Succession & planning consultant
Strong relationships are built on clear, empathetic communication. In 4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication, Bento C. Leal III provides a practical guide to mastering four foundational skills—empathic awareness, empathic listening, empathic speaking, and empathic dialogue. These tools help readers improve their connections at home, at work, and anywhere else relationships matter.
by Kate Murphy
In a world obsessed with talking, listening has become a lost art. Yet, it remains the cornerstone of connection, understanding, and growth. Kate Murphy’s You’re Not Listening reveals why we struggle to listen, the consequences of this oversight, and the transformative power of fully tuning in to others. Murphy demonstrates how to sharpen your listening skills and harness their potential to enhance relationships, build trust, and thrive in a noisy world. By learning to listen deeply, you’ll cultivate stronger relationships, resolve conflicts more effectively, and discover meaning in conversations that others overlook.
by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Leadership isn’t defined by titles or trophies; it’s reflected in the impact you have and the legacy you create. In A Leader’s Legacy, James Kouzes and Barry Posner illustrate how exceptional leaders establish lasting influence through small, intentional actions and consistent daily habits.
The central idea is simple but profound: Legacies aren’t built on one big moment. They result from consistent decisions, meaningful relationships, and the environments that leaders shape every day. This focus on the ordinary reveals the emotional core of leadership—the ways leaders touch lives and create opportunities for others to thrive.
In Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day, Daniel Goleman and Cary Cherniss redefine peak performance. They focus on achieving an “optimal ” state—a sustainable state of focus, productivity, and emotional balance—rather than chasing fleeting moments of “flow.” Emotional intelligence (EI) is the key to unlocking this state for individuals, teams, and organizations.
by Robert Galford and Regina Fazio Maruca
In a world obsessed with quick wins, leaders face immense pressure to focus on immediate objectives and short-term achievements. However, effective leadership is also about the long term and the impact you leave behind—your legacy. Every leader creates a legacy through their influence, whether they’re aware of it or not. It’s not just about numbers or achievements; it’s about the behaviors, ideas, and growth you foster in others.
by Adam Grant
Think Again challenges us to reconsider how we approach knowledge, opinions, and beliefs. Author Adam Grant says that the ability to rethink and unlearn in our rapidly changing world is crucial for personal and professional growth. Using scientific research, storytelling, and practical examples, Grant highlights the importance of intellectual humility and the risks associated with cognitive rigidity. He encourages readers to adopt a “scientist” mindset characterized by curiosity, adaptability, and openness to new evidence. This approach can help us navigate change, make better decisions, and inspire others to question their own assumptions.
by Cynthia McCauley and Lynn Fick-Cooper, Center for Creative Leadership
This book aims to help us refine our perspective on group performance by deepening our understanding of “leadership” and its impact on collective success. It encourages us to move beyond instinctively blaming individual leaders for poor performance. Instead, it urges us to recognize that leadership is a social process involving factors across the group, extending beyond the person in charge. As a result, a “leadership” problem isn’t always a “leader” problem. Effective leadership yields three outcomes within the group: direction, alignment, and commitment (DAC). We can enhance the overall success of the group by assessing and improving DAC variables in a holistic manner.
by Marshall Goldsmith
“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” explores the habits and behaviors that can keep us from advancing in leadership.
Renowned executive coach Marshall Goldsmith argues that the focus shifts from technical skills to behaviors as we move up the organizational ladder. And bad habits and outdated strategies—many of which helped us get to where we are—can hold us back. He provides a roadmap for identifying and addressing these limitations and achieving next-level personal and professional growth. He uses real-life examples from his extensive coaching experience with top executives and leaders.
by Michael Watkins
Master Your Next Move is a guide for leaders who are transitioning into new roles, be it through promotions, taking a job at a different organization, or other career shifts. Successful careers involve navigating a sequence of demanding transitions, often occurring in clusters. It is crucial to map out these transitions, identify your personal adaptability, and recognize the obstacles to organizational change so that you can better understand the challenges you are facing.
by Dan Ciampa and David L. Dotlich
Transitions at the Top aims to address the high failure rate and lackluster performance of newly-appointed CEOs of public corporations.
This summary comes with a caveat for nonprofits: the focus is on CEOs of public corporations. Public corporations have a different governance structure than nonprofits. First, their boards include inside (executive) directors and outside (independent) directors. Second, the current or former CEO often serves as board chair. Given the differences in governance structure and the role of the chief executive, some advice in those two areas must be taken with a grain of salt.