2023 Client Holiday Gift

New this year: if there’s a personal or professional development book you’ve been wanting to read that isn’t on this list, submit that and I’ll send it to you!

All Time Favorites:

  • [NEW for 2023] Rise: 3 Practical Steps for Advancing Your Career, Standing Out as a Leader, and Liking Your Life by Patty Azzarello: A fellow working mom friend recommended this and it is a must read for anyone who wants to advance their career or feels they keep getting stuck in ‘moving up’

  • [New for 2023] I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam: Another book that challenged how I think about time as a working parent to shift small behaviors to maximize time with my kiddo

  • [New for 2023] Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek. This was on my ‘to read list’ I provided last year! A classic to guide your thinking to inspire or make change.

  • [New for 2023] Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams by Gabby Bernstein. This was my first book of Gabby’s and now I know what all the rage is about. This book helps you tap into a power all of us have, but almost all of us forget about on a day to day basis. If you are going to choose this one, I recommend reading the review as you’ll definitely need an open mind and a shift to accept and embrace all this book has to offer, but I highly recommend it.

  • Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World by Eve Rodsky: Recommended to me by a client, this book reminds you of the importance of having a creative space and how to make it happen (by the author of “Fair Play”)

  • The Five Minute Journal: This is my daily go and an easy way to incorporate gratitude, mindfulness or intention into your days with minimal effort. I notice a positive difference on days that I do this vs when I forget to do this.

  • The Five Second Journal: I’d say this also takes the same amount of time as the one above, but is a bit more focused in terms of tasks and specifics in your day vs the Five Minute Journal. If you want something a bit more focused on prioritizing your tasks, this one may be better for you!

  • Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear: Regardless of your tendency, this book is great at breaking down all the wrong ways we go about trying to build habits (& why they don’t work) & offers new ways of thinking about making change (that are actually realistic). I enjoyed how this book combines mindset, psychology, research & actionable tips so you can stop feeling like you’re “failing yourself” and instead move forward.

  • Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski PhD and Amelia Nagoski DMA: I found this book fascinating as it breaks down how women experience burnout differently than men and the science behind what we need to do to avoid burnout and unlock the stress cycle (hint: a lot of it we aren’t doing or know nothing about).

  • Boundary Boss by Terri Cole: For those looking to improve their boundary setting, or stop feeling guilty about when they do set boundaries, Terri Cole’s book is a must. She breaks down all kinds of scenarios and the ways we often work against ourselves in getting what we want. Practical & tactical, I truly loved this book.

  • 101 Essays that Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest: I shared one of her excepts in a “Dive In” this fall as this book hits home with so much of what my coaching clients are working through. This book is easy to digest as it’s short essays on all different topics, so easy to find whatever you need. I find that her writing is straightforward about life, yet thoughtful, empowering & inspiring.

  • Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women by Kate Northrup: I originally learned about Kate Northrup from a female executive I highly respect who has been focused on navigating her role in the C-Suite in her mid-thirties while raising two young kids. This book was originally titled “for moms” but got changed to “Ambitious Women” as the challenges she explores & tools she provides can be applied to anyone who is ambitious & has a lot on their plate. I will flag that part of this book may seem a bit “woo woo” in the beginning as she focuses a lot on connecting with the universe, your body & nature, however the tools she offers are very practical for your day to day life.

  • Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second Guessing & Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel. Don’t assume the pink cover means for ladies only! Provides actionable and simple strategies to incorporate in all decisions in your life both big and small, which will give you back so much energy in your life. 

  • The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin. Okay, you had to know this would be on the list! Deep dive on each type, to get to know yourself better and improve relationships in your life based on their tendencies. 

  • Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. One of my all time favorites that helped me embrace vulnerability, lead with courage and ultimately changed my outlook on how I approach life and how I show up. 

  • Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More by Courtney Carver. This book hits on how the power of simplicity can improve your health, build more meaningful relationships, and relieve stress in your professional and personal life. This isn’t just tactics, the author shares her personal story of the process as well.

  • Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott: This has been my go to for years, and I’ve re-read it a few times. For anyone in leadership who wants to learn how to care personally yet challenge directly, who wants to learn to get real feedback and criticism from their team so they can grow and who wants to provide actionable guidance to help others flourish, the book is for you. I’ve been putting her radical candor techniques into play for 6+ years now, and have always received great feedback from my teams from it.

  • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink: If you struggle with feeling “blah” about your career & life (even if from the outside things look great) this book is a great look about what truly motivates us and how to build more of it into your life. It also breaks down why traditional ways of how often managers / organizations try to motivate us do not work. A true classic if you haven’t read.

  • Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel. When I tell you before Saboteurs that I don’t like personality tests for a reason (people get them wrong, try to pigeon hole themselves) … Anne does a great job in this book explaining WHY people make those mistakes and how you’re actually supposed to use these assessments. It’s also a mini deep dive into a bunch of tests and how to better get along with people who have different personalities than you. 

  • Untamed by Glennon Doyle. If you identify as female and have not read this yet, it’s an absolute must. I finished it in a Saturday afternoon because I truly could not put it down. If you’re looking for a way to take all your new beliefs and new coaching behaviors to the next level, this will inspire you. 

  • Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it by Chris Voss. I teach many of you in coaching about the “accusation audit” but this is a great book where a former FBI hostage negotiator walks you through how he won insane hostage situations and the tactics he uses that you can apply to sales, business & your life.

  • Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. For all my mindset junkies! If you’ve ever thought that success comes from talent, you’re totally wrong. In this book the author walks you through the science (& stories) showing how the best become the best. 

On my “To Read” List… (recommended to me by others, or titles that have caught my eye!)

  • Anything by Gabrielle Bernstein: but specifically “Spirit Junkie” “The Universe Has Your Back” or “Judgement Detox”

  • Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant.

  • The Gift of Influence: Creating Life-Changing and Lasting Impact in Your Everyday Interactions by Tommy Spaulding. This caught my eye because I was required to read a book on creating influence by my first Enablement/Training manager, which has informed so much of the work I’ve done. So many people forget that creating influence is a huge part of their job, but not a skill that comes naturally or that we take time to think about.

  • Compassionate Leadership: How to do Hard Things in a Human Way by Rasmus Houggard. Title explains it all! Leading people is HARD and often uncomfortable.

  • Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee: This title caught my eye as I too often see clients (and friends, and myself) not taking enough time to recognize joy, and create more of it in their lives in an easy (and free) way.

  • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

  • Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long & Happy Life bc Hector Garcia

  • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel can der Kolk: The title says it all - a reminder of where true impact comes from in your life.

  • Multipliers by Liz Wiseman: A revised and updated edition of the acclaimed Wall Street Journal bestseller that explores why some leaders drain capability and intelligence from their teams while others amplify it to produce better results.

  • The Leader's Way: The Art of Making the Right Decisions in Our Careers, Our Companies, and the World at Large by his Holiness the Dali Lama and Laurens van den Muyzenberg: Born out of a decade of discussion between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and international management consultant Laurens van den Muyzenberg, The Leader’s Way is the unique meeting of two worlds: the global business landscape and Buddhism. At first sight, these seem to be an unlikely pairing. After a closer look, however, the best business practices and Buddhist principles in fact have much in common; both are concerned with making rational, holistic decisions and turning them into responsible, effective action. Indeed, the teachings of Buddhism have much to offer business leader

  • It's the Manager: Moving From Boss to Coach by Jim Clifton: Packed with 52 discoveries from Gallup’s largest study of the future of work, It’s the Manager shows leaders and managers how to adapt their organizations to rapid change — from new workplace demands to the challenges of managing remote employees, the rise of artificial intelligence, gig workers, and attracting and keeping today’s best employees.

  • The 4 Stages to Psychological Safety: The Pathway to Inclusion and Innovation by Timothy R. Clark
    This book is the first practical, hands-on guide that shows how leaders can build psychological safety in their organizations, creating an environment where employees feel included, fully engaged, and encouraged to contribute their best efforts and ideas.

  • When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think by Russ Laraway: Russ Laraway, the Chief People Officer at Qualtrics, provides a simple, coherent, and complete leadership standard that teaches organizational planners and managers how to develop incredible levels of employee engagement. The audiobook identifies three key elements: clear direction-setting, frequent coaching, and active engagement with employees on their long-term career goals.

  • Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey: I mean, named one of the best books of the year I couldn’t not include everyone’s favorite rom-com star turned self help guru! Pulled from his decades worth of diaries and life experiences, this book is “A love letter. To life” while walking through how to deal with life’s inevitable challenges and catching more “greenlights” (with some pretty funny and inspiring stories along the way)

  • The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dali Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams: In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu travelled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create this book as a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: how do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our times and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecedented week together, from the first embrace to the final goodbye.

  • The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama: Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles—the earned wisdom that helps her continue to “become.” She details her most valuable practices, like “starting kind,” “going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of trusted friends and mentors. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.

Happy reading & relaxing!