He’s no Oprah, but he does have his own book club. Consider the following recommended reading from John Michaels, the owner of Michaels Jewelers in Waterbury, Conn., who holds special meetings for company execs where each one has reading assignments. “I assign each manager a couple chapters, and then they explain to their colleagues what they thought it was about,” he says. The goal is to focus on the behavior modification highlighted in the book and to apply lessons learned to the job. Have questions about any of these books? Call any one of Michaels Jewelers store managers; they’ve read them all.

• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins

• Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, by Al Ries and Jack Trout

• Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal With Change in Your Work and in Your Life, by Spencer Johnson, Kenneth H. Blanchard (Foreward)

• Coaching for Performance: Growing People, Performance, and Purpose, by John Whitmore