“Some books leave us free and some books make us free”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have at least 3 books on the go at the same time. More typically, I have half a dozen or more in a happy pile on my night table, a small stack in my office beside my reading chair, and several scattered elsewhere throughout the house. Needless to say, books are kinda my thing!This list is by no means comprehensive, but it will give you many, many options for up-levelling your leadership, your inspired action, and your life. Enjoy!
THE LIST
Keep checking back – this is an ever-growing list !*
How to Begin by Michael Bungay Stanier is a fabulous resource for anybody contemplating starting a Worthy Goal (something thrilling, important & daunting).
The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier is a small but mighty book and a must-read for coaches & leaders everywhere.
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier (yes, he’s a favourite of mine!) explains how asking simple questions and listening deeply are the best skills you can develop to take your leadership to all new levels.
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks will help you understand why you always get the same results no matter what you try (Upper Limit Problem), among other valuable insights.
Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping is a game-changer for anybody harbouring resentment or animosity towards another person.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is a classic, but it still contains very relevant & transformative information for the entrepreneurs of today.
Take the Step – The Bridge Will Be There by Grace Cirocco. This is a powerful book that encourages taking inspired action even when you can’t see the full pathway to your goal.
The Prosperous Coach by Steve Chandler & Rich Litvin. Possibly the most impactful book on coaching out there.
Dare to Decide – Discovering Peach, Clarity and Courage at Life’s Crossroads by Emily Grabatin is a great book for anybody who struggles to trust his or her decisions and who have a tendency to be people-pleasers.
Thinking Body, Dancing Mind – Taosports for Extraordinary Performance in Athletics, Business, and Life by Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch. Although this book was written 30 years ago, it’s still a must-read for anybody in the business of personal transformation.
Lead the Field by Earl Nightengale is a true leadership classic. And if you get a chance to listen to an old recording of Nightengale you’ll understand why his leadership rises above the crowd even today.
A Call to Further Becoming – The New Declaration from Women Over 50 by Sue Brightman tells the stories of 100 women who are making an enormous difference in the world and who refuse to buy into the myth that life is a slow and inevitable decline after 50.
How Emotions Are Made – The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett, psychologist, who explains how our brains construct our emotions and why that’s so important to understand.
How to Know a Person – The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Seen Deeply by David Brooks is a wonderful examination of the fundamental importance of relationships and how we can truly show up for others.
Lucky Bitch – A Guide for Exceptional Women to Create Outrageous Success by Denise Duffield-Thomas. The author shares how she and her husband completely turned their lives around from being broke and feeling frustrated to creating millions while living a life they love.
Tiny Habits – The Small Changes that Change Everything by B.J. Fogg shows you how small changes to daily habits can stack up to create massive results in your personal and professional life.
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma reveals how true happiness comes from living a life of passion and purpose.
The Science of Getting Rich for Women by Sara Connell is an updated take on Wallace D. Wattles’ book from 1910.
More Time to Think: The Power of Independent Thinking by Nancy Kline. This book shows us how listening and independent thinking can change everything in our lives.
Do One Thing Different: 10 Simple Ways to Change Your Life by Bill O’Hanlon is a great little book packed with ideas for getting out of those patterns & habits that have been holding us back.
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann could very well be the book that changes everything for you!
The Millionaire Messenger: Make a Difference and a Fortune Sharing Your Advice by Brendan Burchard. This book shows how the power of our stories can shape the future of our success, both personally and professionally.
Daring Greatly – How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown. A must-read for anybody focused on authentic leadership.
Dare to Lead – Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown. Again, a must-read. Really.
Awaken the Giant Within – How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Financial Destiny! by Tony Robbins, the godfather of transformational coaching. A big message from a big man on a big mission.
Unlimited Power – The New Science of Personal Achievement by Tony Robbins. Powerful & transformative.
The Miracle Morning – The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 am) by Hal Elrod. Full disclosure: I am not — repeat — NOT a morning person, but this book made a huge impact on me all the same.
Life is in the Transitions – Mastering Change at Any Age by Bruce Feiler. Let’s face it – at one time or another we all face difficult changes in our lives, and this book is a beautiful resource for managing them with grace and confidence.
The Power of Now – A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Ekhart Tolle. It’s been nearly 25 years since this book took the world by storm, and its impact is still being felt today.
The One Thing – The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinay Results by Gary Keller reminds us that we’re not really the magical multi-taskers we think we are and that by being laser-focused on just one thing each day we’ll reach our goals faster and easier every time.
The Four Tendencies – The Indispensable Personality Profiles that Reveal How to Make Your Life Better by Gretchen Rubin will show you how our individual tendencies show up in all aspects of our lives and how knowing that will change everything.
