Golden Nuggets: A Practitioner’s Reflections on Leadership, Management and Life by Dr. Raymond A. Shulstad. Xlibris, 2012, 182 pp.
In Golden Nuggets, Dr. Raymond A. Shulstad identifies performance, professionalism, and professional development as essential to a successful career. Because the path to that objective, however, can present many twists and turns, one must distinguish between the theoretical and practical aspects of those three elements. The author, who retired from the US Air Force as a brigadier general, highlights a number of these struggles in his book as well as ways of overcoming them.
Specifically, Dr. Shulstad presents 31 noteworthy principles and practices essential to leadership, management, and personal endeavors. He does so by dividing the book into sections, each one including stand-alone vignettes that address the aforementioned disciplines. Taken collectively, these sketches provide a multifaceted view of the topics, or, if the reader so desires, he or she may easily explore only those that hold the most appeal. Readers should find especially interesting the author’s own vignette, which offers his personal reflections on leadership and management.
Gratifyingly, Golden Nuggets is written in such a way that one can readily follow Dr. Shulstad’s reasoning on various topics. Furthermore, his use of plain, straightforward language facilitates the reader’s understanding of the author’s practical insights into leadership, management, and a successful career. Indeed, after all is said and done, one wishes for more pages to read. I highly recommend this book to all career-minded professionals. Learning from Dr. Shulstad’s experiences is not only enjoyable but also essential to advancement in today’s competitive world.
Dr. Amir S. Gohardani
Stockholm, Sweden