Three Books Every Leader Should Keep Within Reach
There are three books that I believe every leader, coach, mentor, and Learning & Development professional should have available at a moment’s notice.
📘 Good to Great by Jim Collins taught me that greatness isn’t accidental. It’s built through disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action. It has been a cornerstone in how I think about leadership and organizational excellence.
📙 The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell changed the way I think about ideas, influence, and how small actions can create extraordinary change. I had the opportunity to hear Malcolm deliver a keynote years ago at what was then ASTD (now ATD), and his insights have stayed with me ever since.
Over the years, I’ve encouraged many of my team members to read both books as part of my coaching and mentoring. They generate great conversations about leadership, culture, and personal growth.
Now, I’m adding a third book to that list.
📕 When Did You Stop Caring? by Natalie Beckerman.
I’m just getting into it, but one thing already stands out: leadership isn’t just about strategy, metrics, or results. It’s about people. It’s about choosing to care, even when it’s difficult. That message resonates deeply with me.
When I have the opportunity to lead, coach, and mentor teams again, I plan to give each leader these three books. And if I can get a signed copy of Natalie’s book, even better.
The best leaders never stop learning.
And they never stop caring.
I Was Offended… Apparently I’m a Senior Now
Today, I was offended.
Not by politics.
Not by social media.
Not even by hospital cafeteria coffee.
No… I was personally attacked by kindness.
I stopped by Harris Teeter on Ben Sawyer in Mount Pleasant to grab lunch before heading to the hospital to spend time with my mom. It wasn’t exactly a gourmet feast—a sandwich, a Coke Zero, a KitKat, and yes… a chocolate chip cookie.
Before anyone starts judging my nutritional choices, remember… hospitals burn emotional calories.
I rolled up to the self-checkout and hadn’t even entered my alternate ID or scanned my first item when a very pleasant Harris Teeter employee walked over and said:
“Let me give you an additional discount.”
Now we’re talking!
I’m thinking maybe it’s Customer Appreciation Day.
Maybe they liked my smile.
Maybe they recognized my dazzling personality.
I happily started scanning each item while the self-checkout AI watched me like I was starring in CSI: Grocery Store. Every beep felt like I was proving my innocence.
Finally, I hit Pay.
That’s when I saw it.
Senior Discount.
…Excuse me?
Senior?
Who?
Me?
Are you absolutely serious?
I thought I looked pretty good for my age. Half Asian genes are supposed to buy you extra time before aging catches up. We don’t gently age—we apparently hit the wall decades later… and then gravity just wins in one spectacular weekend.
Sure, I qualify for an AARP membership.
But I always viewed that as more of a suggestion than an identity.
Now I’m wondering if I should start saying things like, “Back in my day…”
Should I begin eating dinner at 4:15?
Am I required to complain about gas prices and the weather?
Should I start carrying hard candy in my pockets?
I guess the next logical step is downloading the OurTime dating app.
Apparently, society has spoken.
On the bright side…
If someone wants to save me money because they think I’ve earned enough birthdays, who am I to argue?
I’ll take the discount.
But I’m still recovering emotionally.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go yell at some kids to stay off my lawn.
…The lawn I don’t even have.
Getting older is weird.
At least the Coke Zero was still full price.
Day #11: Three Requests, Still No Study
Day #11: Three Requests, Still No Study
Today I sent my third request for the Home Insurance Insights study referenced by Nextdoor.
Here’s the timeline:
June 15: Initial request for the full study.
June 22: Follow-up request.
Today: Third request.
As of today, it’s been 11 days since my original email.
The result?
No acknowledgment.
No explanation.
This isn’t about whether I agree or disagree with the findings.
It’s about transparency.
If a company publicly references research, it seems reasonable to expect that someone requesting the underlying methodology, demographics, and supporting information would at least receive a response.
Instead, the silence has become the story.
It also raises a broader question.
If this is how an investor is treated when requesting information referenced in a public article, what should users, local businesses, advertisers, or other shareholders expect when they have a question that needs attention?
Leadership sets expectations.
Culture determines whether those expectations are met.
At some point, a simple reply becomes less about one email and more about how an organization values communication and accountability.
If the study arrives tomorrow, I’ll gladly share that update too.
Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com.
I Asked ChatGPT What This Means for Nextdoor. The Answer Wasn’t What I Expected.
Nextdoor recently announced a partnership with the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.
Instead of immediately forming my own opinion, I asked ChatGPT to analyze this announcement:
https://blog.nextdoor.com/indagency-partner
…along with Nextdoor’s business model, public strategy, and the potential impact on users, local businesses, and investors.
The response surprised me.
Yes, there were positives.
More advertising revenue.
More opportunities for independent insurance agencies.
Potentially better monetization.
But the majority of the analysis focused on the risks.
Local businesses could face increasing pressure to pay for visibility instead of earning it organically.
Neighbors may experience a platform that feels more like an advertising marketplace than a community.
Investors could see additional revenue without meaningful improvements in engagement or long-term loyalty.
More partnerships don’t automatically create more trust or stronger neighborhoods.
The core question remains: Does each new partnership improve the user experience, or does it primarily expand advertising opportunities?
One observation stood out to me.
ChatGPT didn’t focus on technology. It focused on behavior.
AI analyzed incentives, relationships, engagement patterns, and the gap between the company’s public messaging and the experience users may have on the platform.
Technology can generate revenue.
Behavior determines whether people return.
I’d love to hear your thoughts after reading the announcement and discussing its potential impact.
Verified… But Not My Address? The Experiment Continues
One of the selling points of Nextdoor has always been that it’s built on verified addresses. The idea is simple: verify where people live so neighborhood conversations are more trustworthy.
Well… apparently I’m on Nextdoor with a “verified” address.
The only problem?
It isn’t my address.
Way to go.
Yes, before anyone asks, I know I’m trolling a little. Sometimes the best way to understand a system is to test where it breaks.
Then I looked at the post itself and had another question.
How did this post make it through?
From my perspective, it doesn’t appear to provide neighborhood information, alert residents to a local issue, or recommend a small local business. Those are the kinds of posts many users associate with Nextdoor’s purpose.
So why was this one allowed?
It made me wonder whether this is simply another example of inconsistent moderation—or whether the author happened to receive different treatment. I don’t know the answer, but it’s a question that comes to mind when people describe uneven moderation experiences.
By the way, this is now Day #11 since I requested the full insurance study from Jacob Chavis.
Still no study.
Still no acknowledgment.
At this point, the silence is becoming just as interesting as the request itself.
I’m being facetious, of course.
For a company whose mission is connecting neighborhoods, it’s fascinating when the platform can’t consistently demonstrate one of its foundational promises while simultaneously promoting itself as the place for trusted local conversations.
This isn’t about one address or one post.
It’s about whether the systems behind the scenes consistently deliver on the promises made in front of the camera.
The experiment continues.
Stay tuned.
I’m sure there will be more “neighborly” discoveries ahead.