Books we think even the Grinch would love
A gift guide for even the prickliest of people on your list.
Although the Grinch, famously played by Jim Carrey in the 2000 live action movie famously (and very catchily) said, “Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely”, we think he might have changed his tune about the holiday season a little earlier if he’d been given any (or all) of the following books. Happy new year and happy reading!
For the owner who is: forever seeking opportunities to innovate
Don’t you just love finding out you’re wrong? No? Well, Grant does. He revels in the opportunities being wrong offer because in his mind, they’re also invitations to be curious; summonses to unlearn and rethink things and make them better. Think Again encourages us to lean into the messy unknown purely to see what could happen. Add a dash of psychological safety into the mix and pretty soon, you’ll be fostering an environment where people are ready to take calculated risks, embrace their curiosity and innovate like there’s no tomorrow. Onward!
For the owner who is: ready to tap into the power of diverse teams
How do we as a society determine who is “the norm” and who falls outside of it? Many of us believe diversity only really captures “minority” racial, gender or sexuality identities. Building a House for Diversity challenges this binary notion of diversity – majority vs. minority – by way of a simple story. Discover who among us has the power to evoke lasting organizational change and why.
TL;DR: We are all, by virtue of our unique experiences, diverse and actively contributing to the diversity of our teams and environments.
For the owner who is: feeling overwhelmed by complexity
When was the last time you consciously thought about the way you think? How about the idea of retooling your mental infrastructure? Thankfully for all of us, Jennifer Garvey Berger did… a lot. By compiling decades worth of meeting notes and peer-reviewed journals, she realized something big: our species sucks at navigating complexity. But never fear! Garvey Berger wrote Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps to help us identify the five biological mindtraps that tend to trip us up and how to avoid them. Pretty cool stuff.
For the owner who is: curious about how gendered experience can impact entrepreneurship
Poised for Exit serves as a window into the kinds of struggles and triumphs entrepreneurial women face while trying to juggle the various demands of daily life. Keyes tells us “This book is intended to raise the consciousness of women who own their own companies but are unclear what a successful exit entails, who’s involved, and what exit options might be available to them.” For the owners looking to better understand themselves, their counterparts or their entrepreneurial journey, this book is the perfect springboard.
For the owner who is: making communication a priority in the new year
According to Kate Murphy, “listening is about the experience of being experienced” and it is the cornerstone of interesting conversation. When we make others feel like we’re interested in what they have to say by leading with curiosity – asking insightful questions, modeling engaged body language and refraining from interrupting – we open the door the quality conversation and connection. You’re Not Listening asks us to evaluate and improve the quality of our own listening skills first because it will set the stage so better collaboration and team communication can follow.