Coaching Resources

Clients often ask us what books we recommend to help them improve their leadership skills. Here are some suggestions. We update this list regularly when we come across something that resonates with us. So please check back.

Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott, Berkeley Publishing Group, New York, New York, 2004.

This book is about crafting deeply rewarding personal and professional relationships – one conversation at a time.

Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Marilee Adams, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco, California, 2009.

This book is about changing from being a 'Judger' to a 'Learner' and the difference it can make in how you see the world and solve problems.

Quiet Leadership by David Rock, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, New York, 2006.

This book is about a new way of having conversations based on recent discoveries about how the brain works.

Your Brain at Work by David Rock, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, New York, 2009.

Using the latest discoveries about brain/mind functioning, this book shows you how to work smarter, be more focused and productive, stay cool under pressure, reduce the length of meetings and influence people.

The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert, New Harbinger Publications, Oakland, California, 2009.

This book offers insights on the benefits of incorporating compassionate thinking and mindfulness into your life and work, including practice exercises.

The Fifth Discipline (2nd edition) by Peter Senge, Doubleday, USA, 2006

This is the granddaddy of all books about the learning organization, especially understanding mental models and systems thinking.

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change (2nd edition) by Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco, 2010.

This is a very accessible text on Appreciative Inquiry. It is an approach to personal and organizational change based on the assumption that questions and dialogue about strengths, successes, values, hopes and dreams are themselves transformational. It is grounded in affirmation and appreciation. The book describes what is Appreciative Inquiry, how to do it and why it works.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, Crown Publishers, New York, 2012.

This book argues how dramatically we undervalue introverts and how much we lose in doing so. This is a must-read for leaders who want to bring out the best in all the people on their team.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith, Hyperion, New York, 2007.

This book explains how our previous success often prevents us from achieving more success. He identifies 20 annoying habits leaders need to stop doing to go to the next level.

The First 90 Days (updated and expanded): Proven Strategies for Getting Up To Speed Faster And Smarter by Michael D. Watkins, Harvard Business Review Press, Boston, 2013.

This book helps you to understand the challenges you face in taking on a new leadership position. It tells you how to avoid transition traps and what you need to do to build your career transition competence. This is also a must-read book for helping you answer the often-asked executive job interview question: “If you are hired for this position, what will you do in the first 30, 60 or 90 days?” It also contains some good leadership tips as well.