Winston S. Churchill – The Second World War Series
THE GATHERING STORM (1948)
THEIR FINEST HOUR (1949)
THE GRAND ALLIANCE (1950)
THE HINGE OF FATE (1950)
CLOSING THE RING (1951)
TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY (1953)

Every book written by Churchill, and his influence, was big on me in many ways. This opened up to me more about the significance of history than any classroom ever did. These lessons showed me you can fail a lot and still be great. His style and leadership was as influential as Tom Peters. I’ve learned that everyone longs for leadership that they can believe in and especially do so in times of great stress and danger.

Ayn Rand – “Atlas Shrugged”
A 1957 novel I was greatly influenced by while in high school. It made me think more in depth about what made the world tick and the dangers of having governments run wild. The theme of Atlas Shrugged, as Rand described it, is “the role of man’s mind in existence”. The book explores a number of philosophical themes from which Rand would subsequently develop Objectivism. In doing so, it expresses the advocacy of reason, individualism, capitalism, and the failures of governmental coercion.

Tom Peters – “In Search of Excellence: Lessons From America’s Best-Run Companies”
This author greatly influenced my ideas about running ACXIOM as well as his many books on management. It was most remembered for the introduction of the term management by walking around.  That idea caught on with me and ultimately resulted in my campus days at Acxiom.

W. Edwards Deming - “The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education”
W. Edwards Deming shares his thoughts on the changing nature of workplace management as we move away from competition and towards a more cooperative work environment. He describes the currently prevalent workplace management style as a prison and shows how a cooperative work environment can lead to better worker satisfaction and creativity.