The best 100 Teamwork books

These blinks outline the key principles for building a healthy organization where all the employees pull together in the same direction following the same objectives. This enables organizations to achieve their full potential, while unhealthy competitors waste resources in internal squabbles.

• Leadership team members in any type of organization
• Anyone working in human resources
• Consultants in the fields of leadership, organizational learning and team building

Leaders Eat Last explores the influence that neurochemicals have on the way people feel and consequently act, and examines the discrepancies between how our bodies were designed to function and how they function today. Ultimately, we need true leaders to direct us back on the right path.

• Any leader, CEO or manager of a business or organization
• Anyone interested in how biological evolution affects our behavior today
• Anyone interested in leadership techniques

In The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner explain how anyone can become a better leader. Citing various examples from their 25 years of experience and extensive research, the authors present their theories on what makes a successful leader, and give practical advice on how to learn good leadership behavior.

• Anyone in a management position
• Anyone leading a team of any size
• Anyone interested in becoming a better leader

How to Be a Positive Leader examines cutting-edge research from the field of positive organizational behavior, in which companies aim to foster both a positive attitude to work and high performance among employees. The research is complemented with vivid examples from real organizations.

• Anyone interested in the concept of happiness at work
• Leaders who want to build thriving, successful organizations
• Employees who want to be happier and more productive

In The Effective Executive, author Peter Drucker offers a step-by-step guide to becoming a more productive and effective executive. By mastering a few procedures and principles, you can develop your own capacities as a leader and also support your employees’ strengths, with the goal of improving results across your organization.

• Anyone interested in becoming a more effective manager
• Anyone who wants to improve their performance both personally and at work
• Anyone wondering how to create a more cooperative working environment

Team of Teams (2015) lays out the many ways that even large organizations can benefit from the agility and savvy of small teams. By building a team of teams, companies can better manage the complex, interconnected issues that often mean life or death for a company.

• Anyone in charge of organizing groups of people
• Ambitious entrepreneurs
• Anyone interested in working in a team

The Elements of Scrum (2011) explains how outmoded software development processes are holding companies back in an ever-changing market. Today’s successful teams need to be agile and flexible; and the best companies do this by adopting a methodology called scrum. This book gives you everything you need to know to start a scrum-based process in your own organization.

• Project managers
• Software developers and designers
• Anyone interested in agile organizational processes

The Ideal Team Player (2016) explores the role teamwork plays in today’s business environment and shows you how to build a team geared for success. These blinks explain what makes a good team player, how to find them and which strategies you’ll need to build a company around the concept of teamwork.

• Human resources specialists and business leaders
• Professionals curious about their capacity teamwork
• Employees struggling with team relations at work

In his book Boost! (2017), author Michael Bar-Eli uses decades of experience with world-class athletes, and the many hard-won lessons he’s learned along the way, to explain the dynamic power of sports psychology. The author not only shows how athletes can use psychology to their advantage, but how this element can be used to improve the performance of any team player, whether on the court or in the office.

• Leaders and aspiring leaders
• Readers interested in how psychology can improve performance
• Athletes and former athletes

Move (2017) provides an actionable framework for establishing long-term organizational change and introduces the MOVE model, which helps businesses overcome chronic issues ranging from employee skepticism and task prioritization to making restructuring an integral part of company culture.

• Change agents
• CEOs
• Managers at all levels

The Power of a Positive Team (2018) shares proven principles that help good teams become great. Using real-life examples from the author’s many years of work in business consulting, the blinks explain how you can improve your team’s communication and commitment while dispelling negativity.

• Anyone wanting to build a better team
• Leaders looking to brush up on their management skills
• Business owners wanting to improve their company’s culture

No Bullsh*t Leadership (2019) dispels the myths we often hear about what makes a great leader. Whether you’re managing a company, school or sports team, the principles behind effective leadership aren’t rocket science. Nor do they require impressive titles or expensive suits. In this timely volume, experienced leader Chris Hirst explains how any of us can learn the philosophy behind great leadership if we put our minds to it.

• Aspiring leaders looking to up their game
• Experienced managers in need of refreshing ideas
• Anyone interested in the science – or lack thereof – behind leadership

Lead Like a Coach (2018) is a how-to guide to the coaching model of leadership. Packed with advice and insight, these blinks are the perfect companion for any leader looking to up their game. Making a clear case for the benefits of coaching over older managerial styles, they explain why coaching is so relevant today and why many organizations are opting to switch to this model.

• Leaders who care about the people they lead
• Executives who want to improve company work culture
• People who want to develop more personal and supportive relationships

Leading without Authority (2020) explores how non-managerial employees can drive change and influence their coworkers. These blinks outline simple techniques for making a big impact in the workplace, regardless of your official title.

