“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

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Thanks to Dr Seuss for this line which I love as I have a passion for continuous learning.

I left the corporate world in 2023 and in the last year I started reading more to keep refueling the old knowledge bank.

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Here are 10 that I enjoyed in 2024.

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1.????? Our Iceberg Is Melting is a business fable by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber that uses the story of a colony of penguins facing a melting iceberg to illustrate principles of change management. The story serves as a metaphor for how organizations can respond to change, providing a practical guide to leadership and adaptation in times of uncertainty. ?? I use this in my Change Management course at Carthage College.

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2.????? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is a guide to personal and professional success. It presents seven key habits that, when practiced consistently, help individuals lead more effective and fulfilling lives. These habits help individuals achieve balance, improve their productivity, and build meaningful relationships in both their personal and professional lives ?? I first read this in 1994 and return to it regularly.

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3.????? The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford focuses on how professionals can build trust-based relationships with clients. The book provides a framework for becoming a "trusted advisor," emphasizing the importance of trust, empathy, and communication in client relationships. It outlines how advisors can shift from being transactional service providers to trusted partners combining practical advice with examples. ?? This was recommended to us when we started Ignition. It’s terrific!

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4.????? Coaching for Performance by Sir John Whitmore is a foundational text on coaching and leadership. It introduces the GROW model—Goal, Reality, Options, and Will— as a practical framework for effective coaching conversations. The book advocates a shift from traditional management to a coaching style of leadership, where fostering trust and encouraging self-directed learning lead to better outcomes for both individuals and organizations. ?? Part of the AOEC curriculum read and super for learning the coaching foundations.

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5.????? Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton is a seminal book on negotiation, introducing the concept of principled negotiation. It focuses on reaching mutually beneficial agreements through collaborative problem-solving rather than adversarial tactics. The book emphasizes finding creative solutions and building relationships while negotiating, making it a widely used guide in conflict resolution. ?? A classic and I have used the principles on many occasions.

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6.????? Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick by Chris Bradley, Martin Hirt, and Sven Smit challenges traditional strategic planning processes, which often lead to unrealistic growth targets—the "hockey stick" projection. The book encourages companies to confront hard truths about their competitive position and to make deliberate, courageous decisions to achieve real breakthroughs, moving beyond the illusion of smooth, "hockey stick" growth projections. ?? A great read for those responsible for long-term planning.

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7.????? The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas by G. Richard Shell and Mario Moussa provides a framework for mastering the art of persuasion. The authors use the acronym WOO (Winning Others Over) to describe how people can effectively influence and sell their ideas without coercion or manipulation. The Art of Woo combines strategic thinking with emotional intelligence, offering practical insights for leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to persuade effectively. ?? A super framework for selling your ideas.

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8.????? How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a classic self-help book that offers timeless principles for building relationships and influencing others. It focuses on developing social skills to succeed in personal and professional interactions. These principles remain highly relevant for improving interpersonal skills in various contexts. ?? Everything I wish I had done better when I was younger in one book.

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9.????? Co-Active Coaching by Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl is a comprehensive guide to the co-active coaching model, which emphasizes a collaborative partnership between coach and client. This model views both parties as active participants in the coaching process, with the client as the expert in their own life and the coach as a facilitator. ?? A coaching classic!

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10. Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? by Ben Hunt-Davis and Harriet Beveridge is a motivational book based on Hunt-Davis's experience as a rower in the British men's eight team, which won Olympic gold in 2000. The book combines personal stories with practical tips, making it a useful guide for anyone looking to achieve high-performance results in sports, business, or life. ?? So useful for prioritising the many choices we all have available.

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WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND I READ IN 2025?

#reading? #businessbooks

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I like to network as well as read. Feel free to DM me or use Calendly on my LinkedIn profile page to set up an introductory call.

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www.ignitionstrategy.co.uk

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