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Welcome to the Proteus Bookshelf.
The Proteus Bookshelf will hold just 20 titles we believe are fundamentally essential for leaders in today's working environment.
The purpose of the Proteus Bookshelf is to share with our clients those resources we believe are of greatest value and have genuinely changed our own thinking and actions as leaders.
Comprised of some golden oldies and some exciting new titles we hope the Proteus Bookshelf will serve as a hotlist for recommended reading for managers and leaders. We are also confident the titles either selected or not will provoke some pretty robust debate - something we love at Proteus.
At no time will more than 20 books will ever feature on our bookshelf. This means if we want to add a new book, or if our clients recommend a great read that we wish to feature on our bookshelf we are going to have to throw a book off our shelf. Therefore, to make our top 20 list and knock one of the existing titles off the shelf, the new book better be worth it!
Please let us know what titles you would like to see on the Proteus Bookshelf.
If you would like to suggest a book for our bookshelf - please submit your ideas here
Books from the Proteus Bookshelf will be included as some of the reading for our Leadership programs.
Happy reading!
Eat That Frog
Tracy's book reinforced what personally I was doing well in goal-setting plus life & business management as well as challenged me with effective tools to formally take this to another level. More importantly, all our staff at Proteus have read this quick and simple book and have applied the key principles, which also lead onto the creation of organisational templates to 'eat our frogs' across Proteus.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Reading Covey's seminal work, more than formalising what constitutes the seven habits of highly effective people, gives us a classic take on the guiding principles of leadership, ensuring that the Executive at Proteus have solid foundations in place for growth and success - both personally and for the organisation.
Good to Great
Collins' book and key findings on what makes companies truly great divided the Executive and created much robust debate - which we love at Proteus. Much of the Good to Great concepts have seeped into our thinking to become part of our language and our new default, especially when making strategic decisions. Plus our clients love it when we step them through how to apply Collins' research from ideas to action!
Fl!p
We have always been good at Proteus to provoke, challenge and not just accept the status quo, but reading Sheahan's book, gave us extra permission to continually flip our thinking and behaviour, challenging us to make 'flipping' a part of our DNA. Whenever we or our clients are stuck or indeed are experiencing growth and success, our immediate response is to 'flip it!'
Life Eyes
Des Penny is the Proteus founder, our CEO, leader and the entrepreneurial force that drives us. By having all staff read Des' book, allows them to catch the heart and spirit of Proteus to see the world through 'life eyes' - looking at what is really happening to make our life and business a success with insight.
Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play
This is the best sales book I've read on the art and science of selling - it is the most aligned to the DNA and passion at Proteus as to why sales is all about having highly functional and healthy client relationships. It destroys the notion of tolerating dysfunctional processes or toxic clients for the sake of a sale -- either let's play professionally or go away - brilliant.
Crucial Conversations
We had already established a culture at Proteus where we fight clean and allow for robust debates without the dramas. Crucial conversations took us to a new level on how to navigate through complex situations where emotions are raw and the stakes are high ... Our clients have loved it when we combine 'how to lead great cultures' with 'the art of crucial conversations'.
People Styles at Work
There are many complex psychometric models in the market place, but people styles gives you a simple (but not simplistic) and profound tool with deep insight into understanding peoples' default behavioural styles -- with clear strategies to communicate and inspire everyone around you. Read it and/AND apply it -- it can transform relationships!
Tipping Point
Gladwell's tipping point gave such clarity as to why change is no longer linear but indeed viral, as well as how to have awareness and insight into what are the vital ingredients required to gain momentum to 'tip' a movement. It took the mysteriousness out of the dramatic transformation changes we see all around us and suggested skills to harness new social and viral epidemics.
The Dip
Godin's simple but profound notion of strategic quitting has become part of our fabric at Proteus. When we or our clients are experiencing a Dip - a set-back on a goal that is lacking momentum - you have two simple (but not easy) options: either push through and make it happen, or be brave enough with wisdom to quit and quit quickly. Love it!
Tribes
Godin's book on modern day tribes crystallised for me that we are living in the most amazing time to create and lead a movement. We don't need permission from people to lead them, they are actually waiting for us to lead them. He opened my eyes to see all around us - groups of disconnected people (tribes) that have a yearning for something that better, that they don't have yet. So go on be a heretic - create a movement to change the world!
Rich Dad Poor Dad
I was expecting get rich quick book, but instead got a a provocative look at how my upbringing and family impacted on my attitudes and therefore behaviours to money. Personally it inspired me to be more financially active and literate and challenged many of my anchors to money. At Proteus it reinforced that having open conversations and being transparent about our finances is the way to go.
Blue Ocean Strategy
We are all familiar with the frustration of operating in a highly crowded, intensely competitive 'bloodied red ocean' market, with the difficulties in standing out and having a genuine point of difference. Blue Ocean gave the Proteus Executive the framework, with the right questions, on how to create untapped and uncontested market space and importantly why it is OK to ignore much of our competition, back yourself and go for it.
Built to Last
This golden oldie from Collins & Porras offered me perspective on the business foundations and principles to have in place to truly last well into the future. It not only gave me permission to have and to go for 'big hairy audacious goals' -- it equipped us at Proteus to embrace ambiguity and stay sane by consciously preserving our core values while simultaneously and constantly changing -- it made crazy normal!
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
Reading Sharman's classic book put the Zen back into business and my personal life. It freed me to embrace being a 'hippie in a suit', having clarity and a deeper meaning as to why we do what we do - at work and in life.
A Whole New Mind
I believe that I intuitively knew it, but Pink's book give such a compelling account of how and why the 20th century age of "left-brain directed" thinking is now giving way to a Conceptual Age where "right-brain" abilities will be most highly prized. Personally I was celebrating as I read how the future belongs to the creators, meaning makers and big picture thinkers -- now that's a place I want to play and work in!
Living the 80/20 Way
We teach leading and managing people with the 80/20 principle, but Koch's book allowed/equipped me to live my life with this principle by incorporating the 80/20 model into the fabric of my thinking and view of the world.
Screw It, Let's Do It
We all know the Richard Branson story -- but do we? Beyond the Branson hype and the Virgin empire is a man with some amazing life stories coupled with a ballsy can-do attitude. But more importantly, it's about consistently having an open eye for opportunities and taking action without fear or being distracted from other people's perceptions and negativity.
Predictably Irrational
I read with fascination as Dan Ariely, an academic and behavioural economist, conducted social experiments on his students to discover that their behaviour was not only irrational but predictably so. Rather than seeing the world from logical/rational point of view , I now look at all the craziness around me and see predicable irrational behaviour as the norm!
The Power of Now
Reading Erhard Tolle's book reminded me of the benefits and power of truly being in the moment and being conscious of what is happening to me right now. Being aware of (and laughing at) the distractions of my inner dialogue and reminding myself to check my ego at the door -- liberates me from so much unnecessary conflict and dysfunctional relationships.
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