• Employees looking for their next promotion
• Managers seeking fresh insights 
• Executive coaches wanting a new perspective

The Fifth Discipline (1990) is a comprehensive guide to creating learning organizations – workplaces that nurture innovation and personal growth. The author argues that, in our rapidly changing world, companies can only succeed if they change the way in which they deal with problems. In his view, a reactive approach, based on constantly putting out fires, no longer works. Instead, businesses need to adopt what he calls a systems thinking method. This method is proactive, and its purpose is to identify underlying patterns and generate innovative solutions. But this approach only works if you have motivated staff who share the company’s vision. 

• Entrepreneurs who want to uncover blind spots in their thinking
• Disgruntled employees seeking satisfaction in their work
• Team members who want to learn to speak their minds

The Scrum Fieldbook (2019) is a practical, hands-on guide to the scrum organizational framework within the Agile mindset. This concise manual recaps how scrum works to increase work velocity and to ensure any team delivers the right impact for the business. It also explains how to implement Scrum in any organization across all industries from software to home renovation and even to the military.

• Small companies looking for big results
• Managers aiming to streamline their team
• Anyone interested in cutting-edge organizational techniques

Staring Down the Wolf (2020) is a leadership guide to forging great teams in the face of adversity. Drawing upon the teachings of the Navy SEALs, one of the world’s most elite military units, it shows what it takes to command an elite team.

• Leaders seeking to align and strengthen their teams
• Military aficionados
• Anyone who needs inspiration to push past their plateau

High Impact Tools for Teams (2021) offers flexible tools for project planning, assessment, and creating an empowering environment for your team members. At the center is the Team Alignment Map, a simple chart that will transform the way you conduct meetings, track progress, and identify problems before they occur.

• Leaders and project managers looking for better results
• Anyone trying to get an ambitious project off the ground
• Team members who long for a better work environment

Teams That Work (2020) presents the seven drivers that make any team effective. Packed with the latest research and real-world examples, this practical guide draws on the many years of experience of coauthors Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas in helping teams succeed.

• Managers or leaders who want to boost team performance
• Anyone who wants to be a better team player
• Teamwork skeptics who’ve tried it all

Simple Truths of Leadership (2022) explores simple principles that elevate leaders from good to great. It reveals the common mistakes that leaders make – and uncovers the behaviors that result in better team performance and closer working relationships. 

• New managers eager to build strong relationships with their teams
• Seasoned leaders looking for a fresh perspective
• Entrepreneurs hoping to brush up on their people skills

Who Not How (2020) introduces a new way of thinking about entrepreneurship, goal setting, and collaboration. Developed by business coach Dan Sullivan, the Who Not How mindset shows the importance of delegating tasks to others. By inviting them to help you achieve your goals, you’ll gain more free time, increase your income, and develop valuable, lasting professional relationships.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs looking to realize a business idea
• Burned-out professionals with a desire for more free time
• Perfectionists on the hunt for procrastination cures

Everyone Deserves a Great Manager (2019) provides business leaders with six crucial practices that will transform team members into high performers. Offering practical solutions, it fills in the gap many new managers encounter when they’re promoted without receiving any leadership training. 

• Newly promoted managers who have no idea what they’re doing
• Fledgling managers wanting better outcomes
• Senior managers looking to update their skills

The Enneagram at Work (2021) reveals how applying the Enneagram – an emotional intelligence metric – can elevate leadership in the modern workplace. It explores the different Enneagram types and shows how tapping into self-awareness can make teams stronger and spark innovative solutions. From managing conflict and building mentorships to giving and receiving criticism, it provides the tools to foster personal growth and long-lasting success in the office.

• Would-be collaborators who want to better understand themselves and others
• Individuals seeking awareness of their strengths and blindspots in the workplace
• Go-getters who want to build stronger teams and become more effective leaders

Humor, Seriously (2021) explores the value of a human-centered approach to business, and of the funny that can be found and created in any environment. It relies on science, psychology, and humorous anecdotes from experts in the field to show how using humor can create a culture of levity, build trust, and unlock creativity.

• Leaders looking to build trust
• Managers who want to enhance creativity
• Anyone seeking more joy in work and life

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety (2020) is a practical handbook for creating and maintaining psychological safety in the workplace. In order for employees to take risks, ask questions, challenge the status quo, and make mistakes – all while learning and growing – they have to feel included and safe. This book shows how leaders can reduce social friction while encouraging collaboration and innovation.

• Managers and CEOs trying to boost employee well-being and productivity
• Leaders tired of dusty corporate hierarchies
• Anyone interested in practical approaches to workplace inclusion

I Don’t Agree (2020) is a practical guide to improving your conflict resolution skills. Disagreement is seen as bad, and even scary. But, actually, conflict can be a powerful engine for growth if you know how to deal with it effectively. I Don’t Agree provides ten practical strategies that will help you become an expert in dealing with conflict in all areas of your life.

• Employees seeking to improve their collaborations
• Anyone wanting to resolve a bitter argument
• Parents who want to learn how to teach conflict resolution skills to their kids

The 6 Types of Working Genius (2022) is an illuminating guide to matching the right talent with the right task in the workplace. It also shows how to elevate your relationships with your colleagues – and provides concrete ways to transform your organization into a place people want to work for.

