The 25 most inspiring books for female careers and women in leadership
Career inspiration comes in different forms. Here I am sharing my selection of the best reads for first-time managers, seasoned leaders, or even management hopefuls. Learn from the best leaders and advance in your career. The links are leading to one big source, however, please visit your local bookshop.
The books are my personal recommendation only, this is not paid advertisement and no affiliate links.
📔 Book of the week: Who not how by Dan Sullivan
Working smarter, not harder is the essence of this book. Dan tells tons of stories of how people have efficiently achieved their personal and professional goals by collaborating with other people and feeling comfortable about asking for help, rather than just going it alone in a silo. Recommended reading for my course #mynetwork TEAM UP!
📔 Book of the week: Time to Think by Nancy Kline
Communicate better, listen differently, achieve more goals!
There is hardly a better means for human cohesion than successful communication. Consequently, there are many more or less good books that deal with this topic. In almost all of them you will find interesting and useful background information and, at least in the advice literature, numerous tips on how to make the encounter between people successful. Nancy Kline has developed a method that helps us to radically improve the way we think and communicate - and thus the way we live and work. Good, active listening is at the core of this method. In her book, she shows how important it is in a time of constant change to support people in thinking creatively, independently and autonomously and to create an appreciative communication atmosphere in teams. With her practical strategies, which can be applied at work as well as in partnerships, everyone can create new possibilities for cooperation and living together. I haven't finished reading the book yet, it is part of my Transformational leadership coach training but the topic captivates me so much that I wanted to share it. So, I recommend taking a look at it yourself. Recommended reading for my course LEVEL UP!
📔 Book of the week: Leave your mark by Aliza Licht
Aliza's style of writing is engaging and friendly. She writes about her own experiences of starting in the business of journalism and PR, and it is extremely helpful for those who want to get started without the pitfalls. Having followed Aliza for a while, this book matches her style and you'll like it. Recommended reading for my course SHOW UP!
📔 Book of the week: Turning Right by Kay Bretz
Long-distance running, which celebrates the hardiness of spirit, offers many metaphors for life. As one of the world’s elite ultramarathon runners and an inspiring writer, Kay Bretz, explains how to forsake the strictures of the status quo and reach for the stars. He offers a direct message to the human spirit for those who want to tap into their natural intuitive powers and innate capabilities. Bretz makes a persuasive argument for escaping overthinking. Trusting your intuition, he counsels, will lead to solutions that nourish your performance and growth. Recommended reading for my course LEVEL UP! #mycareer
📔 Book of the week: Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone
This is an exceptional book. Not since picking up Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" over 10 years ago have I come across a book that is destined to have a great impact on both myself and millions of other readers. In essence "Difficult Conversations" is a practical everyday guide for living and breathing Stephen's fifth habit - "Seek first to understand then to be understood". It can be thought of as a "conversational handbook" - applicable in both your personal and business lives. What excites me most is that it is so very readable and that its lessons are sufficiently simple that although it might take a life time to master - when applied you can see results in your own conversations and relationships immediately. Recommended reading for my course SPEAK UP! and MOVE UP!
📔 Book of the week: What color is your parachute by Richard Bolles
What Color Is Your Parachute? is about job-hunting and career-changing, but it’s also about figuring out who you are as a person and what you want out of life. This practical manual has been fully revised for 2021 by Vanderbilt University Career Center Director Katharine Brooks, EdD, with modern advice on the job hunt strategies that are working today, such as building an online resume, making the most of social media tools to network effectively, interviewing virtually with confidence, and negotiating the best salary possible. Please consider buying at your local bookshop. Recommended reading for my course #mycareer
📔 Book of the week: The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
The basis for employees to ask for feedback more often is psychological safety. A safe environment allows employees to ask for feedback more often. Asking for feedback puts a person in a vulnerable position to hear negative criticism, but when it is safe, sharing feedback leads to improvements in quality and performance. Psychological safety is a win-win for both employees and the organization. In this book, Daniel Coyle brilliantly summarizes the key arguments: The most honest responses and the best performance come from people when they feel safe and connected. Companies create a safe environment by listening to people, helping and thanking them, weeding out the so-called bad apples and involving all colleagues. In this environment, you can admit mistakes and you can develop as an employee, self-motivated. The book is equally interesting for team leaders and team members. Recommended reading for my course SPEAK UP!
