In a year of unprecedented crisis, few things have gotten us through the turmoil better than a good book. We’ve compiled a list of old and new favourites that have provided much-needed inspiration, insight and guidance during a time of great uncertainty.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
What does it take to make it in a world where competition is thick and talent just doesn’t seem like it’s enough? In this instant New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and perseverance she calls “grit.” Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Duckworth describes her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to her hypothesis of what really drives success.
Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence
We live in an age where people are increasingly dependent on technology, protocols and experts to drive their decision-making and actions. But as Vikram Mansharamani explores in his must-read book, it is more important than ever that we restore self-reliant thinking in such a data-driven world. Vikram is a Harvard lecturer, podcast host and global trend-watcher — not to mention a valued member of The Room. His book shares some indispensable guidance on how to stop outsourcing our thinking and start empowering ourselves through a more critical and nuanced approach to making informed decisions.
Written by renowned researcher, author, professor and storyteller, Brené Brown, this is the ultimate playbook for developing effective leaders and courageous cultures. Based on research conducted with change makers, innovators and culture shifters, Brené details the four skill sets that can assist with cultivating a daring leadership approach, which she believes are 100% teachable, observable, and measurable. It requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with our whole hearts.
Too often, we praise the last-minute heroes who swoop in to manage a crisis. But what if these situations were prevented in the first place? Celebrating the problem-solvers of the world, New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath honours the invisible upstream foresters planting the seeds of change as much as the downstream firefighters extinguishing the flames of prior inaction. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in identifying and fixing the root cause of problems before they happen.
Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares
Member of The Room and NPR Silicon Valley correspondent, Aarti Shahani, chronicles her family’s mind-blowing immigration from India to America — via Casablanca — in this riveting book. It’s a modern-day coming-of-age journey as Aarti fights the injustice that stripped her family of the American Dream, overcoming adversity to win their lives and freedom back. A moving tale of tragedy and vindication, her story exposes the dark underbelly of the American judicial system and the redemptive power of resilience.
The art of networking can be tricky to master, yet it is a crucial aspect of career success. In his classic bestseller, pro networker Keith Ferrazi breaks down the skills and mindset you need to build and maintain lifelong relationships. Core to his philosophy is a belief in the power of generosity, with the goal being to foster authentic connections as opposed to quid pro quo transactions. Chock-full of helpful advice about how to spark meaningful engagements and curate a network of people who can help you with your interests and goals, this is an essential read for anyone wanting to get ahead.
Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Courageous Leaders
What do polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, President Abraham Lincoln, legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Nazi-resisting clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and environmental crusader Rachel Carson have in common? They are all masters of crisis. This is precisely what inspired Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn to chronicle their turbulent leadership journeys in her enthralling and timely book. It’s a gritty collection of crisis management lessons that should be on every leader’s bookshelf.
Careers are changing; they are no longer linear and there’s no such thing as a ‘job for life’. Squiggly careers, where people jump constantly between roles, industries and locations, are becoming the new normal. In this №1 Business Bestseller, personal development experts Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis reveal insights about the changing face of work and offer exercises to aid your growth, helping you become happier and more fulfilled in your career.
From Academy Award-winning actor, Matthew McConaughey, comes an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about how to live with greater satisfaction. Unflinchingly honest and wildly entertaining, Greenlights invites us to grapple with life’s failures, triumphs, marvels and sorrows. It’s a guide to catching more greenlights — and to realising that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too.
Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell
Written by former CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, along with Google executives, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle, this unputdownable book reveals the best pieces of wisdom from their legendary mentor, Bill Campbell, whom they credit with Google’s success. Based on over 80 interviews with people that Campbell mentored, it’s a blueprint for every business leader, entrepreneur and manager who wants to create higher-performing teams and companies.
