Read, Lead, and Be Merry

Some of our ACHIEVE leaders have put together a list of books we think you’ll really enjoy. The holidays are the perfect time to slow down, recharge, and get inspired – and what better way than with a great read?

As you head into the season, check out our favourite leadership books and one just for fun (we all need to relax). These are titles that have sparked new ideas and helped us grow as leaders.

You’ll find a mix of styles and topics, along with a quick note on why we love each one and what kind of writing you can expect. Happy reading! And if you have a favourite leadership book, we’d love to hear your recommendation too.

From Wendy – our Chief Content Officer and Managing Director:

The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad

When I was younger, I kept a journal. In a dramatic teenage moment, I burned it out of fear that someone might read it. Since then, I’ve been an on-again, off-again journaler (not sure if that’s a word), and that’s still true today. But recently, I added a new practice to my daily routine after a friend recommended The Book of Alchemy.

The book includes one hundred (yes, truly one hundred) short reflections that take only a few minutes to read. The contributors come from diverse backgrounds, many of them artists, and the pieces are organized around themes like memory, purpose, fear, love, ego, and more. Each reflection is paired with a journaling prompt. I don’t often write a response, but I carry the reflection with me as a touchpoint for the day.

One of my favorites so far is “Just Ten Images”. It encourages the reader to notice the ten images that stood out over the past 24 hours and to consider why they lingered. I’m only halfway through the book, but I highly recommend it for anyone who, as the author puts it, is puzzling their way through the peaks and valleys of life.

Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on it by Ian Leslie

I stumbled across this book in a thrift store, and the cover immediately caught my eye. On my copy, there’s an owl on the front – always a good sign – and the cover is black, one of my favorite colours. It looked as though no one had ever cracked it open; the pages were pristine. For seventy-five cents, Curious has turned out to be my best purchase this year.

Although it was published in 2014, it doesn’t feel dated. If anything, it prompts a timely pause: Where are we placing our attention, and how might that be shaping our lives? I found the read both interesting and genuinely valuable.

Leslie organizes the book into three parts – How Curiosity Works, The Curiosity Divide, and Staying Curious. Chapter eight, “Seven Ways to Stay Curious,” offers practical and encouraging ways to let your curiosity flourish. Curious? 

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara

My family loves cooking shows – Top Chef or The Bear anyone? So, when I heard about a book that combined the restaurant world and leadership, I was intrigued. Will Guidara ran the front of house at Eleven Madison Park, a renowned New York restaurant that was eventually considered the world’s best. When Will took over, the restaurant was already very good, but he dreamed of creating something truly excellent. I am not in the restaurant business, but that is not the point of the book. It asks a bigger question: in any industry, how do we create an extraordinary experience for the people we serve?

Guidara argues that people are not only looking for quality products. They also value our willingness to offer care, attention, and authenticity. At its core, Unreasonable Hospitality is about leadership, workplace culture, and what it really means to serve others.

A truly inspirational read, worth every minute spent in its pages.

We’ve built businesses on principles and methodologies from the Industrial Revolution and wonder why we’re sluggish, ineffective, and burning out our best people.

From Dan – our Director of Training and Consulting

The Science of Organizational Change: How Leaders Set Strategy, Change Behavior, and Create an Agile Culture by Paul Gibbons

“Change is every manager’s job every day.”

Leading change is not optional in organizations, yet so much of the common wisdom out there relies on intuition, outdated research, or leadership myths.  As a result, the majority of strategy and transformation efforts in organizations fail to produce their intended results.

Gibbons shines a light on our current practices and applies the latest research to help us separate the snake oil from genuinely effective change methods.  The Science of Organizational Change is required reading for those leading organizational change.

The Psychological Safety Playbook: Lead More Powerfully by Being More Human by Karolin Helbig & Minette Norman

A lot of people talk about psychological safety, but far fewer are aware of what it takes to truly make this a part of your team’s culture.  This is the gap that this book fills so well – it’s a practical guide that I would love to see on every manager and team leader’s bookshelf.

When people feel safe, supported, and heard, we unlock all the things we’ve been struggling to realize in our teams – innovation, learning, performance, engagement, and more.  On top of this, it’s also the path to a more sustainable approach to work, as people discover a realistic pathway towards stronger mental health and well-being.

Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as amazing as the people inside them by Gary Hamel & Michele Zanini

Many organizations today are stuck.  We’ve built businesses on principles and methodologies from the Industrial Revolution and wonder why we’re sluggish, ineffective, and burning out our best people.  This book takes aim squarely at the bureaucratic plaque that has been accumulating in our organizations over the years and offers an alternative that is more human, more adaptive, and more ready for whatever the future may hold.

Humanocracy is a bold take and requires courage and humility to fully embrace.  This is not about small, incremental changes to your organization – this is a radical reimagining of what our workplaces could be.  The best part is that it’s not some unattainable vision, but is already being lived out by hundreds of organizations and leaders across the globe.  Pick up this book to hear their stories and be inspired to transform your own.

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On a lighter note, here is a recommendation from Eric – our Chief Executive Officer

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

And for something totally different from the world of fiction – how about a heist story? Six of Crows takes you on a journey with a gang of youngish criminals set in a fantasy world resembling northern Europe. It’s a fast moving, complex story set in a culturally diverse world that unfolds as the leader of the gang tries to motivate his team to do something really big which will require each of their different strengths. I didn’t read this for the leadership lessons, but they are there if you want to look for them.  And if you’re just looking for a great yarn, then this one fits the bill.

On behalf of ACHIEVE Centre for Leadership, we hope you enjoy our list of leadership books for the holidays. Happy reading!

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