I'm an incurable self-development addict, with a particular weakness for leadership. It’s an enigma I'm keen to unravel!
And how timely, since the workplace has undergone seismic shifts over this past decade, meaning that keeping up with today's world is no walk in the park. With trends popping in and out faster than you can say ‘digital age,’ it takes a masterful leader not only to stay afloat, but also truly to lead the pack!
This means possessing both emotional intelligence and fiscal responsibility – qualities that don't always come easy or cheap. But fear not, intrepid entrepreneurs; although we may be travelling at breakneck speeds on this wild ride called life, remember to give yourself permission to pause every so often – and, of course, go off-script sometimes!
Everyone knows that the prerequisite for being a leader is having something worth sharing, and this month, we've got just the books!
Michael Bunting's The Mindful Leader offers an incredible read with its logical advice, while his follow-up book, Vertical Growth, takes it one step further by exploring emotions in the workplace. These two books hold great advice for modern-day leaders, but my third recommendation is a little different – Dr Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. This personal account of the Holocaust comes from a psychologist who experienced it first-hand, and it serves as a reminder to never lose sight of what matters most: humanity.
It doesn't get much better than that!
This book combines expert advice and training in mindfulness and leadership to help leaders develop self-aware and effective practices. Incorporating psychology and neuroscience into the wellness framework, Bunting delivers a fantastic guide to elevated, sustainable leadership.
This book is a great resource for anyone looking to develop their leadership skills in a healthy way. It provides practical tips and some tough truths to help you really understand what great leadership looks like!
Like The Mindful Leader, this book is all about how to improve your style of leadership, but Vertical Growth focuses on the habits we hold around self-defeating thoughts, assumptions, and behaviours. It teaches how to develop healthier habits that are aligned with our aspirations as well as the role emotions play in wisdom and accountability, targeting unproductive behaviours and promoting personal growth.
It’s a great companion to The Mindful Leader, but it’s also a wonderful stand-alone that really drills down into the thought processes and emotions that can hold you and your team back. It emphasises that great leadership comes from a commitment to learning, which is an important idea that everyone should explore.
Published in 1946, Man’s Search for Meaning is an incredibly influential book by psychologist Viktor Frankl. The book was written following his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps of the Second World War and delves into the psychology of suffering and hope. As a professional psychologist, Frankl could speak to how the human psyche reacted in different ways to the horrors of the camps, notably focusing on how a person’s view of the future can impact their survivability during hardship.
This book is so important, not only for the psychological theories Frankl developed – which are certainly useful for shaping how to approach life! – but also for the visceral recollections of Frankl’s experience in the camps. While the book is very confronting, it’s crucial that people understand what hatred and bigotry can do, especially considering the rise in antisemitism we’ve seen lately.
If you’re interested in Michael Bunting’s books, you might enjoy our podcast episode with him!
If you liked this article, you might like our guide to the best coffee table books.
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