Better Than Before – What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretchin Rubin. The title says it all!
The Power of Fun – How to Feel Alive Again by Catherine Price. The author describes her moment of awakening and how she transformed her life in simple, repeatable ways available to everyone.
How to Grow Your Small Business – A 6-Step Plan to Help Your Business Take Off by Donald Miller, the master of simplifying complex ideas into manageable tasks that will allow your business to take off.
A Beautiful Constraint – How to Transform Your Limitations into Advantages, and Why It’s Everyone’s Business by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden shows how even difficult circumstances can prove to be gifts if we’re willing to change how we view our perceived limitations.
Stop Setting Goals if You Would Rather Solve Problems by Bobb Biehl reveals whether each of us is a goal setter or a problem solver, and how that knowledge can make all the difference.
Let It Be Easy – Simple Ways to Stop Stressing & Start Living by Susie Moore, a self-made media maven with an infectious zest for living the good life.
Dissolve the Problem by Shifting Physical Reality by Richard Dotts is one of several small but powerful books on using the principles of quantum physics to bring everything you want into your life.
The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond by Louann Brizendine. The title says it all!
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer has been described as “a hymn of love to the world” by Elizabeth Gilbert.
The Power of Self-Coaching: The Five Essential Steps to Creating the Life You Want by Joseph J. Luciani, PhD explains the 5-step program for getting connected with our deep capacity for happiness by identifying patterns of thought that make us unhappy and allow our full creative expression to shine.
Drop the Fake Smile: The Recovering People-Pleaser’s Guide to Self-Love, Boundaries, and Healthy Relationships by Helen Snape. This little book packs a powerful message for anybody who struggles with putting themselves and their own needs ahead of others’.
Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain. The title says it all!
Manifestation Pathways – Letting Your Good be There… When You Get There! by Richard Dotts. Another great little book packed with transformational wisdom.
It Is Done! The Final Step to Instant Manifestations by Richard Dotts. Get the book. Read the book.
Thoughtless Magic and Manifestations Through Non-Verbal Protocols by Richard Dotts is another powerful book by a prolific author on transformational methods and ways of being.
Time Warrior – How to Defeat Procrastination, People-Pleasing, Self-Doubt, Over-Commitment, Broken Promises, and Chaos by Steve Chandler. One of my favourite authors who delivers simple truths that change everything.
Wealth Warrior – The Personal Prosperity Revolution by Steve Chandler, one of the world’s leading gurus on simple strategies that actually work.
Feeling is the Secret by Neville Goddard is the little book that inspired Rhonda Byrne’s film The Secret.
Awakened Imagination by Neville Goddard, who reminds us that imagination is the gateway to fulfilled dreams.
The Power of Awareness by Neville Goddard. These small books can be read and re-read until their truths are firmly planted in our subconscious.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is very high on my all-time favourite books list. It’s a sweet little gem that reminds us of what’s most important.
The Three Laws of Performance – Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan who encourage organizational leaders to focus on the systems in which people operate for optimal results.
The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Steven Covey, the book that changed everything for leaders and aspiring leaders everywhere when it was first published, and it continues to have massive impact today.
Willpower Doesn’t Work – Discover the Hidden Keys to Success by Benjamin Hardy. The title says it all.
The 80/20 Principle – The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch will show you how 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort, and why that’s so important to understand.
The Art of Possibility – Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. This book encourages us to explore the power that possibility holds in our lives and how we can use it to achieve our dreams.
Loving What Is – Four Questions that Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie. The four questions not only can change your life, they absolutely WILL! A beautiful book that will stand the test of time…
Anything You Want – 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur by Derek Sivers is a small book that will turn many of your beliefs on their head, for the better.
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy – an absolute must read for anyone wanting to develop true mindset mastery.
The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price, a prolific author and expert on creating unlimited wealth and abundance. This tiny book delivers HUGE insights on how to master your subconscious mind.
Living on the Skinny Branches: Five Tools to Creating Power, Freedom and a Life Worth Living by Michael Strasner is a fabulous read, written by one of the most impactful and influential coaches on the planet.
Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You by Daniel Priestly shows us how to attract customers or clients and how to keep them coming back again and again.
Key Person of Influence: The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your Industry by Daniel Priestly is another book that’s packed with great strategies for standing out in a crowded marketplace.
Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions by Guy Kawasaki is a great read that’s full of sage advice on how to change people’s perceptions and create win-win-win scenarios in every area of our lives.
The Trinity: The Power of Three and the Code of Creation by Marie D. Jones & Larry Flaxman. This book explores the ancient code that determines how everything unfolds in the Universe and in our lives.
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