The Books That Inspired Our Mentors.

In my published book, The Franchise Book of Mentors, I asked twenty three of the top executive leaders & mentors in franchising to either suggest one book that they have given as a gift to fellow executives, franchisees, or other franchisors, or one to three books that have had the most influence on their personal success oy happiness. Here are their recommendations with a brief synopsis.

Peopled by larger-than-life heroes and villains, charged with towering questions of good and evil, Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand’s magnum opus: a philosophical revolution told in the form of an action thriller — nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

McDonald’s has been a trendsetter in advertising, focusing on different demographics as well as the physically disabled. McDonald’s created McJobs, a program that employs both mentally challenged adults and senior citizens, And because its franchisees have their fingers on the pulse of the marketplace, McDonald’s has evolved successfully with the health food revolution, launching dozens of new products and moving toward environmentally safe packaging and recyclable goods. Inspiring, informative, and filled with behind-the-scenes stories, this remarkable saga offers an irresistible look inside a great American business success.

Courage to Execute: What Elite U.S. Military Units Can Teach Business About Leadership and Team Performance by James Murphy

The U.S. military possesses a culture of high performance. Murphy outlines the six basic principles that operate at the foundation of high performance, which include leadership, organization, communication, knowledge, experience, and discipline, known together as LOCKED. When all are practiced effectively, teamwork emerges. But the most elusive quality that exists at the heart of all elite military teams, the element that organizations and businesses deeply _ desire to perform more efficiently and effectively, is trust. Trust is easily spent . but hard won. Murphy shares a multitude of personal leadership stories that illustrates the principles of LOCKED. 81 all elite military teams, the element that organizations and businesses deeply desire to perform more efficiently and effectively, is trust. Trust is easily spent, but hard won. Murphy shares a multitude of personal leadership stories that illustrates the principles of LOCKED.

Differentiate or Die by Jack Trout with Steve Rivkin

Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition takes marketers to task for taking the easy route too often, employing high-tech razzle-dazzle and sleight of hand when they should be working to discover and market their product’s uniquely valuable qualities. The authors examine why some marketers succeed at differentiating themselves while others struggle and fail. The book is an in-depth exploration of today’s most successful differentiation strategies. It explains what these strategies are, where and when they should be applied, and how they can help you carve out your own image in a crowded marketplace.

Franchise Management for Dummies® by Michael Seid and Joyce Mazero

A clear and concise guide for anyone who wants to be their own boss and stand on the shoulders of franchise giants both big and small. Learn how to pick the perfect franchise for you, create marketing plans and branding for your new franchise, understand the complex legal issues surrounding franchise ownership, and uncover the secrets to continued success and expansion.

Franchising for Dummies® Michael Seid and Dave Thomas

Get all the inside insight and smart advice you need to make sure you pick the right investment opportunity and make the most of it. Written by one of the nation’s leading franchise consultants and by the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s International, this fun, friendly guide is packed with guidance from top industry professionals. It also includes handy resources, such as sample forms and agreements and a listing of government resources.

From Bad to Worse to Best in Class: A Refugee’s Success Story Hao Lam

An inspiring tale of audacity and perseverance, hardship and personal growth, Lam takes readers on his voyage from war-torn Vietnam to a new life in North America, from penniless refugee to successful businessman. Essential reading for aspiring entrepreneurs, business leaders, dedicated educators, and lifelong learners, Lam’s story is a lesson on finding the internal compass that leads to success — even when the journey there seems impossible.

Get A Grip: An Entrepreneurial Fable . . . Your Journey to Get Real, Get Simple, and Get Results by Gino Wickman and Mike Paton

This is the story of how a fictional company in a rut — Swan Services — resolves its issues by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS). With the help of EOS, the leadership team master a set of managerial tools that allow them to get traction on their business, grow the business, and deliver better results for clients. Learn how Swan Services leaders learned to develop and commit to a clear vision, establish focus, build discipline, and create a healthier and more cohesive team.

Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s by Ray Kroc

Ray Kroc’s revolutions in food service automation, franchising, shared national training and advertising have earned him a place beside the men who founded not merely businesses but entire new industries. Not your typical self-made tycoon, Kroc was 52 when he met the McDonald brothers and opened his first franchise. Meet the man behind the business legend, in his own words. Irrepressible enthusiast, perceptive people-watcher, and born storyteller, he will fascinate and inspire you.

