What they’re reading now

Real estate pros share picks for books on leadership skills, boxing and raising a global citizen

Dan Marks
Partner, TerraCRG

What are you reading right now?

“Extreme Ownership,” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, two former U.S. Navy Seals. Each chapter is about an experience they had while serving, the principle they learned from that experience and the business application of that principle. They now do corporate trainings.

What spurred you to read that book?

A former classmate of mine from business school was visiting New York a few weeks ago and recommended it when I told her I had recently become a partner [at TerraCRG] and was leading a growing sales team. I’ve highlighted a bunch of sections of the book and circulated it to the leadership team at TerraCRG. It’s an easy read, the stories are compelling and it has a practical application to everyday and professional life.

Has anything you read in it stuck with you?

The thrust of the book is that the leader of any team is ultimately responsible for that team, from the smallest decisions to the largest. Once you begin to take “extreme ownership,” that’s when you start seeing results. In my world, we have a number of listings that we’re working on, a number of properties that we’re evaluating and a number of issues we are dealing with at a given time. You can’t ignore any of these things, but you do need to pick some things to prioritize over others.

Michael Bivona
Executive Managing Director, Victory Capital

What are you reading right now?

“The Professional,” by W.C. Heinz. The book was written in 1958 and may be one of the greatest sports novels written. Heinz takes you on the journey of a fighter training for his championship opportunity with all these great characters: the boxers, trainers and corrupt promoters who make up any sport or industry.

What spurred you to read that book?

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This book has come up three or four times in the past few months. Finally, I was watching an interview with Amy Schumer in which she mentioned “The Professional.” Schumer was talking about how it inspired her to work harder, stay more focused, both when she is performing and when she is preparing.

Has anything you read in it stuck with you? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes. The book transcends sports. It’s about the fight everyone fights every day in their life to get better. It is about the day-to-day. Doing the everyday task efficiently. Having discipline and patience is what separates an amateur from a professional, from a champion.

James Cox Jr.
Head of the Cox+Co team, Compass

What book are you reading?

“Growing up Global: Raising Children to Be at Home in the World,” by Homa Tavangar.

What spurred you to read that book?

My two-year-old daughter speaks English and Spanish and will start attending a French school in the fall. I work globally and travel regularly to represent our properties overseas. It is very important to me that my daughter grows up with a global perspective and that she is able to use her multiple languages in meaningful ways to her. This book is about preparing our children to succeed as global citizens. 

Has anything you’ve read in it stuck with you? Would you recommend it?

This book reinforced the notion that positive experiences with the world’s cultures enhance our lives. The author talks about making world citizenship a foundational family value. I want my daughter to love, respect and appreciate the people of cultures of the places we visit. I highly recommend this to parents.