I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell and recently finished his newest book, What the Dog Saw. This book is a sampling of Gladwell's work from the The New Yorker and is interesting and entertaining as it explores a variety of subjects and people. From mustard and ketchup to the inventor of birth control to the collapse of Enron; I was fascinated (as usual) by Gladwell's unique combination of facts and story-telling.
My favorite Gladwell book is The Tipping Point. If you haven't read this one, I strongly recommend it (good reading for a holiday weekend :) And if you already own The Tipping Point, take a few minutes to re-read section two, The Law of the Few: Connectors, Maven, and Salesmen. The implications of this to your business are amazing.
In my training, I often talk about the importance of having "Connectors" in your sphere of influence. You can build a strong referral-based business with just a few strong connectors. Top producing loan officers, on the other hand, are often a combination of Salesman, Mavens (means someone who accumulates knowledge) and Connectors. I found great insight into these characteristics in the book and recommend loan officers work to improve in all areas.
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