Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall which is a great general business book aimed at leaders, but it offers valuable insights for individual contributors as well. While the book is of reasonable length, I believe it could have been shortened further.

The following lies/truths stood out for me:

Lie #1: People care which company they work for. Truth: People care which team they are on. My takeaway(s): When looking for a new job, it is much harder to “pre-evaluate” a team than a company, so be careful before leaving a good team.

Lie #2: The best plan wins. Truth: The best intelligence wins. My takeaway(s): You can succeed as analytics professional by providing high-quality and timely insights to leaders and operational employees.

Lie #4: The best people are well-rounded. Truth: The best people are spiky. My takeaway(s): Instead of trying to fix your weaknesses, lean into your strengths. Fixing your weaknesses will only make you average, while honing your strengths will make you great. A strength is not only something that you are good at, but something that strengthens you. Leaders should identify and leverage the strengths of their people instead of trying to fix their weaknesses or make them conform to a standard profile.

Lie #5: People need feedback. Truth: People need attention. My takeaway(s): Focus on positive reinforcement and have regular one-on-one meetings (”bilats” in government jargon) with employees. As a manager, your "span of control" is the number of employees you can have regular one-on-ones with.

Lie #9: Leadership is a thing. Truth: We follow spikes. My takeaway(s): Leadership is not a generic skill or trait that can be taught or measured. A leader is only a leader if they attract and retain followers. People’s reasons for following a leader will depend on the leader’s distinctive qualities as well the unique context of the situation. To succeed as a leader, cultivate your strengths, such as vision, charisma, expertise, or courage, and use them to inspire others.