Unwind with a Book: FSI Members’ Must Reads

Summer is here, and whether you’re on vacation or taking some time off at home, it is the perfect time to sit down and relax with a book.

We asked FSI members to recommend what we should read this summer. From books that have helped their careers to ones that they have enjoyed reading in their downtime, here is what they said:

Anthony Bueti, Senior Vice President, Operations and Service, Lincoln Investment

Professional Pick: The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. I received this book from a new boss when changing firms 15 years ago, and some of the lessons were instrumental in my early success. I have found it useful/relevant when taking on new responsibilities or large projects, and it has also helped me coach new leaders within my organization. 

Personal Favorite: The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni. He has written a lot of good books (5 Dysfunctions of a Team is great), but this one hit home as I was recently working through some organizational changes. It really helped to explain how leaders can get disenfranchised if they are in a role that doesn’t tap into things they do well or like doing (their “Genius”). It helped to provide some insight into how to get the most out of your leadership team and when to have hard conversations when things are not going well.

Jamie Price, President & CEO, Osaic

Personal Favorites: One Life Solution by Dr. Henry Cloud. In a world of endless communication where work becomes life, particularly living in a post-pandemic hybrid world, how do busy executives and entrepreneurs choose to be successful and happy.

The Fourth Quarter of Your Life by Adam Hunt and Mathew Kelly. A quick read about how to make life count and embrace what matters most to you.

Mary Steele, Managing Partner, Freehold Wealth Management

Professional Pick: The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and with Douglas Abrams. It’s a beautiful product from two insightful leaders on cultivating joy in your life. A financial advisor knows that the most important part of your job is your relationship with your clients and developing trust. While this is not a finance book or even remotely related to my professional responsibilities to my clients, it impacted my relationship with myself and the world around me. Being a joyful and calming presence in my relationships with clients has served me well and allowed me to be centered in what matters most during moments of urgency in my clients’ lives and my professional life.

Personal Favorite: I have two children, ages 4 and 6, so reading is not always something I have dedicated much towards in the evenings. However, I have been determined to make more time for it over the past couple of years. I thoroughly enjoyed Horse by Geraldine Brooks. I grew up riding horses, and I still do when time permits. I always enjoy a book when horses are well-researched and featured in a novel. It is easy to spot an author who hasn’t done their research, and this one was impeccably written in all things equine-related and based on a true story. It spans three moments in American history that intertwine struggle, racism and relationships, and it kept me wishing for more time in the evening to find out what happens next.

Dale Brown, President and CEO, Financial Services Institute

Personal Favorites: I cannot narrow down to only one book that has benefitted me most in my professional life, so I’ll offer a category – biographies. Reading other people’s stories taught me how to be a better leader and team member. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta. Tim’s book helped me understand the why behind so much of the division in our country that is also seeping into families and churches. I will cheat and recommend a second book: All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore. Beth’s story of growing up in a small Southern Baptist Church in a rural community resonates with some of my experiences, and she is a great storyteller.