Stack of books on a shelf
Well-being is a top concern on everyone’s list these days. Stress, anxiety and burnout pervade professional lives and can’t help but overflow into personal ones. If you’re in a leadership role, every day may feel like a struggle to stay positive amid great resignations, quiet quitting and a temperamental recruitment environment.
You aren’t alone if you’re looking for ways to exit the funk and approach your life and your work with positivity. If you can successfully address your own health and happiness, you can pass it on to your team. Here are seven books that will get you on your way.
Music can move you, relax you and energize you. But CEO adviser, leadership coach and Meritage Leadership founder Drumm says updating your playlist can also make you a better leader.
Drumm fuses studies in leadership neuroscience with the power of music. The result is a method for developing a playlist that helps you get unstuck professionally or personally. It’s a program to reset your leadership mindset by reshaping behaviors molded by experiences from childhood to the present. This book doesn’t just talk about the intersection of science, music and leadership. It walks you through the process of getting some new songs stuck—beneficially—in your head.
Everyone experiences burnout from time to time. HR pro, career coach and indigoforce founder Calvado offers approaches designed to help you overcome the powerlessness you feel with what she calls “soul-fulfilling strategies.”
In the book, Calvado explains how her OPEN Method of observing, pausing, engaging and nurturing can lead to a transformational change in your attitude and outlook. If you can cool the burnout, you can power yourself and your team to work that’s rewarding rather than punishing.
3. First Things First by Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill
A few years after publishing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, leadership and organizational guru Covey co-authored this book based on the premise that “Where you’re headed is more important than how fast you’re going.”
If you haven’t read this classic guidance for prioritizing what’s most important in your professional and personal lives—rather than chasing one deadline after the other—you should. It might give you a fresh perspective on setting goals and enjoying the ride to achieving them. Those ideas never get old.
Speaking of riding, author and speaker Gordon invites you to board The Energy Bus to learn 10 secrets to being your best as a team leader. Unlike most self-help books, Gordon’s tells a story about a character named George who learns that Energy + Perception = Outcome. The bus driver, Joy, teaches George that leading effectively requires listening to each member of your team, practicing empathy and recognizing each of them for their wins.
This might sound like a children’s book. And in fact, Gordon has published a version for kids. But pick up the adult copy to learn ways to ratchet up your leadership energy and enthusiasm.
Bregman is the founder of Bregman Partners, a leadership consulting firm, and his book is a nod to the blogs he authors for the Harvard Business Review. As such, it’s an easy book to pick up and put down as needed without losing ground.
Bregman asserts that those who stir others to follow must be willing and able to embrace emotion and use it with confidence in a professional setting. That means learning how to speak up when others won’t and eschewing office politics for the sake of getting things accomplished.
Williams is a therapist, author and time-management coach who has written a series of toolkits for achieving psychological well-being. Her anxiety toolkit addresses stress, anxious thoughts, self-esteem, social anxiety and a future without them.
Anxiety, like enthusiasm, is contagious. If you don’t want to spread it to those you lead, you need to overcome your own. Williams’ book offers easy instructions for doing that. And who can’t use some anxiety-reducing advice in the workplace these days?
7. Deskbound by Dr. Kelly Starrett, Juliet Starrett and Glen Cordoza
You can’t achieve true well-being without addressing your physical health. The Starretts are co-founders of The Ready State Team, which teaches you how to “Live Ready” whether you’re an executive or an elite athlete.
In Deskbound, the authors teach you how to overcome the debilitating effects of spending too much time in your desk chair. The book doesn’t just tell you to get a standing desk. It offers advice on recognizing and eliminating “toxic” body positions, stabilizing your core and working your way to a pain-free existence that will help you work, play and live healthier.
These seven books may not have every wellness-related answer you need. But the authors cover a lot of ground on topics important to your overall well-being. Make a list of what’s negatively impacting your mental and physical health, then read a book that addresses each challenge. With the right advice, you’ll be able to restore your positive outlook and spread it to your team.
