Spring reading: the opportunity to declutter and provoke your mind.
With the arrival of spring comes birds chirping and perfect weather. The idea of sitting outside with a good book is pure nirvana. Spring is an opportune moment to immerse yourself in the pages of a book that will inspire and provoke. As the days get longer and brighter, this is the perfect time to stimulate your mind. Consider it mental exercise.
This spring, I’ve curated a list of six must-read books to get you thinking. From linguistics to marketing to pharma, there is something for everyone. Each has a lesson (or many) to improve your career and leadership capabilities. They challenge your perspective as you go on a literary journey of wisdom and inspiration. So prepare to be rejuvenated and grow.
The 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People: Why Some Flourish When Others Fold
by Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal
Dr. Stejskal knows firsthand about the power of resilience. Overcoming a stalker and dealing with dyslexia, she knows people often misnunderstand resilience. It’s not about bouncing back to get to your baseline. Instead, it’s about letting the experience put you in a better place than before.
Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should . . . and What to Do About It
by Laura Gassner Otting
We all work to achieve more, but what happens when we make it, when we’ve succeeded at our goal? Then what? It’s a double bind. You want to reach success, but then when you get there, you celebrate for a brief moment before you feel lost and empty.
Talking on Eggshells: Soft Skills for Hard Conversations
by Sam Horn
Are you always at a loss for words when you need the perfect comeback? This book gives you the perfect words to use and lose so you are never tongue-tied again.
Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English
by Dr. Valerie Fridland
How did the words ‘like’ and ‘totally’ enter our daily vernacular? It drives some people crazy, but Dr. Fridland sheds light on their source and who is to blame. The answers might surprise you.
For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be
by Dr. Marcus Collins
Dr. Marcus Collins argues that if you want to influence what people say, do, and how they move, you need to look at the one marketing ingredient that’s traditionally overlooked—culture. If you want people to behave a certain way, you need to understand what makes them tick.
Swab: Leadership in the Race to Provide COVID Testing to America
by Dr. Jon Cohen
When Covid struck in March 2020, testing was paramount ingredient in controlling the spread of the pandemic. Without experience of managing through a pandemic or federal support, Dr. Jon Cohen and his team of thousands at BioReference Labs became the first to do many things – develop mass testing programs seemingly overnight, create New York’s first drive-through testing site, become the exclusive testing provider for the NBA and NFL allowing them to have their ‘bubble,’ first to perform testing in the New York City public schools and on the Royal Caribbean cruise line. This is a true story of agile and crisis leadership.
As we bid a fond farewell to the cold winter, and embrace the blossom of spring, enjoy these thought-provoking books and let them transform you on a journey of knowledge. If you take your professional development seriously, opening your mind to new knowledge is a crucial ingredient to your success.