📔 Book of the week: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
I read most of “Lean In” when it originally came out, and decided to revisit it this month. This is a great book to read because Sheryl encourages women to step up into leadership roles. And it's about time! Some of my favorite takeaways from this book are:
a) Skip the people-pleasing. It’s not worth worrying about and focusing too much on it can really end up slowing you down. B) Visualize your career as a jungle gym, instead of a ladder. C) There’s no such thing as having it all. The only way to get close to achieving that is by having an equal partnership at home and sharing all responsibilities. This is the only way to balance both home and work life as equally as possible. Recommended reading for my course SHOW UP! and #mycareer.
📔 Book of the week: Designing your life
In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise. Please support your local bookstore! Recommended reading for my course #mycareer
📔 Book of the week: The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins
I'm not going to lie, the last two years were hard. That's why I love this book, and the movement Mel Robbins is creating. Amid all this chaos, we all need to learn to encourage ourselves to stay positive, motivated and confident. Recommended reading for my course MOVE UP!
📔 Book of the week: Think again by Adam Grant
The bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life. Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn. We surround ourselves with people who agree with our conclusions, when we should be gravitating toward those who challenge our thought process. Recommended reading for my course LEVEL UP!
📔 Book of the week: Invisible women by Caroline Criado Perez
Discover the shocking gender bias that affects our everyday lives. Imagine a world where your phone is too big for your hand, where your doctor prescribes a drug that is wrong for your body, where in a car accident you are 47% more likely to be seriously injured, where every week the countless hours of work you do are not recognized or valued. If any of these sounds familiar, chances are that you're a woman. Invisible Women shows us how, in a world largely built for and by men, we are systematically ignoring half the population. The author brings together for the first time an impressive range of case studies, stories and new research from across the world that illustrates the hidden ways in which women are forgotten, and the impact this has on their health and well-being. Recommended reading for my course SHOW UP! and #mycareer.
📔 Book of the week: Lean in by Sheryl Sandberg
This is an absolutely interesting book for women trying to grow their career as well as generally "Lean In" in every area of life. The author uses very practical and relatable experiences and also backs up her points with data and statistics which make it even more authentic. The blend of personal career experiences and that of family friends and colleagues makes it resonate in a deep way to me. After reading I had to deeply reflect about my career choices and of course make a number of mental shifts so I can make better choices in the future should the opportunities present themselves. Highly recommended! I hope to meet the author sometime in the future! Recommended reading for my course SHOW UP! and #mycareer.
📔 Book of the week: Your hidden superpower by Adrienne Bankert
Do you believe in the power of collaboration over competition? Is your idea of a perfect workplace one where everyone is kind, helpful, and immensely successful? Find more ideas for connecting with others at work through kind actions and watch as new opportunities flow your way! Recommended reading for my course SPEAK UP! TEAM UP! and #mynetwork.
📔 Book of the week: Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less is a much-needed antidote to the stress, burnout and compulsion to “do everything,” that infects us all. It is an essential read for anyone who wants to regain control of their health, wellbeing, and happiness. Essentialism" can also offer valuable impulses when it comes to structured learning: on the topic of play, on the topic of focus and on the topic of motivation - for example. When we engage with what is important to us - what is essential to us - it becomes easier to learn and grow. Recommended reading for my course LEVEL UP!.
