Books Recommended by Influencers

Competing on Culture: Driving Change in Community Colleges

by Randall VanWagoner

Community colleges are under intense pressure to change in an increasingly complex environment. However, change is increasingly hard with varied levels of resistance amidst scarce resources, increased employee turnover, and entrenched subcultures. The old saw “culture eats strategy for breakfast’ epitomizes the importance of culture as a means for enhancing the long-term viability of an organization. This book provides fresh analysis of organizational culture in the community college context focused on organizational culture and change. Readers will benefit from frank advice with insights to drive change by transforming and leveraging culture to shape the future of community colleges.

The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma

by Mustafa Suleyman and Michael Bhaskar

The Coming Wave is a book that can help community college educators prepare their students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. It is written by Mustafa Suleyman, an expert in artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, two fields that are transforming the world in unprecedented ways. The book explains the potential benefits and risks of these technologies and how they could affect our society, economy, environment, and security. It also provides practical advice on how to regulate and harness these technologies for the common good. The book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand and shape the future of humanity.

Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well

by Amy Edmonson

What would it be like if we planned for failure and for how we learn from it? There's a stigma with failure, especially in our high profile positions. Mistakes will happen and learning from them is crucial to not repeating them or burying them in a way that leads to toxicity within our cultures and relationships. Dr. Edmonson defines types of failures and how we can learn to predict and prevent mistakes. Most importantly, she shares how we can learn from them. This book has applications from the classroom to the boardroom. Let’s learn the mindset and skills to fail well!

Podcast Recommended by Influencers

Wiser Than Me

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Lemonada Media)

I recently became the senior-most female administrator at my institution. After decades of being mentored by amazing women leaders at my institution, I find myself now mentoring others here—members of our team who are also young mothers and emerging leaders as I once was. In search of inspiration, this podcast has filled my cup over and over as Louis-Dreyfus learns from women such as Carol Burnett, Jane Fonda, Amy Tan, Ruth Reichl, Diane Von Furstenberg and more. These frank and hilarious conversations about aging and balancing career and family remind me that those I mentor need to know I have never managed “to do it all” but also how much I’ve gained, not lost, by trying.

TED Talk Recommendation

Don't Ask Me What I Do

Nicholas Pearce | TEDxArlingtonHeights

Dr. Nicholas Pearce, a wonderful friend of mine, delivers a truly exceptional  TEDxTalk. He offers a fresh perspective on the role of work in our lives, disrupting the conventional idea of defining ourselves solely by our careers and highlighting the dangers of equating human worth with work. Dr. Pearce encourages us to ask deeper questions such as "What inspires you?" instead of "What do you do?" is a game-changer. It promotes deeper connections and relationships, making work and networking more rewarding. This insightful message should resonate with leaders and individuals alike, inspiring them to rethink their approach to work and prioritize authentic human connections. Personally, I have lately been introducing myself as a "human in progress."

For you,

Dr. Joe Hill

Executive Team Coach

Founder, Higher Performance Group

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