52 Resources to Enhance your Career for Years
Want to futureproof a career you love?… this list is for you. From determining the foundations of a sustainable fulfilling career, to communicating and applying with confidence, being crystal clear on the value you deliver, and working well for yourself and with others, this list has got it all.
Clarity
"What Color Is Your Parachute?" has earned a reputation as a timeless and valuable resource, empowering individuals to take charge of their careers, find meaningful work, and adapt to the dynamic landscape of the professional world.
Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment - $
The MBTI categorizes individuals into sixteen personality types, each identified by a combination of: extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. The resulting personality types, such as INTJ or ESFP, provide insights into an individual's preferred ways of interacting with the world, making decisions, and processing information.
NERIS Type Explorer (16 Personalities) - FREE
Using the acronym format introduced by Myers-Briggs for its simplicity and convenience, with an extra letter to accommodate five rather than four scales. However, unlike Myers-Briggs or other theories based on the Jungian model, they have not incorporated Jungian concepts such as cognitive functions, or their prioritization. Instead choosing to rework and rebalance the dimensions of personality called the Big Five personality Traits, a model that dominates modern psychological and social research.
Start with Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
Sinek illustrates how starting with a clear sense of "Why" not only attracts devoted followers but also establishes a foundation for long-term success and innovation. The book encourages readers to look beyond tangible products or services, emphasizing the importance of connecting with people on an emotional level by articulating a compelling and authentic sense of purpose.
The Crossroads of Should & Must - Find and Follow your Passion by Elle Luna
Explores the profound journey of self-discovery and fulfillment, urging readers to navigate the intersection where societal expectations ("Should") meet their authentic passions and callings ("Must"). Through a blend of narrative, illustrations, and insightful prompts, the book guides individuals toward embracing their unique paths and discovering the joy and purpose that arise when they align with their inner "Must."
Career to Calling - How to Make the Switch by Annie Stewart
In seven simple yet profound steps, Career to Calling: How to make the switch outlines how you can find and follow your calling, and overcome the fears that are so often in the way of success. Featuring inspirational stories and practical tools based on years of research and experience, this book removes the mystery surrounding callings to help you find clarity and direction.
The Squiggly Career - Ditch the Ladder, Discover Opportunity, Design Your Career by Sarah Ellis
Today, we're living in a world of squiggly careers, where moving frequently and fluidly between roles, industries, locations, and even careers, is becoming the new normal. Squiggly careers can feel stressful and overwhelming, but if you know how to make the most of them, they can be full of opportunity, freedom and purpose.
Confidence
Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg
A compelling exploration of women in the workplace and a call to action for gender equality. Drawing on her experiences as Facebook's COO and her journey in Silicon Valley, Sandberg addresses the challenges women face in pursuing leadership roles. Sandberg discusses issues such as self-doubt, negotiation, and the importance of supportive partnerships. Offering both personal anecdotes and research-backed insights, "Lean In" serves as a manifesto for empowering women to overcome barriers, contribute fully to the workforce, and lean into their aspirations with confidence and resilience.
VIA Institute on Character: Character Values Assessment - Free
In the early 2000s, something groundbreaking occurred in the social sciences: Scientists discovered a common language of 24 character strengths that make up what’s best about our personality. Everyone possesses all 24 character strengths in different degrees, so each person has a truly unique character strengths profile. Each character strength falls under one of these six broad virtue categories, which are universal across cultures and nations.
Your Body Language may Shape who you Are - Amy Cuddy (TedTalk)
Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that "power posing" -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident -- can boost feelings of confidence, and might have an impact on our chances for success.
Rich as F**K - More Money than you Know What to do With by Amanda Frances
Amanda Frances is a world-renowned thought leader on financial empowerment for women. A true self-made woman, while putting herself through school, Amanda taught herself how to build a website. Ten years later, Amanda Frances Inc. is an eight-figure global brand with users in 99 countries and clients in 85 countries. She credits her success to sheer determination, a deep desire to serve others, and unwavering belief in her dreams.
Impact Players - How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply your Impact by Liz Wiseman
Impact players find the most valuable way to contribute their capability at work. Impact players are the standout contributors who create extraordinary value. Leaders tend to know who these high-impact employees are but often struggle to pinpoint what separates them from their equally capable peers.