How to Measure Anything by Douglas W. Hubbard

Anything can be measured. This bold assertion is the key to solving many 83 problems in business and life in general. Hubbard shows you how to measure those things in your business that until now you may have considered “immeasurable,” including technology ROI, organizational flexibility, customer satisfaction, and technology risk. Offering examples that will get you to attempt measurements — even when it seems impossible-this book provides you with the substantive steps for measuring anything, especially uncertainty and risk.

If You Don’t Make Waves, You’ll Drown: 10 Hard Charging Strategies for Leading in Politically Correct Times by Dave Anderson

It’s time to stop letting workplace political correctness push you around and get serious about your business. In his book, Dave Anderson doesn’t pull any punches. Offering simple wisdom and politically incorrect solutions that really work, he’s not here to inspire you, but to taunt you into action. He shows you how to be more direct without being disrespectful; how to give honest feedback even when it hurts; and how to hold employees accountable for results. In short, you’ll learn how to get the most out of your business.

Kiss Theory Good Bye by Rob Prosen

Prosen says he’s had enough of the business books that tell readers what to do rather than how. Instead, he delivers a straightforward, no-nonsense, battle proven guide to accelerate performance and profits in any organization. Kiss Theory Good Bye shows you how to quickly and consistently achieve extraordinary results in leadership, sales effectiveness, operational excellence, financial management, and customer loyalty.

Lead… for God’s Sake by Todd Gongwer

If you’ve ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in life, this book is for you. An unforgettable story packed with profound truths, LEAD … for God’s Sake! will challenge you to think deeply about who you are as a leader, what success means to you, and why you do what you do, Whether you’re leading a business, a team, or your own family, this book is the first and most important step to becoming the leader you were meant to be.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.

Nineteen Stars by Edgar Puryear

Nineteen Stars: A Study in Military Character and Leadership follows MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower and Patton through the years of their military service in both peace and war and analyzes the factors which made them the superb military leaders they were.

Positively Outrageous Service by T. Scott Gross

Written by corporate consultant and quality service expert, T. Scott Gross, the P.O.S. (Positively Outrageous Service) method for dealing with and winning customers, provides helpful guidelines on how to identify what customers really want, energize one’s employees, create customer loyalty, and more.

Prisoner’s Dilemma by William Poundstone

Should you watch public television without pledging? Hop a subway turnstile without paying? These questions illustrate the so-called “prisoner’s dilemma”, a social puzzle that we all face every day. Introduced shortly after the Soviet Union acquired the atomic bomb, the prisoner’s dilemma quickly became a popular allegory of the nuclear arms race. The book weaves together a history of pivotal phases of the cold war, and an investigation of game theory’s (a mathematical study of conflict and deception) far-reaching influence on public policy today.

Smart Questions: The Essential Strategy for Successful Managers by Dorothy Leeds

Leeds shows you how to ask for the most from your staff- and get it! Whether you manage one person or hundreds, asking the right question at the right time is one of the most valuable skills you can have. It’s what distinguishes a good manager from a great one. Learn how to enhance people productivity through motivation, turn your questions into positive action, fine tune your hiring techniques, solve problems and gain control over volatile situations, and more.

Street Smart Franchising by Joe Mathews

This straight-shooting franchise guide goes beyond the “how to” to teach potential franchisees what to expect when starting a franchise. Real life stories from the trenches illustrate how to cope with the difficulties a franchise presents. Joe reveals the personality types most likely to succeed at franchising, and identifies entrepreneurial traits that may increase risk of failure. Plus, it takes an in-depth look at the research and investigation of a franchise, something glossed over in most franchise books.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns

Goodwin View the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet. He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through. This biography is centered on Lincoln’s mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation’s history.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey

The “whirlwind” of urgent activity required to keep things running day-to-day can devour all the time and energy you need to invest in executing your strategy for tomorrow! The 4 Disciplines of Execution can change all that forever. It’s a simple, repeatable, and proven formula for executing on your most important 86 strategic priorities in the midst of the whirlwind. By following the four disciplines, leaders can produce breakthrough results, even when executing the strategy requires a significant change in behavior from their teams.