• Managers looking to inspire and get the best out of their teams
• Individuals trying to fulfill their potential and understand their peers
• Organizations seeking to attract, place, and keep talent

Trust (2023) is a sensitive and practical guide to this essential part of human relationships. It reveals the deep significance of trust as a factor in our lives and outlines the five essential elements for building and maintaining it.

• Leaders who wish to create trust within organizations
• Those looking to establish deeper personal and familial relationships
• People who want to rebuild trust after it has been broken

The DevOps Handbook (2016) offers a roadmap on how to catapult your technology operations into a realm of world-class agility, reliability, and security. Dive deep into the heart of the DevOps philosophy, equipping you with insights to bridge gaps between development and operations, while fostering unmatched efficiency.

• Technology professionals seeking to enhance organizational efficiency
• Business leaders navigating digital transformation initiatives
• Aspiring IT managers and DevOps enthusiasts

How to Work with (Almost) Anyone (2023) is a compelling guide to mastering workplace dynamics and nurturing professional relationships. It shows how you can enable more effective collaboration by facilitating open dialogue, nurturing curiosity, and fostering trust.

• Leaders who manage projects or coordinate teams
• Employees who want to boost their workplace relationships
• Young adults learning to interact with varying personalities in academic and professional environments

Death by Meeting (2004) is a part-fable, part-instruction guide to the pitfalls of dull and unproductive meetings. It highlights why meetings can be so damaging to team morale and proposes a fresh approach – relying on healthy conflict and a clear purpose – to keep leaders and participants engaged. 

• Team leaders wanting to enhance meeting effectiveness
• Executives striving to boost team engagement
• Consultants advising clients on best practices for organizational health

Team Topologies (2019) offers a framework for organizing IT and business teams for optimal software delivery. It introduces four fundamental team structures and their interaction patterns to improve speed, autonomy, and alignment with business needs. This approach emphasizes dynamically adjusting team structures based on evolving requirements.

• Organizational leaders seeking strategies to improve team efficiency and streamline software delivery processes.
• IT managers looking to align business goals with technology team dynamics and interactions.
• Software architects interested in how team topologies can influence system design and vice versa.

Influence and Impact (2021) offers a practical guide for professionals seeking to build their influence within organizations. Drawing on proven coaching techniques, it provides frameworks, stories, and solutions to help you evaluate your strengths, develop critical skills, and determine what roles will maximize your effectiveness.

• Professionals seeking to advance their careers through developing leadership abilities
• Managers looking to improve their skills and better motivate their teams
• Individual contributors aiming to increase their impact and influence within their organizations

The Mind of the Leader (2018) explores how leaders can cultivate critical inner capacities like mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion to become more effective guides. Supported by research conducted by The Potential Project, it draws on psychology, neuroscience, and case studies of global organizations to provide science-based tools for strengthening these core leadership skills. 

• Managers looking to improve their leadership skills
• Emerging leaders 
• Entrepreneurs and founders wanting to develop a purpose-based leadership approach

10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times (2021) provides a framework for leaders navigating major change, concentrating on core virtues such as kindness, humility, and respect. Ziglar’s insights advocate for a Coach Leadership style that cultivates each team member’s unique dreams and abilities, ensuring that businesses thrive even in difficult times.

• Modern motivators
• Team-centric visionaries
• Digital desk directors

The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook (2011) is a guide to building and maintaining robust professional relationships. Filled with actionable insights and real-world examples, it equips you with strategies to enhance your credibility, deepen trust with clients and colleagues, and master the art of empathetic communication. Whether you're navigating complex partnerships or seeking to build rapport quickly, this resource is your roadmap to becoming an indispensable advisor in your field.

• Business consultants seeking enhanced client relationship strategies
• Sales professionals aiming to build deeper trust with clients
• Corporate leaders focused on fostering a culture of trust

Scaling People (2023) offers practical leadership and management advice for founders and executives creating high-growth startups. Drawing on the author’s experience leading operations and people at top technology companies, it guides companies in building the systems needed to scale their most valuable asset – their people.

• Founders and executives
• Leaders seeking company growth
• Entrepreneurs looking to scale their startups

The Program (2019) is a hands-on guide to the winning techniques and tactics of The Program, a renowned team-building and leadership development company. Drawing from the real-life experiences of its instructors, it illustrates how military leadership and team-building concepts can elevate organizational performance and foster accountability and effective communication.

• Team leaders aiming for excellence and success
• Coaches aiming to inspire athletes
• Entrepreneurs seeking to develop a strong culture

The Leader in You (1993) reveals how tapping into your enthusiasm and creativity can help you connect more effectively and work more productively. Drawing on insights from leaders across a wide range of fields, this practical guide includes strategies to hone your leadership strengths, boost your self-confidence, and achieve your personal and professional goals.

