Confucius said, “You cannot open a book without learning something.” With social distancing still in place, more time at home provides the opportunity to read books to improve, inspire, and implement in 2021.  Here is a list of some of our favorites:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Atomic Habits is the most comprehensive and practical guide on how to create good habits, break bad ones, and get 1 percent better every day.  If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.  “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Zconomy by Jason Dorsey and Denise Villa, PhD

Zconomy is based on 65+ generational studies with insights from 700+ enterprise clients and includes direct solutions from frontline leaders. Zconomy delivers the unexpected insights, hidden trends, and strategies you need to know to unlock the potential of Generation Z as they transform employers, brands, and the world.

The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

The more Simon started to understand the difference between finite and infinite games, the more he began to see infinite games all around us. He started to see that many of the struggles that organizations face exist simply because their leaders were playing with a finite mindset in a game that has no end. The leaders who embrace an infinite mindset, in stark contrast, build stronger, more innovative, more inspiring organizations. They have the resilience to thrive in an ever-changing world, while their competitors fall by the wayside. Ultimately, those who adopt an infinite mindset are the ones who lead the rest of us into the future.

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

In Dare to Lead, Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions of readers have come to expect and love. This book is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership. When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers. We stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work.

The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias by Pamela Fuller & Mark Murphy

We’re good people with good intentions, making decisions based on facts… right?  Our brains are constantly filtering, sorting, and using shortcuts to handle the overwhelming amount of information we receive each day. Those shortcuts are often where unconscious bias slips in. Left unchecked, unconscious bias can impair our decision making and limit the performance, innovation, and opportunities of those we manage. What we assume about each other and how we interact with one another has vast effects on our organizational success, especially in the workplace.

Leadershift by John Maxwell

In Leadershift, John C. Maxwell helps leaders gain the ability and willingness to make leadership changes that will positively enhance their organizational and personal growth. He does this by sharing the eleven shifts you should make over the course of your career to keep innovating, improving, and influencing others to the highest levels of success in today’s unprecedented business climate.