On our leadership and business reading list is:
(ALSO! see attached white papers at the bottom of this page)
A Message to Garcia- Hubbard
First Break All the Rules- Buckingham/Coffman
Execution- Bossidy/Charan
Lincoln on Leadership- Phillips
The Tipping Point- Gladwell
Ender's Game- Card
The Sales Manager's Handbook- Ellers
Good to Great- Collins
Wikinomics- Tapscott/Williams

Add to this list, with a brief explanation, if you would.

1. Here is a great read....Harvard Business Review, March 2005. What Great Managers Do. By Marcus Buckingham. Here is the link to the newest issue http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/index.jsp?_requestid=1910. you are on your own after that, it is a paid subscription.

pat lincoln

2. Here's a link to the text of "Message to Garcia:" http://www.birdsnest.com/garcia.htm If you want to read Rowan's (the man who delivered the message) version of the story, go to http://www.foundationsmag.com/rowan.html
EarthPig

3. GOOGLE and read about John ("40 second") Boyd's OODA Loop...it is not as heralded as Deming's PDCA: PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT, but makes good sense in the business world, the athletics world and of course the military world. OODA stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act..it is intended to break down the intuitive process of driving the fight. Take and keep the offensive by orienting and acting quicker, thus keeping your adversary in the OBSERVATION "O" of the OODA loop. There is not a terrible amount of information out there on Boyd or the OODA Loop, but it is a worthwhile philosophy to embrace and project. This is especially helpful and germane to product and retail sales battlefields that are out there today...Target v WalMart, McDonalds v BK, AE v AF, Coke v Pepsi...etc. OODA Loop gives more depth to the MOOSEMUSS principle of war (GOOGLE that, too...MOOSEMUSS): OFFENSIVE. Look it up.
SpartanTrainer

4. See the white papers and articles attached below and saved in pdf format.
Boom

5. Check out BizBatt's blog...not attended to quite enough, but there is still some pretty good stuff on it. It is called When the Smoke Clears URL= www.businessbattlefield.blogspot.com
Boom

6. Michael Porter's Competitive Strategy is concerned with leadership as such; however, it offers a compelling framework with which business leaders can analyze their competitive situations. I found it an outstanding bridge between my USMC experience and the business world.
EarthPig

7.To align with the Earthen Piglet....see this "Nickols on Porter" weblink http://home.att.net/~nickols/competitive_strategy_basics.htm
Boom-let

8. A good book on STRATEGY, both for business and the military:
Winning in Fast Time by John Warden
SparTrx

9. Suggest one to Google MOOSEMUSS, as I mentioned earlier, and read about it. Interesting blog entries using the term. Stands for the 9 Principles of War...which have robust non-military application, as well. Here they are:
Mass, Objective, Offensive, Security, Economy of Force, Maneuver, Unity of Command, Surprise, Simplicity
SparTrx

10. Strategic Navigation by Dettmer Good reference book for strategic development
C-board

11. Groups Perform Better Than the Best Individuals

Working with a group or team will enhance the problem solving ability of organisations. This article from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology is confirming this. The article also claims that the optimum group size is 3. A further increase of the number of participants of a group is not further increasing the problem solving capability. Here are the conclusions of this study: link to article

12. OODA Loop and Fast Company
To read more reference mat'l on the venerable John Boyd and his OODA Loop...here is Fast Company on the OODA Loop...
Enjoy and let it inspire...anybody can do it!
SparTrx