Guest Author Blog by Lawrence Cunningham, co-author of "The AIG Story."

Beginning in the late 1960s, Hank Greenberg and a small group of international insurance executives revolutionized the insurance industry and laid the groundwork for globalization. They did this by building a business known for decades abroad as an American icon. In the past few years, the company has come to be seen in the United States as a villain: American International Group, Inc.

Greenberg and what he calls a "band of brothers"—Buck Freeman, Jimmy Manton, John Roberts, Ernie Stempel—built AIG by forging relationships with leaders in business and government worldwide, opening new international markets, investing in developing countries and recruiting the most dedicated workforce in business.

Stanley McChrystal, the retired four-star general who was the commanding officer of coalition forces in Afghanistan, offers battle-tested leadership lessons for the C-Suite in his long-awaited new book, "My Share of the Task: A Memoir."

It's not the story he thought he would tell – at least not now.

Over the course of a few years in the first decade of the 21st century, General David Petraeus and a small group of fellow soldier-scholars revolutionized one of the world's largest, oldest, and most hidebound institutions—the U.S. Army.

They did it through cunning and manipulation worthy of Machiavelli.

It also helped that the Army was undergoing its deepest crisis in a generation, caught in the Iraq war's quagmire. Petraeus & Co. offered a recipe for success; Washington was desperate enough to take a chance.

Guest Author Blog by Laura Vanderkam is the author of "What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend: A Short Guide to Making the Most of Your Days Off."

When we think of successful people, we often picture what they do during the work week. But have you ever wondered how such folks can conjure up enough energy to conquer the world Monday through Friday?

Here's the secret: It may be because they're using their weekends well.

Successful people know that to get great things done during the week, you need to be as mindful of how you use your days off as how you use your days on.

GUEST AUTHOR BLOG by Greg Cootsona, author of "The Time for Yes: Enjoying What's Best in Life, Work, and Love."

"My New Year's Resolution: Finding the Right Rhythm."

This will be a special new year for me. With a December 31 birthday, I'll start 2013 as a newly minted 50 year old.

That marker has given me both pause and resolve to live a successful life. And here's what I've discovered: Success is grooving with the right rhythm of Yeses and Nos. A successful 2013 is not simply saying Yes to a series of new resolutions.

GUEST AUTHOR BLOG: by Erika Andersen author of "Leading So People Will Follow."

Why do we love stories so much?

Even as adults, when we hear that magic phrase, Once upon a time, something in us sits up and starts to listen.

Stories have played an essential role throughout human history. Until the past few hundred years, few people could read or write. Any information or knowledge key to health, safety, even survival, had to be passed from one person to another verbally. Stories are a great way to communicate critical information: they're memorable and easily replicated, and they connect more deeply with people than a mere recitation of the facts.

GUEST AUTHOR BLOG by: Judith W. Umlas author of "Grateful Leadership, Using the Power of Acknowledgment to Engage All Your People and Achieve Superior Results"

How many millions of dollars are being spent by companies to develop the newest, most innovative and best employee retention strategies?

Some companies try to entice employees by offering more and more benefits like on site dry cleaners, child care, house-cleaning, gift cards and countless other solutions.

Record amounts of money are being funneled into these retention strategies, and sometimes these incentive initiatives overlook a fundamental element of retaining their people.

Benefits will only take you so far in keeping employees and all of a company's stakeholders on board if they are not engaged and passionate about what they do.

GUEST AUTHOR BLOG by Jan Cullinane author of, "The Single Woman's Guide to Retirement."

What is 25 million strong and growing?

It's the number of single (never-married, divorced, and widowed) women over the age of 45 in the United States.

Why the increase?

I attribute this growing demographic to what I call the "5Ds": Death of a spouse (women have longer life spans); Divorce (about a fourth of all divorces are between couples 50 ); Delayed marriage (women are waiting longer to get married; Dumped (women can be on either side of this equation, the dumpee or the dumper); Don't want to be married (many women are perfectly happy being single).

And, think about this: Even if you're happily married now, there is an 80-90% chance you'll be single at some point, and responsible for all decisions.

GUEST AUTHOR BLOG by Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster co-authors of, "Mean Girls at Work: How to Stay Professional When Things Get Personal."

As workplace relationship experts, the idea for our newest book was born out a new reality – women comprising almost 50% of the workforce.

This growing demographic shift requires a new skill set.

Women now need concrete tools for navigating their professional relationships with other women. Now, more than ever, a young professional female is likely to report to a woman, work beside women, and manage women.

Most woman-to-woman relationships at work are pleasurable. Women are designed to bond with each other – to tend and befriend as a means of survival. But sometimes, the bonding goes awry. One woman may feel competitive with another woman and behave in a way that seems "mean" to her colleague.

It was an enticing tease, a resignation letter published in the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times.

In it Greg Smith told the world why he was leaving Goldman Sachs, an investment bank that prizes its privacy and the loyalty and discretion of current and former employees. But after following the bank's rules for twelve years, Smith broke one of the most sacred, parting the curtains to give the public a look inside the legendary investment bank.

After the headline broke in March, Smith went underground, promising to say more in a book released Monday. "Why I Left Goldman Sachs" offers few if any jaw-dropping moments. It is a well written account of a young man's growing disillusionment with a company he thought was better than he came to see it as being. This is probably a relief for Goldman and a disappointment to its critics. But for those unfamiliar with Wall Street, the book is likely to reinforce its image as a money hungry culture geared toward enriching the banks rather than helping clients.