The Bible

The Bible is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures. Varying parts of the Bible are considered to be a product of divine inspiration and a record of the relationship between God and humans by Christians, Jews, Samaritans, and Rastafarians. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soulcrushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships – or, as they would say, because of them – they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. Together, they look back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering?

The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed. He then shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr

A self-help classic, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide. This seminal book has enabled millions of smokers to quit easily and enjoyably using Carr’s simple, drug-free approach.

The Effective Executive-Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker

The measure of the executive, Drucker reminds us, is the ability to “get the right things done. “This usually involves doing what other people have overlooked as well as avoiding what is unproductive. Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge may all be wasted in an executive job without the acquired habits of mind that mold them into results. Drucker identifies five practices essential to business effectiveness that can, and must, be learned.

The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon

Gordon takes readers on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals 10 secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment – at work and at home. The story is infused with keen insights and provides a powerful roadmap to overcome adversity and bring out the best in yourself and your team.

The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization by Peter Senge

In The Fifth Discipline, Senge describes how companies can rid themselves of the learning “disabilities” that threaten their productivity and success by adopting the strategies of learning organizations – ones in which new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, collective aspiration is set free, and people are continually learning how to create results they truly desire.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Lencioni once offers a leadership fable that explores the fascinating and complex world of teams. A fictional CEO faces the ultimate leadership crisis: Uniting a team in such disarray that it threatens to bring down the entire company. Will she succeed? Will she be fired? Will the company fail? Throughout the story, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why teams, even the best ones, often struggle. He outlines 88 a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team.

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown

Named one of the “Five Books That Will Actually Change Your Outlook On Life”, Brown is an inspiring guide to finding the courage to overcome paralyzing fear and self-consciousness, strengthening our connection to the world. With original research and plenty of encouragement, she explores the psychology of releasing our definitions of an “imperfect” life and embracing living authentically. Brown’s “ten guideposts” are benchmarks for authenticity that can help anyone establish a practice for a life of honest beauty— a perfectly imperfect life.

The Loyalty Effect by Fred Reichheld

The business world seems to have given up on loyalty: many major corporations now lose – and have to replace – half their customers in five years, half their employees in four, and half their investors in less than one. Reichheld shows why companies that ignore these skyrocketing defections face a dismal future of low growth, weak profits, and shortened life expectancy. He demonstrates the power of loyalty-based management as a highly profitable alternative to the economics of perpetual churn.

The Man in the Mirror: Solving the 24 Problems Men Face by Patrick Morley

The Man in the Mirror has helped thousands of men understand the person who stares back at them from the glass each morning and know what to do about his twenty-four most difficult problems. Written by a foremost Christian men’s leader, this powerful book invites men to take a probing look at their identities, relationships, finances, time, temperament, and most important, the means to bring about lasting change. The Man in the Mirror offers a penetrating, pragmatic, and life-changing look at how to trade the rat race for the rewards of godly manhood.

The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr., and Hal Burrows

When a person goes to the boss with a problem and the boss agrees to do something about it, the monkey is off his back and onto the boss’s. How can managers avoid these leaping monkeys? Three famous experts offer advice on how managers can meet their own priorities, give back other people’s monkeys, and let them solve their own problems.

The Passage of Power Robert Caro

The Passage of Power follows Lyndon Johnson through both the most frustrating and the most triumphant periods of his career – 1958 to 1964. It is a time that would see him trade the extraordinary power he had created for himself as Senate Majority Leader for what became the wretched powerlessness of a Vice President in an administration that disdained and distrusted him.

How to Measure Anything by Douglas W. Hubbard

Anything can be measured. This bold assertion is the key to solving many 83 problems in business and life in general. Hubbard shows you how to measure those things in your business that until now you may have considered “immeasurable,” including technology ROI, organizational flexibility, customer satisfaction, and technology risk. Offering examples that will get you to attempt measurements — even when it seems impossible-this book provides you with the substantive steps for measuring anything, especially uncertainty and risk.

The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield

The number one reason that stops people from getting what they want is lack of focus. People who focus on what they want, prosper. Those who don’t, struggle. Canfield offers specific focusing strategies used by the world’s most successful men and women. He suggests ways to focus on your strengths and eliminate everything that is holding you back, change bad habits into habits that will make you debt-free and wealthy, and create an excellent balance between work and family life – without guilt.