• Managers or employees striving to become effective leaders
• People craving better relationships with friends and colleagues
• Perennial worriers who want to reenergize their outlook on life

Positive Communication for Leaders (2023) explores the transformative power of positive communication strategies in leadership roles. It offers practical guidance on employing positive language, active listening, and constructive feedback to enhance organizational effectiveness and interpersonal relationships. Through theoretical insights and real-world applications, it aims to equip leaders with the tools to foster a more supportive and productive workplace environment.

• Corporate leaders seeking to improve team dynamics
• HR professionals interested in organizational development strategies
• Managers aiming to enhance employee engagement

Simple Truths of Leadership Playbook (2023) highlights how adopting servant leadership, a balanced approach focusing on serving others and achieving outcomes, can cultivate strong relationships and superior results in the workplace.

• Aspiring servant leaders
• Corporate managers
• Team-building professionals

Conversational Intelligence (2014) explores how brain chemistry influences the way we communicate, explaining why some conversations build trust while others create barriers. By combining insights from neuroscience with practical strategies, it offers tools to turn daily interactions into powerful opportunities for connection, innovation, and meaningful change.

• Leaders and managers looking to build more collaborative, innovative teams
• Negotiators and mediators handling complex conversations
• Anyone experiencing communication challenges in personal or professional relationships

Radical Respect (2024) navigates the complexities of toxic workplace behaviors, including bias, prejudice, discrimination, bullying, and harassment. It provides a comprehensive guide to recognizing and addressing these issues, offering targeted strategies and practical advice for fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and growth in personal and professional spheres. 

• Managers and leaders looking to create a healthier, more productive work environment
• Employees experiencing or witnessing toxic behaviors like bias, prejudice, discrimination, bullying, or harassment
• Anyone interested in personal growth, self-awareness, and building healthier relationships in their professional and personal lives

High Road Leadership (2024) is a guide for leaders who want to make a positive, lasting impact through integrity and generosity. It has insights and advice for anyone interested in becoming a successful leader who makes a meaningful difference.

• Managers and executives looking for inspiration
• Anyone in a leadership position
• People looking to have an impact on others

Rocket Fuel (2015) explores the powerful dynamic between two critical roles in successful businesses: the Visionary and the Integrator. It delves into how these roles complement each other, ensuring that innovation and inspiration receive the proper structure and follow-through to drive business growth. The guide provides actionable insights for identifying the role into which individuals best fit, and how to harness this relationship to propel a company forward. 

• Entrepreneurs seeking effective business partnership strategies
• Business leaders aiming for organizational growth
• Business consultants focusing on leadership development

Difficult Conversations Don’t Have to Be Difficult (2024) is a practical guide to navigating challenging discussions. With a focus on work relationships, it provides a step-by-step method to approach difficult conversations with confidence, empathy, and skill. In doing so, it helps transform potential conflicts into opportunities for growth and positive change.

• Anyone looking to improve their communication skills
• Business leaders wanting to strengthen their interpersonal skills and build strong teams
• HR professionals looking for additional strategies for handling conflict

The Leader’s Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills (2017) offers expert insights into and practical guidance to a specific approach to leadership that can help to unleash your team’s creativity, resulting in a more innovative and successful organization.

• Leaders
• People interested in a more innovative approach to business
• All those who want to learn how to think more creatively

No Ego (2017) is a fresh take on leadership and a challenge to conventional wisdom. Focusing on eliminating workplace drama and emotional waste, it provides practical strategies for fostering accountability, resilience, and innovation. Wakeman's approach empowers managers and workers alike to embrace a culture of personal responsibility – a culture that, ultimately, will reduce stress, increase engagement, and engender a productive and positive work environment.

• Leaders looking for new management techniques
• Employees interested in self-motivation
• Frustrated managers and executives

The Art of Encouragement (2024) is a practical guide that empowers readers to enhance wellbeing and productivity through the power of encouragement. It offers actionable strategies for leaders to develop their teams, maximize impact, and create positive change within their organizations and communities. With compelling narratives and straightforward lessons, it serves as an essential resource for anyone looking to uplift and inspire those around them.

• Managers looking to improve team dynamics and drive productivity
• Coaches and consultants who guide others in personal and professional development
• Mentors interested in enhancing their leadership skills

The Hive Mind at Work (2024) introduces a new model for organizational change, inspired by the collective intelligence and resilience of bees. It outlines nine laws for creating meaningful change, using the Hive LENS to help you harness group intelligence in your organization. This approach offers a fresh alternative to traditional change management methods.

• Organizational leaders seeking effective change management strategies
• Human resource professionals focused on group dynamics
• Change management students studying collective intelligence models

How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge (2017) explores how individuals can exercise leadership and influence, even when they lack formal authority. It emphasizes that true leadership is more about mindset, personal responsibility, and relational influence than having a title or position. With practical advice, it empowers people to make a meaningful impact from any position in an organization.

