Written by yours truly! I packed this book with many easy-to-apply tools and memorable personal stories to guide people in being better leaders of themselves and others. It starts with getting your own shit together first, includes my famous wine-inspired PINOT™ and SIP™ models for effective feedback, and culminates in ways to build an empowered and results-oriented culture.
Dare to Lead
Brené Brown
Brene Brown’s latest answers the questions she’s asked constantly: “How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?” She nicely summarizes some of her best research to date on vulnerability, shame, and authenticity, and her advice gets even more powerful and specific in its practical application for LeaderShifters.
Braving the Wilderness
Brené Brown
BRAVING is an acronym and thought-provoking checklist to guide LeaderShifters in building trust and choosing courage over comfort. My favorite lines are, “Speak truth to bullshit,” and “Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our most accurate measure of courage.” Put BRAVING into practice to develop your courage muscle!
Leadership and Self Deception
The Arbinger Institute
When we’re in “a box” (i.e. betray our own values and then project onto others), what motivates us most is the need for justification, and that’s very often at odds with what is best for the team/org. LeaderShifters operate from out of the box and create cultures where people respond to, trust, and want to work with each other. Follow up book is The Anatomy of Peace.
The Anatomy of Peace
The Arbinger Institute
This follow up to Leadership and Self-Deception defines the four common boxes we find ourselves in: Better Than, Worse Than, I Deserve, and Need to Be Seen As. When in conflict situations, we can choose to see others either as people like ourselves (hearts are at peace) or as objects (hearts at war). “When our hearts are at war, we not only invite failure, we invest in it.”
The Four Agreements
Don Miguel Ruiz
Four common-sense axioms for living a more peaceful life that also happen to be excellent guidelines for LeaderShifters. Be impeccable with your word; don’t make assumptions; don’t take things personally; always do your best. Simple yet not easy, right?! I teach these to ALL my clients, and there are opportunities to apply these tenets every day.
The Coaching Habit
Michael Bungay Stanier
I constantly advocate that we coach our people to greater success! For LeaderShifters looking to become better coaches, this book lays out seven types of coaching questions for a variety of different contexts. Getting more done with less is not about working harder, it’s about having more impact and developing future leaders.
Solve For Happy
Mo Gawdat
Written by engineer and former Chief Business Officer of Google X, this compelling book makes the distinction between happiness and fun. We often swap out true happiness for temporary weapons of mass distraction such as partying, drinking, eating, or excessive shopping. Bust through six grand illusions and illuminate seven blind spots to shift from happiness conditioned on external events into a state of permanent joy.
Change Anything
Kerry Patterson, et al
This book calls BS on the notion that mastering temptation is solely a function of our personal motivation and will power. It explores six sources of influence to help us shift away from the long-standing habits that have previously controlled us and into healthier, new behaviors -with intention and support from others.
Full-Spectrum Thinking
Bob Johansen
Bob Johansen explores how new technology can help leaders break free from limiting labels and explore new possibilities in a complex world. According to him, full-spectrum thinking requires looking beyond traditional boxes and avoiding false certainty or simplistic choices. The book discusses the core concepts of full-spectrum thinking and the role of digital media, offering powerful insights into navigating an ever-changing future.
Office Shock
Bob Johansen, et al
“Office shock” is an abrupt change in where, when, how, and even why we work. The book introduces the concept of the emerging officeverse, emphasizing that the office is more than just a physical space but a process. Using future-back thinking, the authors encourage reevaluating the purpose of the office, highlighting the need for transformation in office work, and moving away from traditional, unfair, uncomfortable, and unproductive environments.
