Every year, I love to share the books that stuck with me. Below are the 10 books that expanded my thinking on leadership, creativity, resilience, and the forces reshaping our world:
“Your Brain on Art” by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross – I found myself returning to this book repeatedly while working with executives this year, particularly those facing burnout or leading organizations through crisis. Magsamen and Ross’s central finding—that “we are literally changed on a cellular level by aesthetics”—gave me the neuroscientific backing for what I’ve long observed: leaders who maintain creative practices navigate complexity with greater resilience. Their research on how aesthetic experiences trigger neuroplasticity and enhance cognitive function helped me better articulate why creative engagement isn’t a luxury for time-strapped executives. It is foundational to adaptive thinking and sustained performance.
“Strong Ground” by Brené Brown – I began practicing Tai Chi this year, and found this book at the same time. Brown’s new framework for leadership moved from intellectual understanding to embodied knowledge. Her core insight – that leaders need “strong ground” that provides both unwavering stability and a platform for explosive change – describes exactly what Tai Chi teaches physically. The book offers practical tools for “paradoxical thinking” and staying grounded amid uncertainty. The connection between the two practices deepened my appreciation for both: real strength isn’t rigidity, it’s being rooted enough to remain steady while fluid enough to respond to what emerges.
“The Stormlight Archive” by Brandon Sanderson – Which brings me to the fantasy series that consumed half my year. The Windrunners’ first ideal—”strength before weakness”—echoes throughout this epic, but Sanderson redefines strength through a lens of honor, integrity, and mercy rather than force or dominance. This is exactly why fiction remains essential reading for leaders. As I wrote in Bold Journey, fiction develops our capacity for perspective-taking and moral imagination in ways business books cannot. Sanderson’s exploration of broken oaths and redemption through characters like Kaladin and Dalinar offers profound lessons on leadership under impossible circumstances—lessons that stick precisely because they’re wrapped in story.
“Emergent Strategy” by adrienne maree brown – Brown’s framework for transformative change through small, iterative patterns has profound implications for organizational development. Her insight that “what we practice at the small scale sets the pattern for the whole system” challenges traditional top-down change models and offers a more organic, resilient approach to building movements and organizations. If you love Octavia Butler’s work, you’ll find Brown’s ideas deeply rooted in Butler’s wisdom about change and adaptation.
“The CEO Whisperer” by Manfred Kets de Vries – This book was given to me as a gift, and I’ve found myself going to it over and over again. Drawing from both psychology and decades of executive coaching, Kets de Vries illuminates the unconscious patterns that drive (and derail) leadership. His clinical yet compassionate approach to understanding executive behavior has deepened my own coaching practice, particularly his attention to how early life experiences shape leadership styles and blind spots.
“How Minds Change” by David McRaney – While Kets de Vries helps us understand unconscious patterns, McRaney shows us how to shift them. His exploration of belief revision moves far beyond the tired assumption that people never change their minds. His deep listening techniques and understanding of identity-protective cognition offer essential tools for anyone leading change or bridging divides. Changing minds requires different conversations, rooted in curiosity rather than persuasion.
“The Fearless Organization” by Amy Edmondson – This year, I worked with multiple organizations facing serious culture, safety, and trust issues—from manufacturing companies navigating regulatory scrutiny to healthcare systems rebuilding after leadership crises. Edmondson’s research on psychological safety felt more urgent than ever. Her distinction between comfort and learning zones proved essential for organizations attempting transformation while change accelerates around them. What was once considered a startup luxury has become essential infrastructure for organizations of all sizes.
“By the Fire We Carry” by Rebecca Nagle – Growing up in Oklahoma, I thought I understood the complexity of Indigenous history. Nagle’s investigation of the Cherokee Freedmen and the McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court case reveals how much I didn’t know—and more importantly, how current legal battles over citizenship and sovereignty connect directly to questions of justice, belonging, and power that resonate far beyond Oklahoma. Essential reading for understanding the deeper patterns of American history we’re still living, and simply a fascinating read.
“The Thinking Machine” by Stephen Witt – Beyond the technical story of Nvidia’s rise, what struck me most was Jensen Huang’s approach to organizational culture. 60 direct reports, no traditional hierarchy, and a relentless emphasis on feedback over praise. His model challenges everything we think we know about scaling organizations. For leaders I work with facing the tension between quarterly pressures and long-term vision, Huang’s willingness to bet his entire company on AI before anyone else saw its potential offers a masterclass in conviction-driven leadership. The book reveals how computational power became the world’s most strategic resource, but more importantly, how one leader built a culture that could see around corners.
“The Soul of a New Machine” by Tracy Kidder – I first read Kidder’s work decades ago, but revisited it as the AI race intensified. His account of Data General’s engineers racing to build a new computer reads like prophecy. Kidder captures the same intensity, commitment, and cultural dynamics I see in today’s AI companies: the all-consuming nature of the work, the mythology that builds around technical challenges, the question of what we sacrifice in pursuit of breakthrough. Today’s frenzied pace has deep roots—and understanding those roots is essential for leaders navigating what comes next. Bonus – Kidder’s book Mountains Beyond Mountains, about Paul Farmer’s work in global health was another fantastic and prescient book.
Bonus – “Ultra Successful” Substack by Dr. Julie Gurner – This newsletter has become my most anticipated weekly read. Gurner’s insights on executive psychology, high performance, and the patterns that separate truly exceptional leaders cut through the noise of generic leadership advice with remarkable precision. Her practical, research-backed approach to understanding what drives success at the highest levels is invaluable.
These works share a common thread: they challenge us to see familiar territory (leadership, change, creativity, technology) through radically different lenses. Whether through neuroscience, fiction, investigative journalism, or depth psychology, each pushes beyond surface insights to reveal deeper patterns shaping our organizations and our world.
As we enter 2026, their lessons feel urgent: the need for psychological safety, the power of story to develop moral imagination, the importance of understanding history’s long arc, and the recognition that the forces reshaping business and society require both technical understanding and profound human wisdom.
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