• Aspiring leaders without formal authority or titles
• Middle managers seeking greater influence in organizations
• Anyone looking to grow personal leadership skills and responsibility

The Oz Principle (1994) explores the concept of accountability as the key to both individual and organizational success. It encourages you to stop blaming external circumstances and take responsibility for your actions by adopting an “Above the Line” mindset, focused on ownership and solutions. Through examples and strategies, it shows how accountability can lead to better results and foster a culture of personal and professional growth.

• Business leaders seeking to improve organizational accountability
• Employees aiming to take ownership of results
• Entrepreneurs striving for personal and team accountability

Nobody Is Coming to Save You (2024) reveals how to conquer high-stakes challenges by building trust and connections. Drawing from his experience in the most intense environments, Scott Mann shows you how to motivate others and bridge divides – whether at work, in your community, or in your personal life. This is your guide to cutting through the chaos and leading with purpose.

• Professionals looking to enhance their leadership and communication skills
• Veterans navigating post-service transitions and leadership challenges
• Community organizers looking to foster deeper, authentic connections

Collaborating with the Enemy (2017) offers a fresh perspective on tackling complex challenges in an increasingly polarized world. It introduces practical strategies for turning conflicts into opportunities, offering guidance on working effectively with those we may see as adversaries to uncover breakthrough solutions and drive meaningful innovation.

• Leaders managing conflicts within diverse or polarized teams
• Community organizers and activists working on contentious local issues
• Professionals seeking creative solutions through unconventional partnerships

Working with Emotional Intelligence (1999) explores how emotional intelligence (EQ) plays a key part in professional success, surpassing cognitive abilities like IQ or technical expertise. It shows that skills like self-awareness, empathy, and social competence are key to career advancement and offers practical insights for anyone looking to enhance their professional life through emotional intelligence.

• Aspiring leaders who want to enhance their promotion chances by cultivating EQ
• Managers brushing up on conflict resolution strategies and interpersonal skills
• HR professionals looking to identify and nurture employees with high EQ levels

Team (2024) reveals how to elevate group productivity, streamline collaboration, and reduce stress for everyone involved. Packed with real-world insights from top-performing companies, it equips you with the tools to build a focused, cohesive, and high-performing team. Perfect for today’s evolving workplace, it’s your essential guide to achieving more together.

• Teams seeking better collaboration and productivity gains
• Managers looking to reduce workplace stress and improve efficiency
• Professionals interested in effective, actionable organizational strategies

How to Say Anything to Anyone (2013) suggests practical ways to improve communication in the workplace. For smooth, successful working relationships, a more candid approach can make all the difference.

• Managers trying to improve the workplace atmosphere
• People who struggle with giving feedback
• Anyone who wants to improve their communication skills

Unlock Your Leadership Story (2024) explores how fables and folktales can offer valuable insights into modern leadership challenges. By encouraging leaders to reflect on their unique experiences, values, and struggles, it demonstrates how authentic storytelling can build trust, deepen connections, and amplify influence. Through actionable strategies and techniques, you’ll be able to transform your own personal narratives into powerful tools for inspiration, motivation, and lasting growth.

• Human resources professionals developing workplace talent
• Project and team leaders managing groups of people
• Sales managers helping their teams reach peak performance

The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey (1989) is a business parable which explores how managers can improve productivity and reduce stress by mastering the art of delegation. It introduces the concept of “monkeys,” representing tasks or responsibilities that often shift unnecessarily from employees to managers. By keeping these monkeys with their rightful owners, it helps leaders focus on their priorities while empowering team members to take ownership of their work.

• Managers seeking to improve delegation and time management
• Team leaders aiming to empower their team members
• Professionals interested in enhancing leadership efficiency skills

Be a People Person (1989) is a guide to bringing out the best in yourself and others. It focuses on several key qualities required for effective leadership, weaving in biblical references and lessons from Scripture. It posits that anyone can learn to become a people person, regardless of background or current position. 

• Anyone hoping to strengthen their interpersonal skills 
• Leaders of organizations, communities, or families 
• Personal development enthusiasts 

Culture Renovation (2021) explains how business leaders can transform their corporate culture by taking a strategic "renovation" approach rather than attempting a complete overhaul. It presents a data-driven framework for preserving valuable cultural elements while implementing targeted changes.

• CEOs and senior executives seeking to modernize their organizations
• HR leaders and Chief People Officers managing cultural initiatives
• Change management consultants and organizational development professionals

KIND (2024) explores the transformative power of kindness in the workplace, showing how empathy and trust contribute to stronger teams, better decision-making, and higher productivity. It challenges the perception that kindness is a “soft” skill, arguing instead that it is an indispensable leadership quality that fosters creativity, engagement, and long-term success. By blending insights from psychology, neuroscience, and management theory, it provides practical strategies for cultivating a culture of kindness at work. 

