There were a number of books throughout my life that influenced me greatly. These books created change in how I acted, performed, thought or lived my life. I will list and describe their influence periodically in this blog.
The first book changed how I viewed my career and relationship with my job and employer.
The Way of the Ronin by Beverly Potter seemed ahead of its time when I read it in the early 90's. It wasn't a book aimed at employees who wanted to climb the corporate ladder or learn how to find security in their jobs.
Potter correctly pointed out there was no security working for a company. There necessarily wasn't security in what you did for a living either.
The book changed how I viewed my relationship with my job, my employer and the people I worked for. In my 30+ years of working, I had been downsized and fired five times. Today I view myself as a "hired gun" similar to how the ronin was perceived in feudal times.
I don't have a job; I have projects or assignments. I work "with" people, not "for" them.
Potter's book promoted my image as a "free agent" not an employee.
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