- Business Insider compiled a holiday reading list of the 10 best books to help bring in the new year.
- Though the list ranges from 70-year-old classics to penetrating investigations published this year, these books speak to timely leadership questions such as how to overcome racial and social biases in the workplace, how to promote inclusion, and how to overcome big challenges through self-realization.
- Timeless titles include "The Hero of a Thousand Faces," a book about mythology beloved of Ray Dalio, while more timely books include "People, Power, and Profits" by Joseph E. Stiglitz, where the Nobel laureate envisions a new, more sustainable economy.
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The workplace is changing.
At a time when companies are openly sharing their diversity numbers and employees are becoming more vocal in advocating for work-life balance, parental leave, and a more inclusive workplace, now is the time to map out your 2020 milestones.
Business Insider has compiled a holiday reading list of books to help you lead your team into the new year.
We recommend starting with these 11 books, which offer practical insights on how to better understand yourself, your employees, and where the business world is going.
"The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell's 70-year-old mythology book helped Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio process and reframe with his business and personal failures, he told Business Insider.
"The Hero with a Thousand Faces" shows how many mythologies, folk tales, and religious narratives follow a similar story structure, including a call to adventure, a descent into the underworld, and an ultimate boon brought back to society — whether it's Harry Potter or Siddhartha Gautama.
"Look, pain is a great teacher," Dalio told BI. "You go forward toward your goals."
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"Mindset" by Carol Dweck
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said that "Mindset" by Carol Dweck inspired him to transform his company's culture.
Carol Dweck's research-steeped chapters prompted one of the most influential leaders to adopt a "learn-it-all" mindset. She suggests that having a "growth" mindset and constantly looking to develop new skills through hard work can lead to greater success than believing that they're "fixed" in place.
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"Bias: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do" by Jennifer L. Eberhardt
Stanford University professor Jennifer L. Eberhardt has an extensive research background in the U.S. criminal justice system, racial imagery, and social biases. She won a MacArthur "genius" grant for her research into the psychology of racial discrimination.
"Bias" documents her take on societal problems after decades of research experience. Through case studies, the author explains how misconceptions and stereotypes can lead to devastating outcomes and how acknowledging racial biases whenever you witness or experience it is the first step toward change.
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"Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen
More than two decades after its publication, Clayton M. Christensen's "The Innovator's Dilemma" remains a must-read for business school students, or anyone interested in the structural forces that usher in new industries.
Drawing from real-world examples, the beloved Harvard Business School professor argues innovation and doing what's out-of-ordinary can transform a market or sector. Furthermore, he also provides cases where corporations failed solely because they did everything right — but did not innovate.
By applying the term "disruption" as the redesign of how things are done, Christensen advises leaders to not get too comfortable with their business models and always be on the look-out for the next big thing.
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"Leadership: In Turbulent Times" by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin is probably America's greatest living historian, having written extensive biographies of presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Franklin Roosevelt, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize.
In "Leadership: In Turbulent Times", Goodwin tells side-by-side tales of how these four influential men came to power, as well as their greatest challenges and triumphs. It's like being led by the hand through how these massive historical figures made the history that they did. In turn, they become more human than legend — and you learn how and why they made the decisions they did.
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"People, Power, and Profits" by Joseph E. Stiglitz
Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz is one of the most influential voices speaking on the global wealth gap. Having worked as the World Bank Chief economist and the chairman of Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, Stiglitz offers an inside look into how big businesses play a crucial role in the economic and political divide in America.
In his book, Stiglitz gives solutions to America's economic problems instead of just listing its flaws. He argues the government holds the solution to the U.S. wealth gap and that the best way to fight inequality and improve our economy is by rejecting market fundamentalism, breaking up market concentration, regulating Big Tech, rethinking trade, and empowering labor.
Find it here >>
"Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Perez
In this 2019 book, social activist and journalist Caroline Criado Perez researches on how data behind smartphone design, public policies, and medical research is collected by an overwhelming number of men with less consideration for women.
"Invisible Women" focuses on the gender data gap around the world, something Perez believes influences the health and safety of women. The author argues that addressing these discrepancies can help women rise to leadership positions. More so, implementing company policies that are catering to women can establish gender equality in the workplace.
Find it here >>
"Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman
This 2011 best-seller is a favorite of Jack Zenger, cofounder and CEO of leadership consultancy Zenger Folkman.
Kahneman, a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in economics, breaks down human thought into two systems: the fast and intuitive "System 1," and the slow and deliberate "System 2." His book brings an awareness to our self-ignorance, as we are easily influenced by our surroundings and often automatically respond to things without much filtering. This book teaches us how to be mindful of our brains. Kahneman's framework lays out a number of cognitive biases that affect our everyday behavior, from halo effects to planning fallacies.
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"Good to Great" by Jim Collins
Writing in The Harvard Business Review, John Coleman says that this best-seller is a required read for young leaders.
Jim Collins spent five years researching what qualities allow companies to excel, and the results prompted him to identify eight common traits the "good to great" companies share. Young entrepreneurs can follow Collins' advice on facing brutal truths in the company and developing a niche in the market.
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"Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader" by Herminia Ibarra
Herminia Ibarra, a professor at Harvard and INSEAD business schools, suggests leaders act first and then think, so that they learn from experimentation and direct experience. Being ranked as one of the world's top management thinkers, she offers ways to adopt a new mindset that's translatable across all industries.
"Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader" is packed with self-assessments and advice on the biggest workplace debates. Ibarra devotes an entire chapter to the dangers of being too authentic at work and offers strategies to step outside of your comfort zone.
Find it here >>
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