An Envious Library of Books
My dirty little secret is that I am a book hoarder. Amazon is my go-to place for impulsive orders to collect literature. Every Saturday, we receive the Wall Street Journal which lists the top books by fiction, non-fiction, and business. Systematically I go through the list to investigate the topics which might be of interest. Although I lean toward non-fiction, The Traveler’s Gift and Where the Crawdads Sing are amongst my favorite in the fiction category. Completely out of my typical genre is The Name of the Wind, recommended by my son, which turned out to be thoroughly captivating. My sister also wrote a book, The Scent of Death, historical fiction, which I couldn’t put down and read in one sitting. Without going into details about fictional best sellers, I will focus my recommendations by subject to include business books, family business books, books teaching values and books created by a family member.
Every family business member should read the book From Good to Great, a must read for anyone in a leadership position. It describes how good companies, mediocre companies, and even bad companies can achieve enduring greatness. Getting the right people on the metaphorical bus to go in the right direction. After listening to the author present his book, Excellence Wins, I added it to the list of business books for all people involved in customer service. The author, Horst Schulze created a culture of service at the Ritz Carlton that should be a model for all of us. By committing to the highest standards of professionalism he created the right systems to achieve customer service success.
Specifically for family businesses, I recommend the Family Council Handbook. This practical manual will guide business families on how to manage their family governance itself and how it relates to their business. To develop a Family Business Family Strategy, I recommend Leaving a Legacy that Lasts. The lessons from the book can change the outcome for families who haven’t yet thoughtfully considered what needs to be done to be successful in pursuit of what matters most to them and to perpetuate their legacy for many generations. Family Business Succession helps to prepare for passing the family business on to the next generation. Leaders will learn how to create a succession plan; how to develop opportunities for succession candidates; how to build consensus with the family and leaders on succession plans and finally leaders will learn when and how to let go of their own role in the business.
There are books, however, that facilitate teaching our values either in the onboarding process or to the next generation. Our family council has some books that are required reading such as Make Your Bed which is based on a navy seal commencement speech. The premise of the story is if you want to change the world, start by making your bed. Teaching children about generosity could come from reading The Giving Tree or One Hen which tells how giving a little can make a big difference.
Some books might be created by a family member to document a life or leave behind a story for future generations. My husband’s grandfather, described as a Renaissance Man, wrote his autobiography, Robert H. Hoge. A fascinating story about running away from home then evolving into a blacksmith, engineer, artist and writer. My book, Thoughts on This and That, captures the antics of our three active boys and their adventures into adulthood while learning the life lessons and core values of the family. In the works with my sisters is a book about the Marshmallow Tree that my dad grew in his backyard garden. It portrays the magic of childhood and growing together by working together.
These only touch on a few books in the Belle-Hampton library. Some additional books are historic in nature, dating back to the early 1800’s. Others are for research into the stories of those buried in the Hoge/Howe family graveyard. Many book recommendations can be seen on the Belle-Hampton website, but I am always looking for more good books to read. What is your book recommendation and why?