• Leaders and managers who want to build trust and collaboration
• Professionals seeking to improve workplace culture and relationships
• Individuals interested in personal growth and emotional intelligence

The Thin Book of Trust (2008) provides a framework for building trust at work. By focusing on four different attributes – care, sincerity, reliability, and competence – you can improve your relationships and create a culture of trust in the workplace.

• Leaders who want to improve the culture in their workplace
• People aiming to create stronger, trust-based working relationships
• Anyone who wants to understand the nature of trust

What You’re Made For? (2025) explores the life lessons of sports legend George Raveling – and his remarkable journey from hardship to influence. It offers a blueprint for discovering purpose, evolving continuously, and living an impactful life. 

• Sports enthusiasts interested in the behind-the-scenes wisdom of basketball legends
• Aspiring coaches and leaders seeking to develop leadership skills
• Anyone seeking inspiration to persevere through adversity

Masters of Uncertainty (2025) provides a method for training individuals and teams to perform at their peak, no matter the circumstances. It shows you how to turn uncertainty and chaos into opportunities, stay calm under pressure, and leverage innate human capabilities to excel in challenging situations. By mastering this approach, you can improve your performance, whether you work alone or as part of a team.

• Professionals facing high-pressure situations
• Leaders building resilient and adaptable teams
• Individuals seeking personal growth and adaptability

Trust Works! (2013) explores how trust shapes relationships and drives successful teams and organizations. It outlines the simple yet powerful ABCD – able, believable, connected, and dependable – trust model, which you can use to cultivate, maintain, and restore trust. 

• Leaders and managers responsible for teams 
• Individuals in charge of building positive company or group culture 
• Anyone wanting to improve a specific relationship 

Manager as Coach (2012) reshapes leadership by swapping outdated commands for coaching dialogues that ignite engagement and drive results. Learn to cultivate talent without micromanaging, lower stress while boosting performance, and foster a proactive culture where issues are resolved before reaching you. This is a highly effective guide that will help you instill each interaction with capability and trust.

• Managers seeking stress-free leadership techniques
• New supervisors building coaching skills quickly
• HR professionals creating engagement-focused cultures

The Whole Brain Business Book (2015) explores how individuals and organizations can harness different thinking styles to improve performance, communication, and innovation. It introduces the Whole Brain Model, which divides cognitive preferences into four quadrants – analytical, sequential, interpersonal, and imaginative – and shows how understanding these can lead to better decision-making and collaboration. By applying Whole Brain Thinking, it offers a practical framework for solving complex business challenges more effectively.

• Visionary business leaders seeking cognitive diversity
• Collaborative teams aiming to boost innovation
• Anyone interested in how thinking works

How to Work with Complicated People (2025) provides practical strategies for effectively collaborating with almost any difficult individual, by emphasizing empathy, clear communication, and personal accountability. Through actionable advice, it equips readers to transform relational conflicts into opportunities for personal and professional growth. 

• Anyone struggling with an interpersonal conflict 
• Team leaders and managers 
• Human resources workers 

The Psychology of Leadership (2025) draws on research into several subdisciplines of psychology to offer a framework for successful leadership based on scientific research into happiness. Weaving together real-world examples, personal anecdotes, and research, it presents a framework for harnessing psychological insights in leadership. 

• Stressed out leaders at any stage of their careers looking for more satisfaction or meaning in their work.
• Coaches, consultants, and HR professionals looking to turn around toxic workplace cultures
• Anyone interested in being happier and healthier at work, while cultivating more success

Transformed (2024) is a practical guide to the product operating model – a framework used by many of the most successful businesses. By following these expert recommendations, leaders can transform their companies, and start to see real results.

• CEOs and other business leaders
• People trying to drive change within their company
• Anyone who wants to learn more about the product operating model

The Social Brain (2023) investigates how human connection drives team performance, trust, and resilience in modern organizations. Drawing on insights from psychology, anthropology, and organizational design, it offers practical guidance for shaping group dynamics, building strong relationships, and creating environments where people thrive.

• Leaders and managers aiming to design human-centered teams
• Consultants applying behavioral and social science
• Anyone interested in what research says about human connection

The 7 Commitments of a Great Team (2025) examines the core principles that turn talented individuals into unstoppable teams. It provides a blueprint for building trust, maintaining positivity, and creating the kind of collaboration that drives extraordinary results. 

• Team leaders and managers looking to improve collaboration and performance 
• Those transitioning into a leadership role needing foundational team-building skills
• Anyone seeking strategies to unite diverse skill sets toward common objectives

The Systems Leader (2025) explores how modern leaders can stay effective in a world of constant disruption and competing demands. It offers a practical framework for handling five tensions that show up across industries – like balancing short-term performance with long-term vision, or acting with both authority and empathy. Drawing on real-world examples, it shows you how to stay steady, think broadly, and make better decisions under pressure.

