2 Must-Read Books, According to Westchester CEOs

Adobe Stock | Dmitry

We asked two prominent, local CEOs which books shaped their approach to business in Westchester. Here’s what they had to say.

By Leslie Kahan Photography

Richard Nightingale

President & CEO, Westhab Inc.

Uncommon Service by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss is a good one. Most business concepts, but not all, apply to the nonprofit sector, and this book definitely has application for every company and organization. Its tagline, “How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business,” is a universal concept. Regardless of the goods or services an entity delivers, we all need to understand what our customers, clients, and tenants need and want, and then design systems to deliver that efficiently. Westhab strives to put our clients and tenants at the center of our work so that we can deliver exemplary and uncommon service.

Uncommon Service book
Courtesy of Harvard Business Review Press
Irene Amato
By Toshi Tasaki

Irene Amato

Founder & CEO A.S.A.P. Mortgage Corp.

Most books written about business teach you how to be successful, competitive, and focused on the prize. Very few combine that with core values, principles, and remaining true to who you are. So, one of my favorite and most impressionable reads is The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. This is my go-to book; I keep it on my nightstand, and I even keep one in the glove compartment of my car. I read it if I’m being challenged with a difficult decision at work, with an employee, my competition, or if I’m simply feeling overwhelmed as a CEO or human being. This book motivates and grounds me. It reminds me of what’s important no matter what the situation is, whether it be business or life. The Four Agreements applies to just about everything. It continues to keep me working on myself, which inevitably makes me a better CEO and a better human being.

The Four Agreements Book
The Four Agreements 1997, Miguel Angel Ruiz MD, and Janet Mills, Illustration by Nicholas Wilton

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