Kenneth Burke is the vice president of marketing for Text Request, a business text messaging platform founded and headquartered in Chattanooga. He's written over 1,000 articles on business growth for outlets including "Entrepreneur" and "StartupNation." He found his way to Chattanooga through Covenant College, and describes himself as "a champion for this city and all it has to offer." He's committed to helping recruit, develop and retain local talent, and is always open to a new book recommendation.
What books have you read and recommended to others that influence your leadership style and how you've developed your career?
Nearly every book I've read has had an impact -- there's always a good nugget -- but there are five I can't stop recommending, that have made my biggest challenges seem so simple.
Angela Duckworth's "Grit" tells the data-backed story of how perseverance leads to outsized achievement. It's not about doing a lot of something, but about intentionally and consistently improving over time. My key takeaway: Passions and talents are developed, not found or given.
Simon Sinek's "The Infinite Game" shows us there's no winning in business. It's not you and your competitors playing a sport, calling it quits at the end of the season, and handing out a trophy to the best player. The goal of business is to stay in business, to keep playing the game. My key takeaway: Focus on fulfilling your long-term mission, not on your competitors' short-term gains.
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang's "Rest" is another combo of great storytelling and great research, all around being more productive by doing less. It also tells stories of how some of the most influential people did their best work during times of rest. My key takeaway: Rest is active, not passive. It's exercising, time with friends, diving into a hobby, reading a book. It is not sleeping in or lying on the couch (though that's nice sometimes, too).
Dr. Cloud and Dr. Townsend's "Boundaries" gives a faith-based approach to saying "no." You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. You have to define what is okay and what is not. The people who are happiest, healthiest, and most accomplished all have clear boundaries. My key takeaway: Be present where you are, learn your limits, and say "no" to what crosses them.
Number five, Jerry Colonna's "Reboot" talks about being a strong leader by being vulnerable. We all struggle with imposter syndrome -- thinking we aren't worthy or skilled enough. Admit it. Lean into it. It's freeing. And the personal stories here are so captivating. My key takeaway: We're all just people trying to figure it out one day at a time. That's okay.
What books have you recently read for pleasure that you're telling others about?
Oh man, these are my recent five-star "everyone needs to read them" books, in no particular order. Amor Towles's "A Gentleman in Moscow." (It's rare I give a novel five stars.) Matthew Desmond's "Evicted" (great storytelling, incredible insights of what happens to people after they're evicted). Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential." Anything by Malcolm Gladwell or Michael Lewis.
What is next on your to-read list?
What isn't! I always have an Agatha Christie or a John Grisham on deck. And in this case, an Anthony Horowitz, too -- "Moonflower Murders." On the non-fiction side, Peter Baker and Susan Glasser's "The Man Who Ran Washington," and C. S. Lewis's "Surprised by Joy." And then there are a couple that others have recommended to me, Alfred Lansing's "Endurance" and Chris Voss's "Never Split the Difference."
Should be a great fall season if I can get through them all!