Girl on Fire - How to Choose Yourself, Burn the Rule Book and Blaze your Own Trail in Life and Business by Cara Alwill
As an early voice in the female-driven movement, Cara continues to be a leader in the space, liberating women to trust their intuition and create their own opportunities. She empowers her readers to stop waiting for their big break and, instead, to publish their own books, start their own podcasts, host their own panels and design their own clothing lines; whatever their desires are.
The Decision Book - Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschapeller
Whether you need to plot a presentation, assess someone's business idea or get to know yourself better, this unique guide will help you simplify any problem and take steps towards the right decision.
Progression
Future Fit - How to stay relevant and competitive in the future of work by Andrea Clarke
Talent is just as important as technology, and we all need to master eight specific human skills, which will help us lean towards change and become an asset to ourselves and the company we work for, instead of a liability. The book explores in detail the eight skills - Personal brand, Adaptability, Communication, Networking, Creativity, Leadership, Problem-solving, Lifelong learning - necessary to remain future fit in our post-pandemic world.
Getting to Yes - Negotiating an agreement without giving in by Roger Fisher & William Ury
Don't bargain over positions. Separate the people from the problem and insist on objective criteria. Getting to Yes simplifies the whole negotation process, offering a highly effective framework that will ensure success.
Mindset: The new Psychology of Success by Carol S Dweck
Dweck explains why it's not just abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardise success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals-personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.
Never Split the Difference - Negotiating as if your life depended on it by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
Rooted in the real-life experiences of an intelligence professional at the top of his game, Never Split the Difference will give you the competitive edge in any discussion.
Negotiating at Work - Turn Small Wins into Big Gains, by Deborah M. Kolb and Jessica L. Porter
We won’t meet our career goals if we only negotiate during hiring interviews and annual performance reviews. In Negotiating at Work, Simmons College professor emeritus Kolb and consultant Porter show us how we can negotiate for new opportunities and greater flexibility by questioning the status quo.
FYI - For Your Improvement from Korn Ferry
FYI is intended to be used by individuals and organizations to enhance development. An individual who is proactive can use this development resource to assess needs and continuously improve. A manager or a coach can take FYI off the shelf anytime there is a development need that is critically important for success.
Fulfillment
Drive - The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us by Daniel H Pink
In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home--is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.
Find Your Why - Simon Sinek
Whether you're entry level or a CEO, whether your team is run by the founder or a recent hire, these simple steps will lead you on a path to a more fulfilling life and long-term success for you and your colleagues.
WorkLife with Adam Grant - Organizational psychologist explores different aspects of work and how to make work not only productive but also meaningful (Podcast)
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to explore the science of making work not suck. From learning how to love criticism to harnessing the power of frustration, one thing’s for sure: You’ll never see your job the same way again.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty (Podcast)
Jay interviews experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before.
Ikigai - The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia
Finding your ikigai is easier than you might think. This book will help you work out what your own ikigai really is, and equip you to change your life. You have a purpose in this world- your skills, your interests, your desires and your history have made you the perfect candidate for something. All you have to do is find it.
The Power of Moments by Chip & Dan Heath
Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck--but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? The Power of Moments shows us how to be the author of richer experiences.
Culture Code - The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle
Culture is not something you are—it’s something you do. The Culture Code puts the power in your hands. No matter the size of the group or the goal, this book can teach you the principles of cultural chemistry that transform individuals into teams that can accomplish amazing things together.
Outliers - The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?
LEADERSHIP
Radical Candor - Be a Kickass Boss without losing your Humanity by Kim Scott
This simple framework can help you build better relationships at work, and fulfill your three key responsibilities as a leader: creating a culture of feedback (praise and criticism), building a cohesive team, and achieving results you’re all proud of.
Legacy - What the All Blacks can Teach us about the Business of Life by James Kerr
In his global bestseller, Legacy, James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world's most successful team, the New Zealand All Blacks, to help understand what it takes to bounce back from adversity and still reach the top. It is a book about leading a team or an organisation - but, more importantly, about leading a life. The kind of life that you want to lead.
The Coaching Habit - Say Less, Ask More, and Change the way you Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
Drawing on years of experience training more than 10,000 busy managers from around the globe in practical, everyday coaching skills, Bungay Stanier reveals how to unlock your peoples' potential. He unpacks seven essential coaching questions to demonstrate how--by saying less and asking more--you can develop coaching methods that produce great results.