The Precious Present by Spencer Johnson, M.D.

A simple story, engagingly told, The Precious Present is a valuable gift for anyone seeking a deeper level of fulfillment and personal happiness in today’s fast-paced, competitive environment. The story demonstrates the delicate art of balancing your spiritual and material needs, and shows how this goal can be maddeningly elusive – and gloriously attainable.

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

This book will help you understand why you are alive and God’s amazing plan for you – both here and now, and for eternity. Rick Warren will guide you through a personal 40-day spiritual journey that will transform your answer to life’s most important question: What on earth am I here for? Knowing God’s purpose for creating you will reduce your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and, most importantly, prepare you for eternity. The Purpose Driven Life is a blueprint for Christian living in the 21st century – a lifestyle based on God’s eternal purposes, not cultural values.

The Radical Leap by Steve Farber

Hailed as one of the “100 Best Business Books of All Time”, Farber explores an entirely new leadership model, one in which leaders aren’t afraid to take risks, make mistakes in front of employees, or actively solicit employee feedback. His book dispenses with the typical, tired notions of what it means to be a leader. The book is geared to people at any level who aspire to change things for the better.

The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership by James C Hunter

John Daily is a businessman whose outwardly successful life is spiraling out of control. He is failing miserably in each of his leadership roles as boss, husband, father, and coach. To get his life back on track, he reluctantly attends a weeklong leadership retreat at a remote Benedictine monastery. To John’s surprise, the monk leading the seminar is a former business executive and Wall Street legend. Taking John under his wing, the monk guides him to a realization that is simple yet profound: The true foundation of leadership is not power, but authority, which is built upon relationships, love, service, and sacrifice.

The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything Stephen Covey

Covey offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in every transaction and every relationship – from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction. It specifically demonstrates how to establish trust intentionally so that you and your organization can forego the time-killing, bureaucratic check-and-balance processes that is so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Written by the co-creator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, The Success Principles helps you get from where you are to where you want to be, teaching you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, live with passion and purpose, and realize all your ambitions. Filled with memorable and inspiring stories of CEOs, world-class athletes, celebrities, and everyday people, it spells out the 64 timeless principles used by successful men and women throughout history-proven principles and strategies that can be adapted for your own life.

The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis

The Undoing Project is about a compelling collaboration between two men who have the dimensions of great literary figures. They became heroes in the university and on the battlefield – both had important careers in the Israeli military – and their research was deeply linked to their extraordinary life experiences. This story about the workings of the human mind is explored through the personalities of two fascinating individuals so fundamentally different from each other that they seem unlikely friends or colleagues. In the process they may well have changed, for good, mankind’s view of its own mind.

The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki

New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea that has profound implications: large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant. Groups are better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future. This seemingly counterintuitive notion has endless and major ramifications for how businesses operate, how knowledge is advanced, how economies are (or should be) organized, and how we live our daily lives.

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

All entrepreneurs and business leaders face similar frustrations – personnel conflict, profit woes, and inadequate growth. Decisions never seem to get made, or once made, fail to be properly implemented. But there is a solution. It’s not complicated or theoretical. The Entrepreneurial Operating System® is a practical method for achieving the business success you have always envisioned. Learn the secrets of strengthening the six key components of your business. You’ll discover simple yet powerful ways to run your company that will give you and your leadership team more focus, more growth, and more enjoyment.

Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer Wright

Every organization is composed of tribes – naturally occurring groups of between 20 and 150 people. Until now, only a few leaders could identify and develop their tribes, and those rare individuals were rewarded with loyalty, productivity, and industry-changing innovation. Tribal Leadership shows leaders how to assess, identify, and upgrade their tribes’ cultures, one stage at a time. The result is an organization that can thrive in any economy.

Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss

The authors show how, in a volatile economy where the old rules of strategic advantage no longer hold true, service must become a competitive weapon, not a damage-control function. That means weaving service tightly into every core decision your company makes. The authors reveal a transformed view of service, presenting an operating model built on tough choices organizations must make.

Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dyer

A #1 New York Times bestseller with over 35 million copies sold, Your Erroneous Zones explores the facets of our approach to life that act as barriers to success and happiness. Dyer shows how you can take charge of yourself and manage how much you will let difficult times and people affect you. Dyer also points the way to true self-reliance.