• Executives managing pressure from multiple stakeholders
• Midlevel managers facing cross-functional leadership challenges
• Founders trying to scale responsibly and sustainably

Unicorn Team (2025) explores how leaders can build and manage high-performing teams to bring big ideas to life. It introduces the Unicorn Innovation Model, which identifies nine leadership types and explains how their unique strengths contribute to a team’s success. By aligning the right people with the right roles, it helps create a collaborative environment where innovation and efficiency thrive.

• Ambitious entrepreneurs looking to build and scale high-performing teams
• Innovative leaders seeking to align talent with big ideas
• Anyone striving to lead, innovate, and execute ideas faster

Flow Leadership (2025) presents an approach to team management that balances three essential elements: people, purpose, and performance. Shifting from traditional top-down leadership, it introduces strategies that help sustain high performance by prioritizing employee well-being and authentic workplace culture.

• Executives seeking sustainable strategies for employee retention and engagement
• Managers struggling to balance team development with performance targets
• Aspiring leaders who want to practice authentic, people-centered leadership

The Science of Leadership (2023) distills decades of academic research into nine practical leadership capacities that help leaders expand their influence and effectiveness. It combines scientific findings from over 15,000 studies with real-world coaching experience to create a powerful self-development guide for leaders at all levels. 

• Senior executives seeking to refine their approach with research-backed methods
• Junior leaders seeking practical guidance for their first roles
• Professional coaches developing leadership frameworks for their clients

The Relatable Leader (2025) offers changemakers a practical, research-driven guide to galvanizing their teams through the four tenets of relatable leadership: connection, communication, inspiration, and manifestation. In doing so, leaders can create workplace cultures where people feel valued, motivated, and eager to perform at their best. 

• Corporate managers seeking stronger team engagement 
• HR professionals building inclusive workplace cultures 
• Coaches enhancing mentor-mentee relationships 

Curative Culture (2025) explores what it means to create a workplace that not only avoids harm but actively restores and strengthens people. It introduces the concept of a “curative culture” – an environment in which each individual is valued first as a human being, then as a contributor. Drawing from the religious principle of Imago Dei, or “image of God,” it invites leaders to shape cultures that recognize the inherent worth of every coworker.

• Team leaders facing burnout or high staff turnover
• Managers shaping culture in mission-driven organizations
• Executives ready to rethink what “healthy” truly means

The Power of Employee Well-Being (2025) argues for abandoning engagement metrics in favor of addressing workers’ full spectrum of needs, from emotional health to autonomy. This shift to well-being creates workplaces where both people and performance genuinely thrive, delivering results that engagement programs could never achieve.

• HR teams aiming to transform engagement strategies into true well-being initiatives
• Managers seeking to inspire loyalty through authentic care and support
• Founders who want to build thriving workplaces where people and profits rise together

Effective Meetings (2025) is a practical guide to making meetings shorter, clearer, and more productive – whether you’re leading them or simply taking part. It offers straightforward habits to cut wasted time, sharpen focus, and turn discussions into real results. Step by step, it shows you how to plan, run, and wrap up meetings that actually get things done.

• People who run or participate in too many unproductive meetings
• Managers looking to improve meeting outcomes
• Anyone overwhelmed by a packed meeting calendar

Trust Matters More Than Ever (2024) argues that amid geopolitical strain, economic turbulence, and social division, trust has grown perilously scarce – eroding culture, productivity, and the wise use of resources. It gives you a practical path to rebuild trust, packaging actionable tools within an eight-pillar framework to solve your toughest challenges.

• Leaders and managers at any level
• HR and organizational development professionals
• Entrepreneurs and customer-facing business builders

The Devil Emails at Midnight (2025) maps archetypes of bad bosses and uses real workplace stories to help people recognize those patterns in themselves and their organizations. It offers practical tactics – like building self-awareness, setting clear expectations, and addressing microaggressions – to replace harmful habits and create healthier, higher-trust teams.

• Overstretched managers seeking healthier team dynamics
• Ambitious HR and DEI practitioners driving culture
• Anyone exploring better leadership habits

Team Intelligence (2025) exposes a paradox: great leadership isn’t about the leader at all – it’s about building teams that operate as something greater than the sum of their parts. In its exploration of what makes a team intelligent, it reveals why teams of superstars often underperform and how figures like Steve Jobs achieved extraordinary results without traditional leadership qualities. It also outlines the specific habits that allow collective genius to emerge.

• Executives who want to transform their teams into high-performing powerhouses
• Founders who want a great team culture baked into their venture
• HR professionals who want to hire for collective intelligence

Trust at a Distance (2025) explores how as a leader, you can build and sustain trust with teams who work remotely, in hybrid setups, or across multiple locations. Drawing on research and real-world cases, it outlines six practical strategies you can use to strengthen communication, alignment, accountability, predictability, connection, and support so that dispersed employees stay engaged, confident, and effective.

