BOOK CLUBS FOR LEADERS

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Book clubs provide excellent venues for continuing professional development. They are interactive forums for examining new ideas, discussing concepts, prognosticating outcomes, and sharing ways to apply the lessons of others within an organization. 

Book clubs meet for six months, and participants read a new book each month. Facilitated group discussion occurs via conference call once a month.

Joining a NISH Book Club

A maximum of 20 participants may join each club. To join, watch Workplace and the NISH Web site (www.nish.org) for schedule and registration announcements throughout the year.

NISH offers two book clubs, including the Advanced Leaders Book Club and the Emerging Leaders Book Club. The Advanced Leaders group is appropriate for CEOs, executive directors, and other upper-level management staff. It focuses on organizational leadership.

The Emerging Leaders group focuses on issues of interest to aspiring executives and is appropriate for managers seeking new leadership skills.

NOTE THE NEW BOOK PURCHASE POLICY: Unlike prior sessions, books will be purchased by participants. Reimbursements for purchase of books (to include ground shipping and handling only) will be made after each six-month book club cycle. In addition, participants will only be reimbursed for books for which they attended the conference call on that book. Participants must purchase soft cover books unless pre-approved by NISH for hard cover books. Training vouchers may not be applied to the purchase of books.

Participants shall submit a book club expense report along with original receipts within 30 days of the last book club cycle call to:

Training Manager
8401 Old Courthouse Road
Vienna, VA

The book club expense report is available at www.nish.org > Training Page > NISH Book Club. Please contact Lorraine Chan, Training Manager, at lchan@nish.org or 571-226-4573 if you have any questions.

Reading List

NISH book club reading lists focus on leadership and management topics authored by nationally prominent business leaders and analysts. Titles for the Advanced Leaders Book Club include:

• The Wisdom of Crowds
  by James Surowiecki
• Built to Last
  by James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras
• Leading Without Power
  by Max DePree
• The Three Signs of A Miserable Job
  by Patrick M. Lencioni
• The 8th Habit
  by Stephen R. Covey
• The Ultimate Question
  by Fred Reichheld

The Emerging Leaders book list focuses on developing personal leadership skills and include:

• The Servant Leader
  by James A. Autry
• My Iceberg’s Melting
  by John Kotter and Jolger Rathgeber
• Influence without Authority
  by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford
• Nonprofit Stewardship
  by Peter C. Brinckerhoff
• The Speed of Trust
  by Stephen MR Covey and Rebecca R. Merrill
• My Way or the Highway
  by Harry Chambers

How to Start Your Own Book Club

NISH encourages individuals to start their own book clubs by sharing ideas with colleagues and canvassing hallways for co-workers eager to participate. Book clubs can help sift through the myriad resources available in print that may address topics of concern to an organization, and identify issues of interest within a work group or department. Those interested in starting a book club are encouraged to solicit input from potential club members and confirm their general interest. Consider:

• What areas do interested club members seek new knowledge, improvement or changes?
• What areas of professional or business development are of interest to everyone?
• What are the personal and/or organizational goals that a book club may help satisfy?

Where to Find Books