A highly entertaining and informative book based on six universal principles of persuasion. Cialdini uses a wide range of examples and research to show how people can be motivated to change their thinking or behaviour. I particularly like the anecdotes that prove how some of his principles – such as social proof and reciprocity – work. A must for business owners and anyone who needs to sell ideas or products – as well as helping to encourage all of us to be wiser consumers!

A highly recommended foundation text for anyone wanting to improve themselves and their businesses. Covey provides a powerful and thought-provoking guide to taking control of your life. By helping you to understand the core principles for managing yourself and your interactions with others, he provides you with the quickest and safest path to success.

This book is packed with practical ideas and tools to help you whether you are leading a large re-organisation or implementing a small change within your team. I really like the Harvard Business Essentials range for its ‘down to earth’ approach and instantly usable information – and this book is no exception. In the early chapters, you are encouraged to explore the various types of change and to identify the key steps in making it a success. I particularly like the focus on the ‘people’ aspects of the change. The chapter on ‘helping people to adapt’ not only includes straightforward advice on dealing with the emotional side of change, but also gives advice on how to help individuals to help themselves. A ‘must’ for leaders of all levels who need to make change a success in their organisations

In this simple, easy-to-read book, Ken Blanchard uses a conversational style to cleverly illustrate different leadership styles and how to apply them. Situational Leadership - the principle of adapting your style to suit different situations and to accommodate the various developmental stages of team members - is illustrated through a range of scenarios which also link in his theory of the ‘one-minute manager’(from his original management book). Situational Leadership is now a foundation model used in management training world-wide, and I would recommend any manager – experienced or newly appointed – to read this book and use it to reflect and improve on their own management practice.