📔 Books of the week: John Strelecky
This time 3 books from one author and something lighter to read and heavier to think – to get back to work after the holiday season. Reminiscing about sitting at the café, drinking café au lait and enjoying a croissant. The author is John Strelecky, the book title “The why café”. If you have read “The Café on the Edge of the World” by John Strelecky and like it as much as I do as I did, then the sequel is for you too! I was just in such a flow that I added “The Why Are You Here Cafe” to the list on top of it. I liked the first two volumes best. I got the book from a dear friend, thanks so much! Recommended reading for my course #mycareer.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK 📔 Focusing by Eugene Gendlin
The psychologist and therapist Eugene T. Gendlin found in research that those people who are particularly successful in overcoming challenges and personal crises have one thing in common: They use physical sensations in their self-perception. With this finding, Gendlin developed the so-called Focusing Method, which teaches this kind of inner work. This little booklet is about the practical application of Focusing and how this method can be used to solve personal problems. Recommended reading for all my courses.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK 📔 First Time Manager by Jim-McCormick
This week I would like to share a book targeted at first-time managers. What’s in it for you? First, hit the ground running in your new management position. So, you’ve been promoted to management. Congratulations! Now comes the hard part. Some colleagues may believe that they should’ve been promoted instead of you. Or maybe your predecessor was such an excellent manager that you feel the pressure of having big shoes to fill. Before long, you’ll realize that the skills that made you a standout team member may not help you excel at management. And few companies provide new managers with the tools and training to hit the ground running. But that’s where this book comes in. By learning trusted best practices, you’ll develop confidence as a manager, gain your team’s trust, and achieve results that will set the tone for a successful management career for years to come. A book not only for the first-time manager but as well when you are in transition. My advice is that it is never too early to look into leadership from a skill and vision perspective. In our VUCA world we are working with different teams and often without a clear leadership mandate. Therefore everyone need to position themselves. Recommended reading for my course MOVE UP!.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK 📔 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Work smart, not hard! High achievers work hard, but they also find ways to work smarter and not harder. The book I am talking about is the following The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People from Stephen R. Covey The wisdom of The 7 Habits is more relevant than ever. On an individual level people are burning out, and on a collective level we are burning up the planet. So, Dr. Covey’s emphasis on self-renewal and his understanding that leadership and creativity require us to tap into our own physical, mental, and spiritual resources are exactly what we need now. One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written. Working smarter, not harder, may seem difficult, but you can quickly increase your productivity if you know what you are doing. All it takes is some prioritizing, delegating and grouping similar tasks together. Soon, you will have everything you need to get done finished in no time at all, and with much less effort on your end! Recommended reading for all my courses and specifically MOVE UP!.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK Leaders Eat Last by Sinek, Simon:
Simon Sinek is an optimist, teacher, writer, and worldwide public speaker. His first four books --Start with Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and Find Your Why -- have been national and international bestsellers. This book is highly relevant for future and current leaders giving great insights and background information. Sinek offers a brief explanation of how psychology and biochemistry guide our choices and behaviours. He then develops this by proposing his ‘Circle of Safety’ theory of human behaviour, and relates this to working environments. Truly inspiring. Recommended reading for all my courses and specifically LEVEL UP!.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK START WITH WHY by Simon Sinek.
My book recommendation this week is an evergreen, a foundational evergreen.
I really, really love reading Simon Sinek and his landmark concept of "The Why" in business. By the way, this is the third most popular TED talk of all time.
The message is too important to not be spread around the world! Why? How? What? You can follow this simple formula in all aspects of life, private with kids and professional with your boss and your team. A must-read. For those who know me longer know my sentence: What is in it for them? Recommended reading for all my courses.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK Never split the difference by Chris Voss
Chris Voss is an author, speaker and a former hostage negotiator. So his advice on getting what you want is pretty valuable. Voss employs a mixture of negotiation, empathy, and steadfastness that is seriously inspirational. If you read this amazing book, you know how important it is to ask questions and let the other part feel that they are in control during the negotiation. Throughout the book, you will get a comprehensive guide with a plethora of actionables that you can and will want to use immediately in any negotiation. To wrap things up, I cannot recommend you this book enough. Finally, in the appendix, you will get a negotiation preparation 101 to help you with your "one sheet", a file you should have with you to every negotiation that might occur. Recommended reading for all my courses and specifically SPEAK UP!.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro
Joe Navarro explores our body language as limbic responses to distress, i.e. freeze, flight and fight.
He points out pacifying behaviors, such as stroking your neck or face. Then he goes up through the body, looking at legs, torso, arms, hands and face. When someone is trying to conceal his or her emotions, some parts of the body are less easy to control than others. I am not taking all for 100% as real but you get a good inspiration and you start to consider which affects you can have on others, your line manager, your colleague and as well in private. Reading time very well invested. Recommended reading for all my courses and specifically SPEAK UP!.
📔 BOOK OF THE WEEK Suck It Up, Princess
For women who want to get over excuses and get on with living a rich, fulfilling life. It is refreshingly direct and inspiring and focuses on how to develop the right mindset and habits finally. Recommended reading for #mycareer.
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You cannot know everything there is to know about how to get where you want to be in life. While it’s possible to learn the needed skills, this will take time and likely a lot of money. Instead, what if you had someone (or a group of people) who can help guide you to success?
A mentor is someone who currently is where you want to be. The relationship you have with a mentor can be an official one, or it can be informal such as following in the footsteps of someone you admire. Mentors have experience and have gone through growing pains towards success. They will know what kinds of training you may need or skills to develop.