Note from Art: My blogging patterns tend to change with the seasons, and now that summer has faded nicely into fall and I’m no longer migrating Up North every Friday, it’s time to bring back the Week in Review posts. Every week (ok, that’s not a promise, but an aspiration), I’ll offer a few articles/posts and an occasional book suggestion, that I believe are worth sharing and worth thinking about and even acting on in our lives. The topics will be eclectic with a slight emphasis on management and leadership. Enjoy!

-Speaking of eclectic, here’s an outstanding essay entitled: “My Years in the Wilderness” from author, Steven Pressfield, that stopped me in my tracks. Pressfield’s historical fiction is remarkable, and I truly love his content on “The War of Art,” applicable to anyone who is striving to achieve something and laboring to fend of what Pressfield describes as, “resistance.” This is another extremely personal essay on “The War of Art,” and while the emphasis is on the struggle to write, the message is broadly applicable to all of our endeavors to create and achieve.

-Jesse Lyn Stoner writing at Harvard Blogs offers us, “Diagnose and Cure Team Drift.” We’ve all been participants in teams or committees that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Jesse offers us some tools to recognize and deal with the drift. As an aside, if you’ve not checked out Jesse’s work with Ken Blanchard, “Full Steam Ahead, 2nd edition,” you’ve missed the best book I’ve yet encountered on this often abstract topic. Jesse and Ken make it real and practical. (Also, check out my podcast with Jesse!)

-A Book Selection: Beyond Performance, by Scott Keller and Colin Price. This is a research-based book offering some fresh thinking on what it takes to create and sustain high performance over time. While this topic is the equivalent of the search for a unified theory of everything to business researchers and consultants, for the first time in a few decades, I’m optimistic that there’s a work-product here that moves us closer. The concept of Organizational Health, backed by a decade’s worth of research, offers some compelling and actionable ideas and a lot of evidence. As much as I love Jim Collins, I’ve been looking for something to fill that empty gap on my bookshelf,  left by my disposal of Good to Great.

-From Tanveer Naseer, a thoughtful and thought-provoking piece on, “What Does the World Really Need from Today’s Leaders?” Tanveer raises some important issues in a world that is seemingly begging for effective leaders and leadership. This merits consideration and discussion, and Tanveer’s mini-manifesto here is a great place to start. Visit for the essay and stay for his consistently great content.

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More than 80 quick reads filled with ideas to lead teams, manage yourself, survive the tough days and generally improve your performance and success as a professional. This book is ideal for motivated professionals and it is particularly powerful for teams and leadership and performance discussion groups. Take advantage of my group book promotion while it lasts!

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About Art Petty:

Art Petty is a Leadership & Career Coach and Strategy Consultant, helping motivated professionals of all levels achieve their potential. In addition to working with highly motivated professionals, Art frequently works with project teams in pursuit of high performance. Art’s second book (an edited, annotated collection of the most popular leadership essays), Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development, was released at the end of September in 2011.

Contact Art via e-mail to discuss a coaching, workshop or speaking engagement.