Our local daily newspaper runs a feature in the book section each Saturday asking local personalities and community leaders what they’re reading. Here’s what ran in The Record on the same day as the world famous Elmira Maple Syrup Festival (the little town of Elmira, ON swells in size by ten times for this event each year)!

WHAT THEY’RE READING

Jim Clemmer

Jim Clemmer of Kitchener heads The Clemmer Group, which offers management leadership training. He is currently reading:

BUILT TO CHANGE: HOW TO ACHIEVE ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

by Edward Lawler III and Christopher Worley (Wiley, 352 pages, $38.99 hardcover)

“Both authors research and teach at the University of Southern California’s Centre for Effective Organizations. This excellent book pulls together best practices and research on how highly effective organizations stay that way by fostering continuous change. It’s not enough to “manage change” (which I believe is an oxymoron). Strong leaders build organizational cultures of continuous improvement, growth, and development.

“I am always looking for material like this to further illustrate and reinforce my practical leadership keynote presentations, workshops, and ongoing consulting work with organizations here in North America and abroad.

“My favorite lounging around the house sweatshirt reads ‘So many books and so little time.’ That expresses my feelings about both reading all the books I’d like to read and writing all the books I still want to write.

“I am currently writing my sixth book. With a working title of Moose-on-the-Table: Courageous Conversations in the Workplace, this is my first ‘business fable’ using a fictional story to address the widespread problem of people avoiding or dancing around important workplace issues that everyone knows exist, but no one is talking about.”