I am regularly asked “what leadership or self-development books would you recommend?”.

So this is my list for 2019.

All these books are about leadership. Each author has challenged my thinking about what it means to lead, to choose to lead, and the impact I want to have. Perhaps you will be inspired to seek them out.

In no particular order -

1. The Rise of the Ultra Runners: A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance, by Adharanand Finn

   I love this book. I am not a runner, and yet find myself fascinated by ultra marathon runners. I couldn’t put this book down. Ultra marathons are brutal, this is an amazing book about endurance and the ability of the human body to start over when it’s been almost beaten to a pulp. A reminder of the power of mindset and how much potential we have, wherever we choose to use it.

2. Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight

   Recommended by a friend in the fitness world, Phil Knight’s story is phenomenal. For anyone who loves the story behind the growth of a business, an iconic brand, and more than that, it’s about how crucial it is to have close people with you throughout the journey -to remind you of how far you have come and also ground you in reality.

3. How To Own The Room, Viv Groskop. A gift from my mum last Christmas. My inner introvert wouldn’t have bought this book, as it’s for other people isn’t it? How wrong I was, this was the year people started to ask me to speak at their events so the tips have come in handy. There is a great bit about ‘status is a state of mind’, the spirit of fake it till you become it.

4. Clearing the Air, Tim Smedley. Honestly I haven’t read it, my husband’s been quoting snippets so I know it’s in the Top 10 and I will read it over Christmas! Plus Schwarzenegger rates the book, and I rate him. While he and Lewis Hamilton have received criticism for ‘The Game Changers’ documentary it has led me to look at many of the myths surrounding food, the impact on our climate, and the choices I make.

5. Dare to Lead, Brene Brown. She is incredible, her Netflix special is too. I regularly quote her in Leadership workshops, her messages resonate with men and women leaders of all ages. This book challenged me to get away from having this long list of values to lead my life by. Brown says ‘if everything on the list is important, then nothing is truly a driver for you. It’s just a gauzy list of feel-good words’. All leaders who want to lead with clarity need this book in their toolbox.

6. The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker. Recommended by a great friend, this book reminded me to see meetings and events as an art form, too often they can feel underwhelming. This is for anyone who attends or hosts meetings, dinners, parties, events, oh yes that’s all of us! Combine this with The Power of Moments, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath and you are in for a treat.

7. The Artists’s Way, Julia Cameron. It takes bravery to read and commit to this book, it asks you to really look at yourself, and the stories you tell yourself. I have failed twice to complete it. An impactful read, the roots of creativity are now firmly embedded in the work I do. Creativity is at the heart of innovation, the heart of leadership. To quote Julia “we are far more colourful, far more creative, and far more charismatic than we know”.

8. How To Fail, Elizabeth Day. I bought it because I liked the cover! I am so glad I did. Funny, poignant, a reminder to say yes to things even when you feel at your worst. A great book.

9. Figuring, Maria Popova. I find this book enjoyable, beautiful, at times disorientating. A gift from a lovely friend, a book I would have thought was too complicated for me and yet the stories about amazing women in history, who I have never heard of, is riveting. Leadership can at times feel very lonely, so retreating into the worlds of others from a different time, who offer an instagram-free perspective, is very refreshing.

10. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert. An inspiring book about creativity and a reminder that we all have it, if only we allow ourselves to see it and believe it. It’s not in the photo as my friend V has borrowed it!

What’s on your list, what ‘leadership’ books would you recommend to others?

#choosetolead