Four Things You Should Read

How Will You Measure Your Life

About six years ago, a former colleague and mentor suggested I read this book by the late Clayton Christensen. I struggled with the longer-term vision for my career, and the recommendation was timely.

Broadly speaking, How Will You Measure Your Life is about identifying your purpose and ensuring your actions are consistent with the pursuit of it.

I frequently recommend this book because it addresses aspects of life that affect us all.

The earlier in your career, you read this book, the better. In fact, I have gifted this book to high school and college graduates frequently since I first read it.

It’s also a book I’ve read more than once. Anytime I’m faced with a big decision, I try to reference specific aspects discussed in this book.

I try hard to make sure my decisions are consistent with my purpose and values and not driven by my ego or, maybe worse, other people's expectations.

How To Do Great Work

Essay from Paul Graham

Yes, another reference to Paul Graham. This is an essay, but it’s longer than some books. And it’s not a quick or easy read. Still, it’s worth checking out.

Two important themes in this essay are to be deliberate in choosing what you work on and who you work with.

Hard work is required. But you can work hard on the wrong thing and won’t achieve the desired outcome. You must choose to work on something that you’re good at, and that will drive enduring curiosity.

And I couldn’t agree more with his thought that you want to work with the right people. As he puts it, “seek out the best colleagues.”

Graham also writes that you should avoid distractions. To me, this somewhat conflicts with his suggestion to be curious. However, I think his point is to commit to what you will work on, then be curious and avoid distractions. It must occur in that order. And your curiosity should be focused if that makes sense.

Another great quote from his essay is, “Being prolific is underrated.”

Most people who gravitate to Medical Affairs are analytical and appreciate the structure and process that science demands. And being prolific probably means failing at some things. You need to be okay with that, constantly experimenting with new ideas and approaches to your work.

How To Win Friends and Influence People

As with most jobs, there is an art and a science to Medical Affairs.

How To Win Friends & Influence People is a classic self-help book that was written nearly a century ago. Needless to say, the contents are timeless, and millions have read it.

The concepts described in this book are pretty simple. That said, based on my everyday interactions with Medical Affairs professionals, not everyone has read this book.

Ultimately, this book will help improve your social interactions in pretty much any setting. If you want to be successful, you must be aware of the lessons discussed in this text.

Don’t be misled by the word “influence” being in the title. That word has a specific connotation that isn’t typically positive.

Borrowing from some of the lessons in the book, if you show interest in others, are a good listener, and ask good questions, you’re destined for success. It’s really not that hard.

Linchpin

There’s a chance some of you have read one of the other books I recommended, but I’m guessing Linchpin isn’t on your radar.

Honestly, this is one of my favorite books. Seth Godin is a master at his craft. This book is filled with hundreds of brief stories that are seemingly unrelated. Yet, he has a purpose, and they all make specific points.

The book has dozens of anecdotes illustrating what it means to be indispensable. Essentially, knowledge alone isn’t sufficient. How you leverage your knowledge and expertise makes you a Linchpin.

Godin suggests that we should not give in to our Lizard Brain, which seeks safety and makes us mediocre. He suggests we should be innovative and not just do what average people do.

Most organizations have Linchpins. Maybe they’re not called that, but you know who they are. If you don’t know who they are, you notice when they leave.

“Wikipedia and the shared knowledge of the Internet make domain knowledge on its own worth significantly less than it used to be. Today, if all you have to offer is that you know a lot of reference book information, you lose, because the Internet knows more than you do. Depth of knowledge combined with good judgment is worth a lot. Depth of knowledge combined with diagnostic skills or nuanced insight is worth a lot, too….Depth of knowledge is rarely sufficient, all by itself, to turn someone into a linchpin.”

The quote above is highlighted in my copy of the book. I’ve read it multiple times, and it has aged very well through the years. Replace Wikipedia with AI and/or ChatGPT, and it’s even more impactful.

Be a Linchpin, and you’ll be successful.