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2023 is perhaps the first full year in the ‘new normal.’ We’re getting used to working from home, we understand there’s a cost of living crisis. We can see lots of problems. The world isn’t what it was and that’s not great. But one positive from this is that we sort of, but not quite, know what to expect in terms of work, economy and global outlook.
New year book lists are too demanding, often expecting the reader to set aside hours upon hours each week exploring different technical and personal topics. This one is different. We’ve selected just six books, and each one is designed to help you supercharge your own career by developing a diverse range of skills, habits, attitudes and perspectives. It’s not about learning new skills or responding to existential questions, it’s about becoming the most effective and powerful version of your work self.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Author(s): Dale Carnegie
Released in: October 1936
How will this book supercharge your career? You’ll understand people better
There is a reason this is one of the most successful and recommended books in history. With this book, Carnegie pretty much redefined the genre of self-help. Seminars delivering the wisdom in this book are still popular today, as is the book itself. The lessons are simple but powerful. From being sincere in your appreciation, to never forgetting a name, to avoiding giving criticism at all costs, Carnegie uses case studies of the day to bring home just how important these things are.
This book is essential reading for anyone experiencing issues with workplace relationships, being taken seriously or motivating and persuading others.
Available from everywhere, but try it on Blinkest
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Author(s): James Clear
Released in: October 2018
How will this book supercharge your career? You’ll find exciting and simple ways to optimize almost every process in your life, from avoiding distractions to running a marathon, and create powerful lifelong habits to support your goals.
James Clear changed his life after a devastating head injury that derailed his education and effectively ended his dreams of becoming a professional athlete. He achieved this by making tiny daily improvements, rather than striving for radical, unsustainable change.
Drawing on the magic of compounding gains, Clear sets out an inspirational and easy-to-follow manifesto for harnessing the power of small improvements. If you make a 1% improvement to any process, by the end of the year, you’ll have made a total improvement of 37%.
The case studies and guides in Atomic Habits are varied and hard-to-resist. Clear describes in irresistible detail how the British Cycling team went from also-rans to world domination thanks to the attention to detail of one man, and then he breaks down how you can achieve that level of improvement for yourself.
Whether your goal for 2023 is to earn more, be more productive, change your career or launch a new product, Atomic Habits can help you reshape your approach and achieve success, one increment at a time.
Available from Jamesclear.com
The Answer is a Question: The Missing Superpower that Changes Everything and Will Transform Your Impact as a Manager and Leader
Author(s): Dominic Ashley Timms & Laura Ashley-Timms
Released in: October 2022
How will this book supercharge your career? You will learn to ask better, more powerful questions
UK based co-authors Dominic and Laura Ashley-Timms have the sort of resumes that would make even the most successful business people blush. As founders, they’ve built an extraordinary business improvement consultancy in Notion, and with their pioneering management development programme STAR® Manager, they’ve managed to help the likes of UK retailer Sainsbury’s, coffee chain Costa Coffee, Samsung and builder’s merchant Jewsons make radical improvements to their own businesses. Now, as authors they’ve distilled their collective experience and knowledge into a book that drills down into one extremely powerful, but under-appreciated skill; asking better questions.
If you’ve ever wanted to get more of your time back at work, focus on higher value problems or help colleagues solve problems for themselves, this book will help you do it.
Available from Amazon
Deep work
Author(s): Cal Newport
Released in: January 2016
How will this book supercharge your career? You’ll unleash productivity and focus superpowers you didn’t know you had
Newport was among the first to make the clearest distinction between types of work, identifying superficial and deep work, the latter being where we operate close to the peak of our intellectual powers. The point of this book is to help and give permission to the reader to do away with low value distracting tasks and to optimise their workflow, processes and environments to focus deeply on tasks that are effective and move the needle on the end goal. It’s part self-help guide, part inspirational biography.
The beauty of Deep Work is that it was written at a time when distractions have never been more problematic. So the content and advice leans heavily into avoiding and managing the distractions of the day, but the core lessons could be applied at any time in history.
If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to complete big projects, access your flow or break new ground in your thinking and work, this book is an absolute must.
Available from Calnewport.com
How to Own the Room
Author(s): Viv Groskop
Released in: November 2018
How will this book supercharge your career? You’ll be a better public speaker
Viv Groskop is a stand-up comedian and radio presenter. How to Own the Room, while aimed at women who have been historically discouraged from taking up space in male-dominated environments, is useful for anyone that wants to build confidence, discover their true professional potential and find ways to engage people in any context, from boardroom to arena stage.
Packed with tips and anecdotes, this funny and engaging book is ideal for people looking to improve their media profile, become more influential at work, become more confident contributing to video meetings and even people looking to branch out into podcasts.
Buy from Audible
Strategize to Win
Author(s): Carla A. Harris
Released in: December 2014
How will this book supercharge your career? You’ll be inspired to get started, with whatever it is you haven’t started yet
Carla Harris is a Wall Street legend, with an enviable work portfolio behind her and currently Vice Chairman of Wealth Management and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, she knows how to build a career. This book isn’t just about getting on in work, it’s about building the right strategy to achieve what you want, whether that’s starting out in the world of work, starting over with a new career, recovering from setbacks or pushing on with what you’ve been trying to achieve so far. The author brings clarity to historically badly understood concepts like leadership, communication and communication, setting the reader challenges along the way.
Buy from Amazon