Dare to Lead - Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts - by Brene Brown
How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? In this new book, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BSstyle that millions of readers have come to expect and love.
The New Leader - From Team Member to People Leader by Stacey Ashley
This book offers practical tools, ideas, and strategies for new leaders and leaders of leaders, to implement immediately. You will build a toolkit to focus your time and effort on the right things at the right time in the right way, and set you up for an easier transition to leadership success right now.
People Managing People with Becca Banyard (Podcast)
Every episode, you will hear real life examples and stories from a range of guests including best selling authors, founders, and workplace culture leaders. And you will learn HOW you can create happy, healthy, and productive workplaces.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why teams even the best ones-often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team. A powerful yet deceptively simple message for all those who strive to be exceptional team leaders.
PRODUCTIVITY
Deep Work - Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
'Deep work' is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Coined by author and professor Cal Newport on his popular blog Study Hacks, deep work will make you better at what you do, let you achieve more in less time and provide the sense of true fulfilment that comes from the mastery of a skill. In short, deep work is like a superpower in our increasingly competitive economy.
Atomic Habits - Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear
Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.
The One Thing - The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller
THE ONE THING is the New York Times bestseller which delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life - work, personal, family, and spiritual.
Measure what Matters - The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth by John Doerr
Measure What Matters is about using Objectives and Key Results (or OKRs) to make tough choices on business priorities. It's about communicating these objectives throughout the company from entry level to CEO and it's about collecting timely, relevant data to track progress - to measure what matters.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
The best-selling book provides a framework for developing healthy habits to make you a more prosperous and effective individual.
ADDING VALUE
So Good They Can’t Ignore you - Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work you Love by Cal Newport
Cal Newport's clearly-written manifesto flies in the face of conventional wisdom by suggesting that it should be a person's talent and skill - and not necessarily their passion - that determines their career path.
Linchpin - Are you Indispensible? by Seth Godin
In this compelling, accessible and purpose-filled book bestselling business author Seth Godin shows how you have the potential to make a big difference-and make yourself indispensable in the process-wherever you are.
Hidden Potential - The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.
Designing Your New Work Life - How to Thrive and Find Happiness - and a new freedom - at Work by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
In Designing Your New Work Life, Burnett and Evans show us how design thinking can transform our present job, and how it can improve our experience of work in times of disruption.
Diversity, EQUITY & INCLUSION - rECOMMENDATIONS From the World Economic Forum
Subtle Acts of Exclusion - How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran
Our workplaces and society are growing more diverse, but are we supporting inclusive cultures? While overt racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination are relatively easy to spot, we cannot neglect the subtler everyday actions that normalize exclusion.
Edge - Adversity Into Advantage by Laura Huang
Through her deeply-researched framework, Huang shows how we can turn weaknesses into strengths and create an edge in any situation. She explains how an entrepreneur scored a massive investment despite initially being disparaged for his foreign accent, and how a first-time political candidate overcame voters' doubts about his physical disabilities.
The Fearless Organization - Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy Edmondson
This book explores this culture of psychological safety, and provides a blueprint for bringing it to life. The road is sometimes bumpy, but succinct and informative scenario-based explanations provide a clear path forward to constant learning and healthy innovation.
The Memo - What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table by Minda Harts
Most business books provide a one-size-fits-all approach to career advice that overlooks the unique barriers that women of color face. In The Memo, Minda Harts offers a much-needed career guide tailored specifically for women of color.
Demystifying Disability - What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladau
People with disabilities are an estimated 15 percent of the global population. But many of us-disabled and nondisabled alike-don't know how to act, what to say, or how to be an ally to the disability community. Demystifying Disability is a friendly handbook on the important disability issues you need to know about.
Breaking the Silence Habit - Practical Guide to Uncomfortable Conversations in the #MeToo Workplace by Sarah Beaulieu
Grounded in storytelling, humor, and dozens of real-life scenarios, this book introduces the idea of uncomfortable conversation as the core skill required to enable everyone to bring their full talent and contributions to safe and respectful workplaces.
Blindspot - Hidden Biases of Good People by Anthony Greenwald & Mahzarin Banjali
Banaji and Greenwald question the extent to which our perceptions of social groups--without our awareness or conscious control--shape our likes and dislikes and our judgments about people's character, abilities, and potential.
What do you think? Please share your favourites and any I missed!
Title descriptions adapted from Booktopia, Amazon and Publisher notes.