Covey
The world has entered an era of the most profound and challenging change in human history. Most of our children are not prepared, and we know it.
Parents around the world see the change and know that the traditional three R’s — reading, writing, and arithmetic — are necessary, but not enough. Their children need to become far more responsible, creative, and tolerant of differences. They need to increase their ability to think for themselves, take initiative, get along with others, and solve problems.
Business leaders are not finding people whose skills and character match the demands of today’s global economy, including strong communication, teamwork, analytical, technology, and organizational skills. They need young people who are self-motivated, creative, and have a strong work ethic.
How will we bridge this ever-widening gap? The Leader in Me is the story of the extraordinary schools, parents, and business leaders around the world who are preparing the next generation to meet the great challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.
In 1999, the A.B. Combs Elementary School in North Carolina was on the verge of being cut as a magnet school and needed to find new ways to educate its students. Teachers and administrators began teaching practical, principle-based leadership skills — with remarkable results. In a short time, the number of students passing end-of-grade tests vaulted from 84 to 97 percent. Simultaneously, the school began reporting significant increases in students’ self-confidence, dramatic drops in discipline problems, and striking increases in teacher and administrator job satisfaction. Parents, meanwhile, reported equivalent improvements in their children’s attitudes and behavior at home. As news of the school’s success spread, schools around the world began adopting the mantra to “develop leaders, one child at a time.” Business and civic leaders started partnering with schools in their communities to sponsor teacher training and student resources. Each school and family approached the principles differently, but the results were the same — attentive, energized young people engaging in the world around them.
The best way to prepare the next generation for the future is to emphasize the value of communication, cooperation, initiative, and unique, individual talent — for nothing undermines confidence more than comparison. Whether in the classroom or at home, it is never too early to start applying leadership skills to everyday life. Drawing on the many techniques and examples that have already seen incredible success around the world, The Leader in Me shows how easy it is to incorporate these skills into daily life. It is a timely answer to many of the challenges facing today’s young people, businesses, parents, and educators — one that is perfectly matched to the global demands of the twenty-first century.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Foundational Principles
Stephen R. Covey
When it first hit the market in 1990, leadership guru Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People drew hearty critical praise, ultimately sold over 10 million copies, and revolutionized the self-help genre. The book encapsulated complex, challenging behavioral principles designed to dramatically improve one’s effectiveness in both personal and professional arenas – principles that inevitably begin with a paradigmatic shift on the part of the subject, in every case. Designed as a primer of sorts for Covey inductees, the instructional release The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Foundational Principles features Covey expostulating on the underlying concepts that belie his self-help program.
Richard Carlson
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and it’s all small stuff is a book that shows you how to keep from letting the little things in life drive you crazy. In thoughtful and insightful language, author Richard Carlson reveals ways to calm down in the midst of your incerdibly hurried, stress-filled life. You can learn to put things in perspective by making the small daily changes he suggests, including advice such as “Think of your problems as potential teachers”; “Remember that when you die, your ‘in’ box won’t be empty”; and “Do one thing at a time.” You should try to live in the present moment, let others have the glory at times, and lower your tolerance to stress. You can write down your most stubborn positions and see if you can soften them, learn to trust your intuitions, and live each day as if it might be your last. With gentle, supportive suggestions, Dr. Carlson reveals ways to make your actions more peaceful and caring, with the added benefit of making your life more calm and stress-free.
Tom Butler-Bowdon
With 50 Psychology Classics: Who We Are, How We Think, What We Do – Insight and Inspiration from 50 Key Books, Tom Butler-Bowdon introduces readers to the great works that explore the very essence of what makes us who we are. Spanning fifty books and hundreds of ideas, 50 Psychology Classics examines some of the most intriguing questions regarding cognitive development and behavioral motivations, summarizing the myriad theories that psychologists have put forth to make sense of the human experience. Butler-Bowdon covers everything from humanism to psychoanalysis to the fundamental principles where theorists disagree, like nature versus nurture and the existence of free will. In this single book, you will find Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kinsey, and the most significant contributors to modern psychological thought. From the author of the bestselling 50 Self-Help Classics, 50 Success Classics, and 50 Spiritual Classics, 50 Psychology Classics will enrich your understanding of the human condition.
