Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-being.  By Linda Graham

I really enjoyed this book.  Bouncing Back by Linda Graham integrates latest findings from neuroscience, psychology and ancient traditional wisdom.  Easy to read and packed with accessible exercises to build your resilience and achieve overall well-being, this book is a must for those who want to claw back some control over their lives.  This is a serious book – well researched, yet written with humour and grace and provides encouragement and inspiration for us to be the best we can be. 

BrainWise Leadership: By Connie Henson & Peter Rossouw

I recently attended one of Peter’s workshops and was blown away by his vast knowledge in neuroscience and his ability to translate this complex area into everyday language as well as his humility and approachability. The book reflects that same approachability and is an absolute indispensable guide for anyone responsible for managing employees but especially leaders and HR/OD. The book is organised into three parts and contains case-studies, thought provoking strategies and interventions to enable human thriving within an organisational context.

Daring Greatly: By Brené Brown

I love the work of Brené Brown (see her TED talk here). Her research primarily focuses on vulnerability – which she believes is a prerequisite for living what she calls a “wholehearted life”. Rather than wear the metal plated armour that most of us don to hide our vulnerabilities Brown lays out a roadmap to help us embrace our vulnerabilities and ultimately lead a more authentic and meaningful life. Neither too dense nor frothy, this book will resonate with a wide audience.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: By Carol S. Dweck Ph.D.

If you’ve attended one of my workshops or talks you’ll be familiar with the concept of fixed Vs growth mindset. Each of us has behavioural traits that fall into one or another category. This book explores how to develop a growth mindset and highlights the perils of maintaining a fixed mindset. Suitable for everyone – though educators and parents will be especially pleased as much of it is devoted to education and parenting.

Immunity to Change: By Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey

Much of my work is with organisations undergoing change and disruption, and this book highlights why we often struggle in this area. Although the first few chapters are heavy going (dense and theoretical), keep with it! Section two illustrates by way of case studies, the theory and frameworks of immunity to change, and the final section shows how to apply the framework to achieve personal or organisational change. A must for Change Managers and leaders wanting to effect meaningful change.

The Upside of Your Dark Side: By Todd Kashdan Ph.D. & Robert Biswas-Diener, Dr. Philos

Initially sceptical about this book, I was concerned it may be a marketing strategy – to counter the growing swell of the positivity movement. If you’ve been to my workshops you’ll know that being resilient and having a sense of overall well-being is not about being positive all the time but really about redressing the imbalance between positive and negative. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Rather than promulgating a sole focus on the utility of negative emotions its message was primarily advocating emotional agility. A good read for those wanting to extend their knowledge in this area.