James Clear lays out a clear model (incorporating 4 Laws) for developing habits:

Success is no longer determined by intellectual intelligence, experience or education, but rather, by emotional intelligence (EQ).

Patterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzer observed people who seem to navigate crucial conversations with skill and determined that they had a specific skillset which they used to create a model.

Brene Brown’s challenges the assumption that vulnerability is weakness and provides research to refute the claim.

Daniel Pink’s tagline for this book is “Why right-brainers will rule the future.” Hmmm, ruling the future seems like a fun goal

Told as a business fable, The Leader Who Had No Title tells the story of Blake Davis, a military veteran working at a book store.

Michael Bungay Stanier asks you to stay curious just a little bit longer, rather than simply jumping to giving advice which is our tendency.

Shawn Achor, a leader in the positive psychology field upends the traditional belief that success drives happiness, and instead presents research to demonstrate that happiness drives success.

We all have pivotal moments that we remember. Some are naturally elevated in our minds; such as a wedding or the birth of a child. Others moments were consciously created; such as a holiday tradition, or an amazing onboarding experience at work.

Daniel Pink investigates what we believe about motivation and challenges much of those beliefs. While research shows a disconnect between motivation and rewards & punishments (what he calls carrots and sticks), business is still stuck in this outdated and ineffective model.

Kim Scott creates a quadrant with a horizonal axis which measures how much someone challenges directly and a vertical axis which measures how much someone cares personally. The quadrant where someone cares personally and challenges directly results in Radical Candor.

We all understand finite games; with a set time frame, established rules, and clear winners and losers (sports, competitions). Our world, generally, reflects a infinite game, where the rules and time frame are unclear and there often is no clear winner and loser.

Simon Sinek has a bold vision in which people are fulfilled by their work and are called to lead from their Why (what inspires them). He presents the Golden Circle which he writes is rooted in biology.

Brene Brown has spent her professional career dedicated to research and in the research for this book, she sought to answer the question, “How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?”

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is an excellent book to lay the foundations of a strong team. In Five Dysfunctions, Lencioni presents a 5 layered hierarchy essential to a highly functioning team. I view this as a core book for any leader.