John Newstrom, Edward E. Scannell, Edward Scannell
Did you know that games can be a terrifically effective way to build team spirit, communication, and trust among people who work together day in and day out? Now you can spark morale in any work group by choosing from 70 stimulating games and activities specifically designed for the manager who’s looking to raise sagging morale in a department, liven up boring staff meetings, enable team members to collaborate smoothly and effectively, and much more!
Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter
Elaine St. James
Simplify Your Life is a refreshing, much needed antidote to the disorder and frenzy that so many of us face in our daily lives. In this funny, insightful, and practical program, Elaine St. James shows you how to bring more happiness into your life by taking things you don’t want out of it – step by simple step – so you can concentrate more of your energy and attention on the things that really do matter to you.
Simplify Your Life contains 100 suggestions and tips that will help you begin the process of creating a more balanced, peaceful life that is free of chaos and clutter. It will help you to:
- Identify and eliminate major sources of complication in your life
- Painlessly, guiltlessly rid your home of space-consuming clutter
- Make wiser choices about how, when, and where you spend your time and money
Get rid of confusion and clutter, and live a more fulfilled, simpler, less complicated life.
The Big Book of Icebreakers: Quick, Fun Activities for Energizing Meetings and Workshops
Edie West
Leading a meeting? Giving a presentation? Heading a workshop? Icebreakers are great for lightening up the atmosphere at the beginning of a meeting or event, and encouraging everyone to participate fully. This collection of 50 icebreakers is organized around common business situations and is designed to help leaders start every session, meeting, presentation, or workshop with a burst of energy and fun. Includes icebreakers for sales meetings, team building, complete strangers, introducing a topic, staff meetings, groups over 20, outdoor settings, and more. This latest book in the popular Big Book of Business Games series is the most fun yet!
Doni Tamblyn, Sharyn Weiss
The Big Book of Humorous Training Games uses witty, engaging games to create memorable lessons in numerous basic training topics, including customer service, teambuilding, creative problem solving, time management, and more. Step-by-step instructions work with dozens of reproducible handouts and worksheets help trainers and speakers minimize preparation time and maximized training success.
Gary Kroehnert, Gary Kroehnert
New Ideas AAA of Stress Management Brainstorm Shuffling Papers Overcoming Fear These are the names of just a few of the 100 reproducible games you’ll find in this lively, inventive collection of instructional aids from the best-selling training author Gary Kroehnert. Perfect for developing employees’ abilities in communication, teamwork, initiative, stress and time management, creativity, and more, 100 Training Games makes role plays more effective, simulations more realistic, and exercises more fun!
Each game is self-contained and provides all the necessary instructions and materials. What’s more, a unique index grid and system of graphic symbols help you locate and choose complementary games and respond confidently to particular training needs and situations.
Great Session Openers, Closers, And Energizers
Marlene Caroselli
Here’s everything a speaker or trainer needs to keep the audience awake, alert, and involved. This fun-filled collection of can’t-miss activities contains the openers, closers, and energizers you can use to kick off each session with a bang, bring the audience back quickly should its attention wander, and end each session on a high note. Save hours of preparation time with these ready-made, easy-to-use activities that enable you to reinforce the key points in your presentation, spark active involvement from all the participants, and create an environment in which real listening can take place.
Professional Learning Communities at Work
Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement
Richard DeFour, Robert Eaker
Professional Learning Communities at Work™ presents research-based recommendations drawn from the best practices found in schools nationwide for continuously improving school performance. Coming from the perspectives of both a distinguished dean of education and one of America’s most widely acclaimed practitioners, this resource provides specific, practical “how-to” information about transforming schools into results-oriented PLCs.