Dr. Andy Atwood, PC

Below, you will find a long list of tools and resources that have impacted my thinking and my practice.  The blue title is a link that will take you to another website or document.  I owe a great debt of gratitude to the many people that have been bold enough to think and write about leadership.  Forgive me if I have not credited them in an adequate way.

Each of these is a gem, and I hope you discover the treasure here that has enriched my life and my work.  I will be adding to this list as time moves along, so please check back from time to time. 

The research has revealed five practices that are common when leaders are able to make extraordinary things happen. Authors Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner call these The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership®. They are: 

       1. Model the Way
       2. Inspire a Shared Vision
       3. Challenge the Process
       4. Enable Others to Act
       5. Encourage the Heart

I'm especially fond of this model, the book, and all the training materials they have available.  In fact, if you CLICK HERE you will be taken to one of my FREE Articles that lists a bunch of videos about The Leadership Challenge that are posted on YouTube.  A great way to learn!

A mark of maturity is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas in one’s mind simultaneously. Polarity Management is an incredibly useful tool for managing dilemmas. I use Polarity Management every day. I teach people how to manage dilemmas, which are unsolvable problems. Get the book!  Go to the Polarity Management website for more resources.

You can download a terrific summary from Barry Johnson, and a paper I've written that compiles material from Barry's work, plus that which has been contributed from others.  Both are right below.

I’ve subscribed to the HBR since 1996. Frankly, I find about 3 articles a year to be worth their weight in gold. If you add that up, that’s a lot of useful articles. You would find value in other articles, as well. The price is worth it. Every issue is stored on a shelf in my office.

William Bridges has sold more than half-a-million copies of his book, Managing Transitions. There are moments in time where change occurs, but then there are seasons of time during which transitions unfold.

There are articles available at the website that will help you to manage the transitions that are in your life and in your business. Bridges offers good, practical, common sense advice.

You will immediately notice the similarity between Dr. Ichak Adizes’ model, and my River Map. In fact, a bell curve has been used for many, many years to model the life cycle of individuals, marriages, families, businesses, and so much more.

Watch Dr. Adizes’ clip from a larger webinar, and sign-up for his newsletter, “Adizes Insight.”

David Maister has written three good books: Managing the Professional Service Firm, The Trusted Advisor, and True Professionalism. He has a website, which you can link to above, that has some useful resources, and a place where you can catch his blog. Solid material aimed at Doctors, Lawyers, Counseling Centers, Marketers, Engineers… and anywhere else you find a professional service firm.

I've captured a short blurb that will give you a 2-minute intro to the audio version of the book.  You will find it right below.

Gerber's gift is that he provides entrepreneurs with the basic tools to get their business organized and functional.  Each book he has written is a variation on his basic theme, targeted at specific audiences.  The E-Myth for Accountants, Attorneys, etc.  E-Myth Mastery is terrific.  What is his basic theme?  Set your business up according to the "franchise prototype." Ray Kroc is Gerber's hero. 

I especially like Gerber's books because he also focuses on the inside of the entrepreneur, not just the outside SOPs.  I highly recommend Gerber's books.

Some of the best business books ever written. That’s my opinion, and it's probably one that is also held by many others. Based on solid research, Collins has distilled down some impressively practical concepts around which greatness is built.

Take a look at the short video of Collins by CLICKING HERE.  You will see a remarkable similarity between the bell curve he uses in How the Mighty Fall, and my River Map.

I haven't even finished reading this one yet, but it is solid.  Watch for my review.

Dr. Don Clifton started the Strengths Movement some years ago, and then Dr. Marty Seligman really gave it a legitimate presence when he was elected President of the APA. Instead of focusing on psychopathology, the Strengths Movement focuses on human potential and human strengths.

I use the StrengthsFinder assessment often, which has been developed by the Gallup Organization. Almost everyone I work with takes the StrengthsFinder. Marcus Buckingham has led the way in bringing the Strengths Movement into the workforce. He has some good books, and some slick DVD materials.

I am a huge fan of Tribal Leadership.  In fact, I took the "Tribal Leadership Intensive I and II" telecourses in early 2011, along with a couple of dozen leaders from around the globe.  

Birds flock, and people tribe.  Tribes function at 5 different levels, and the Tribal Leader intentionally functions within the tribe in order to edify the tribe. The Tribal Leader works to uplift the tribe so that it functions at a higher level. 

Please watch the video below for even more information.

Dr. David Keirsey developed the “Keirsey Temperament Sorter” – KTS – some years ago, and he is a genius! Think about it. Over 40 million people have taken the KTS at about $15.00 each. The KTS is based on the works of Myers and Briggs, and is similar to the official Myers-Briggs Temperament Indicator, which is published by CPP, Inc. Keirsey’s website is set up to lure you in. You have to complete the survey before you find out that you have to pay for it. But, if you are looking for a reliable assessment from a time tested source, this is it. And remember, the MBTI is the oldest assessment tool, and so it is one with a lot of research behind it. It is one of the four assessments that I routinely use when conducting pre-employment, or positioning, evaluations for the businesses with whom I work.

Robert Kegan is well known for his work on the evolution of human consciousness.  It seems to be the fact, as reported by Saints and Sages for thousands of years, that we do grow up from one stage to the next, in an orderly way.

And yet, so many of us get stuck at one stage, and our growth is halted.  Kegan and Lahey have discovered our "Immunity to Change."  

I found this book to be so helpful that I wrote a book review of it, and you can find my review by clicking on the title above.

Verne Harnish is the “Growth Guy,” and his book is terrific. If you don’t have a copy of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What you Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm, then now is the time to pick one up. Practical stuff. This is not a book of theory, but one of practice. Harnish is famous for his 1-page strategic plan. My good friend Tom Roe put me on to Harnish, and I’m glad he did. I’ve used this material daily. Of course, just like any map, having it in hand and actually using it are two different things. I’m glad I have this map, and I use it.

Here is the 2007 American Family Business Survey, as conducted by MassMutual, Kennesaw State University, and the Family Firm Institute. It has been five years since the last survey, and the trends are clear - more optimism about the future, marginal urgency about succession, more women leaders, higher ethical standards, growing professionalism, more cohesion around core values, and a shift in those who are considered to be the most trusted advisors to the leaders of family owned businesses.

This 12-page Executive Summary indicates the trends, and has the statistics to support the directions these 1000 family businesses are taking. As you develop your strategy for the future, compare your West Michigan family business to this sample of family owned businesses from across the United States.

Bill Joiner wrote this book with Stephen Josephs, but it is Bill and his wife Debra that I have come to know.  They are good, gentle, smart, and dedicated people.

My fascination with human development has been enlightened by the research and model presented in this book.  Leaders grow up, and their consciousness grows up, too.  Stage by stage, leaders mature.  I've received some training from Bill and Debbie, and I'm certified to administer their Leadership Agility 360.

If you want to assess your own level of Leadership Agility, the 360 is the tool to help you.  If you are interested in taking an honest, in depth look at yourself, and growing from there, let me know.

Dr. Don Clifton started the Strengths Movement some years ago, and then Dr. Marty Seligman really gave it a legitimate presence when he was elected President of the APA. Instead of focusing on psychopathology, the Strengths Movement focuses on human potential and human strengths.

I use the StrengthsFinder assessment often, which has been developed by the Gallup Organization. Almost everyone I work with takes the StrengthsFinder. Marcus Buckingham has led the way in bringing the Strengths Movement into the workforce. He has some good books, and some slick DVD materials.