Bookclub
I am a passionate and enthusiastic reader and want to share the lessons I have learned from some of the great leadership books of our time. Interesting and useful concepts and strategies are then included in my training and speaking programmes.
Updated fortnightly with new reflections and recommendations.
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” - Joseph Addison

WolfPack by Abby Wambach
Wolfpack by Abby Wambach
“Old ways of thinking will never help us build a new world.”
3 Main Messages:
1, Make failure your fuel
2, Lead from the bench
3, Find your pack

Ripple by Jez Groom and April Vellacott
“Creativity thrives when isolated things come together”
3 Main Messages
1, Anyone who works with people needs to know how to apply behavioural sciences
2, Collaborate with people who aren’t like you to stimulate creativity
3, “Our decisions are influenced by choice architecture”

Work Like A Woman by Mary Portas
“How is it that we have a tax system that allows businesses to write off first-class flights for their executives but doesn’t allow someone who is self-employed to claim a penny for childcare?”
3 Main Messages
1, Women want and need changes in the workplace, including flexible working and an appreciation of less alpha skills such as empathy and collaboration.
2, Women are working in a system pitted against them in terms of childcare options and societal expectations.
3, The people at the top have the power to make big changes, but the people at the top are usually men, who have succeeded as a result of the status quo.

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
“The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.”
3 Main Messages:
Be generous in elevating others
Be gracious when accepting support and favours
Your compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works.”
3 Main Messages:
1, People want work that is meaningful
2, Success is due to perseverance, hard work and some luck
3, Continue to be curious and look for patterns behind the data

The Elephant and the Flea by Charles Handy
“We all need somewhere to belong. There is a loneliness in going it alone that is the other side of freedom.”
3 Main Messages:
1, Life without work is a life without a point
2, Portfolio careers require balance, determination and self-motivation
3, We all need to live life the way we think it ought to be lived.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
“Decide what you stand for and then stand for it all the time.”
3 Main messages:
Proactive, successful people are driven by internal values rather than external identity
“Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right thing.”
We win big by working with others

Ikigai by Héctor Garcia and Francesc Miralles
“People who maintained a low level of stress, who faced challenges and put their heart and soul into their work, in order to succeed, lived longer.”
3 Main Messages:
Eat well, sleep well and keep moving
We thrive when we have community and purpose
Connect with nature and find joy in small, simple tasks and things

Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself” - Eleanor Roosevelt
3 Main Messages
We need to be willing to face up to failure and be honest about key data
Lying to oneself destroys the possibility of learning
By recognising and addressing problems we move the world forward

The Simple Truths of Leadership by Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley
“When things go well, ego-driven leaders look in the mirror and pat themselves on the back. When things go wrong, they look out of the window to see who they can blame.”
3 Main Messages
A leader’s role is to focus on vision, direction and results, while a servant leader also focuses on service - helping people to accomplish agreed-upon goals
Be clear about boundaries - “A river without banks is just a large puddle.”
Leaders must build trust in order for people to be vulnerable and work to their potential

101 Days to Make a Change by Roy Leighton, Emma Kilbey and Kristina Bill
“Are you truly living the life you want to live?”
3 Main Messages:
Take time to reflect through journaling, meditation, mood boarding and questioning
Practice the small steps like gratitude, looking after you body and breathing deeply
Find your tribe and build relationships

Drive by Daniel Pink
“Intrinsic motivation is conducive to creativity; controlling extrinsic motivation is detrimental to creativity.”
3 Main Messages:
Control leads to compliance, autonomy leads to engagement
Most people are motivated by purpose more than money
People want to feel trusted and respected more than rewarded

Changing on the Job by Jennifer Garvey Berger
“Asking questions to understand someone’s sense making has helped me become a better listener, a more thoughtful questioner, and a more compassionate person.”
3 Main messages:
We need to as different questions in order to take multiple perspectives and see the whole system
Learning is different to growing
It is the coach’s role to find the growth edge and ask questions which expand thinking

Start with Why by Simon Sinek
“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.”
3 Main Messages:
Make sure you communicate your ‘why’ in your everyday actions
We are drawn to leaders and communications that are good at communicating what they believe
Every ‘why’ person needs and ‘how’ partner

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
“If you choose courage, you will absolutely know failure, disappointment, setback, even heartbreak. That’s why we call it courage. That’s why it’s so rare.”
3 Main Messages:
We need to serve the people we lead with empathy
Learn how to be curious by asking “say more.”
Unclear is unkind

Five Steps to a Winning Mindset by Damian Hughes
“Great coaches don’t amass such a record by spending their time talking. They spend most of their time watching and listening”
3 Main Messages:
Make your messages simple, memorable and effective
It’s all about relationships - what can you do to help nurture connections and create a culture?
Train your players to think differently

Atomic Habits by James Clear
“Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
3 Main Messages:
Success is the product of daily habits, not once in a lifetime transformations
Design your environment for success
Fix the inputs and the outputs fix themselves

Impact Players by Liz Wiseman
“When we change our lens from threat to opportunity we can turn risky situations into rewarding experiences.”
3 Main Messages:
Demonstrate growth mindset and ask for feedback
Wear opportunity goggles
Do the job that needs to be done