• Leaders of remote or hybrid teams
• HR and culture professionals in distributed organizations
• Remote and hybrid employees seeking stronger collaboration

The Practical Negotiation Handbook (2021) lays out a clear five-step method for shaping agreements that last. You’ll learn how to prepare effectively, manage conversations with confidence,  and turn complex situations into structured, collaborative negotiations. Its focus on both process and mindset will help you build the skills you need to negotiate contracts and partnerships of any size.

• People keen to improve workplace negotiation skills
• Managers handling cross-team agreements
• Professionals seeking confidence in high‑stakes discussions

The Future Begins with Z (2025) is a leadership guide addressing the challenges managers face when working with Gen Z employees in the workplace. It provides strategies for effectively leading, motivating, and retaining this youngest generation of workers, covering topics such as onboarding practices, giving feedback, and addressing mental health concerns. It reframes the challenges organizations experience with Gen Z as potential opportunities, encouraging leaders to transform their frustration into fascination with these young team members.

• Managers facing friction with younger workers
• Professionals struggling with entry-level employee retention
• Anyone curious about generational workplace dynamics

The Seven Rules of Trust (2025) examines how Wikipedia became a global authority during the same two decades when public trust in nearly every other institution trended sharply downward. It examines the seven core principles that turned an encyclopedia anyone could edit into one of the most reliable sources of information on the internet.

• Leaders and managers responsible for building cohesive, high-performing teams
• Startup founders or entrepreneurs navigating early-stage credibility challenges
• Anyone working in polarizing environments or looking to improve their conflict resolution skills

The Need to Lead (2025) presents leadership as the fundamental solution to every challenge, whether in professional settings, family life, or community involvement. It translates lessons learned in high-pressure military aviation and ground combat situations into accessible principles for mastering internal qualities, building reciprocal relationships, and developing future leaders.

• People who want to increase their influence without formal authority
• Entrepreneurs or new team leaders transitioning from individual contributor roles
• Anyone feeling powerless

Startup CXO (2021) serves as a comprehensive tactical manual for scaling the specialized leadership roles that drive a growing company’s most vital departments. With contributions from several co-authors, it details how various executive functions – from finance and marketing to product and people operations – must evolve and integrate to ensure a business survives the transition from a small team to a mature organization.

• Managers scaling a small business into a corporation
• Founders hiring their first executive team
• Aspiring leaders aiming for the C-suite

Sticking Points (2013) explores what happens when up to five generations work side by side. It shows how shared goals at work are often undermined by everyday misunderstandings rooted in different generational experiences, habits, and expectations. The central message is practical and optimistic: these tensions are normal, manageable, and solvable when we learn how to work with differences instead of fighting them.

• Managers leading age-diverse teams
• HR professionals
• Anyone frustrated by generational misunderstandings at work

The Manager’s Path (2017) serves as a practical career guide for technology professionals transitioning from individual contributor roles to management positions, from mentoring and tech lead positions all the way to senior executive leadership. It addresses the unique challenges of tech, where management itself is a technical discipline, providing actionable advice and frameworks for handling the obstacles that arise at each stage of a manager’s development.

• Software engineers considering their first management role
• New tech leads unsure how to balance coding and leadership
• Recently promoted managers feeling overwhelmed and uncertain

Tech Leadership (2023) is a practical handbook for software engineers and technical professionals making the transition from individual contributors to team leaders and managers. Informed by real-world experiences from major tech companies, it provides frameworks and strategies for developing leadership capabilities in the technology sector, emphasizing that technical excellence alone doesn’t guarantee leadership success.

• Engineers eyeing their first management role
• New tech leads struggling with team dynamics
• Individual contributors considering leadership paths

The Innovative Leader (2024) investigates how industry-leading executives develop themselves and their organizations into consistent innovators rather than relying on one-time breakthroughs. Grounded in interviews with 50 innovative leaders and decades of professional experience, it offers step-by-step guidance to help you innovate whether that’s in a business, government, or nonprofit setting.

• C-suite executives seeking to build sustainable innovation cultures
• Chief innovation officers and innovation team leaders
• Anyone looking to build their leadership practice in fast-paced industries or shifting global markets

Flash Teams (2025) is a hands-on guide to assembling and running on-demand, computationally powered groups of experts. It explores how to tap online labor markets and artificial intelligence to recruit top talent in minutes and adjust to project changes on the fly. Put these strategies to work, and the way you tackle complex challenges shifts completely, letting you scale operations without the drag of traditional hiring.

• Project managers seeking agile talent sourcing strategies
• Startup founders building digital products on tight schedules
• Human resource leaders exploring artificial intelligence integration

Teams That Meet the Moment (2026) lays out a radical blueprint for reshaping how you and your colleagues work together under pressure. It dismantles tired corporate myths and swaps in adaptive everyday habits, equipping you to route around bureaucratic gridlock and ship bold ideas fast.

• Leaders trying to overcome corporate bureaucracy and team paralysis
• Project managers looking to speed up team decision-making
• Professionals tired of endless meetings that crowd out the actual work