It seems that suggested reading lists are the thing to do in year-end newsletters, so we at ABS thought we would follow convention and share with you 6 books that either we, or our friends, have recommend as being good reading over the holiday season. In no particular order:
1. Lead. By Karl Martin (Muddy Pearl, 2017). This comes highly recommended by my friend Lucy who has convinced me to read it over the year-end break. Lucy assures me that it is a very personal and challenging take on leadership as demonstrated by Jesus in the later chapters of the Gospel of John. My flicking through the pages has definitely whetted my appetite and I look forward to reclining in the spa with this book.
2. Freakonomics. By Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (Penguin, 2005). I am an avid listener of the Freakonomics podcast, and am catching up on the back catalogue. Part of this involves reading the book that was the inspiration of the podcasts, where the authors, in a very relatable way, challenge much of the “established wisdom” and find out what the facts actually say. For example, does how your name sounds really impact your chances of getting employed? This is a great book for developing critical thinking skills without even realizing it.
3. Women and Leadership. By Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjolweala (Random House Australia, 2020). So many people I know have this book on their list for reading this year end, including our very own Head of School, Lisa Barnes. I bought a copy for my daughter, and hope to be able to borrow it when she is finished. Both authors are leaders at the highest level and have such experience to share. This is one of those books that needs to be read .
4. Messengers. By Stephen Martin and Joseph Marks (Random House, 2019). Growing up I had to fight hard to be heard amongst a family of talkers. It fascinated me who gets listened to and who doesn’t. This book tackles this head on and provides some sound tips on how to ensure your messages gets heard, noting that looking and sounding right is often far more persuasive than actually being right!
5. Team of Rivals. By Doris Goodwin (Simon and Schuster, 2006). I have been hanging out to read this book for so long, and this year I’m determined to read it. While it is a massive tome, it is considered a classic of modern leadership and management literature. Goodwin writes a biography of Abraham Lincoln that particularly explores how he was able to lead people, and how he was brave enough to build a cabinet that included his harshest political rivals. His success speaks for itself, and I cannot wait to begin this journey.
6. Servant Leadership in Action. Edited by Ken Blanchard and Renee Broadwell (Berrett-Koehler, 2018). Blanchard and Broadwell bring together contributions from forty-four servant-leader experts and practitioners to give some down-to-earth advice on what servant leadership actually means in the trenches. Another easy-to-read leadership book to relax during your break.
Happy Reading!