Leaders are learners. The more we learn, the more we grow. The more we grow, the more we deepen our perspectives, challenge our assumptions, and discover our horizons.
A mentor once told me, “Josh, you don’t always buy books now to read them now. You buy them now to read them when you need them.” That little nugget has stood with me over the years and I am so thankful it did! Many of the books I’ve engaged with in recent years were obtained far earlier than when I began reading them. In fact, some of the books on this list I picked up after a friend, mentor, or other leader I respected suggested it to me. Some have ended up on my bookshelf (or in my Audible account) after listening to a podcast, TedTalk (check out 4 talks I recommend here), or conference where the content the speaker shared was helpful and leaving me wanting more, or was compelling enough to want to get to know them more.
Below are some of the books I’ve read or engaged with this past year and some quick thoughts on them. Some of them are currently on the shelf unread. Many of them have been read or are in process of being engaged with.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Chris has done a phenomenal job in breaking down the psychology behind the way we think and how we formulate our decisions. I valued how he utilizes high-stakes negotiation experiences and ties it into the brevity of our everyday negotiations — whether in a family room or boardroom — we all are in negotiations. In Never Spilt the Difference, Chris gives us permission to understand our thoughts and behavior patterns and helps us see how we can discover the same in others. Highly practical tools and techniques that we can utilize in our everyday lives. Each opportunity is not an issue that can’t be overcome; its a problem to be solved. Last, as a leader who has been in various industries over the years, I’ve found Never Split the Difference to be widely applicable for a diversity of roles and leadership types.
iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood–and What That Means for the Rest of Us by Jean Twenge
The Millennial generation has been at the center of many topics and discussions in recent years – and rightly so! Unlike any other generation before, todays Millennial (those born between 1980-1994) are the last to know life prior to the vast introduction of the internet and technology. In the past 10 years alone, significant changes have taken place and are affecting the generations in America. The iGen generation (those born between 1995-2012) have a unique approach to the ideas and challenges of the world today. Twnege attempts to describe the iGen generation, how they’re different, who and what they care abut, and how they are making their mark on the world and what legacy they are leaving. Extremely insightful! This has encouraged lots of further research for me personally. I’ll be sharing a blog post down the line on what I’ve learned. We have a lot to learn about them in order to help navigate life, work, and faith with them. It’s incredibly hard to connect if we don’t understand those we’re hoping to connect with.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Probably one of my most favorite and most challenging books I’ve consumed this year. I’m a big advocate of cultivating healthy habits and making small, incremental changes that compound and add up over time. Also, as a big systems guy, one of the biggest takeaway quotes I had (amongst the many) was, “You don’t rise to the level of your goals you fall to the level of your systems.” Systems are the foundation for how we operate. Without a consistent and reliable system, results (by any measure) will always fall short.
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim Ferris
I’ve been following Tim and his work for several years now. I’ve appreciated his podcasts and 5 Bullet Friday emails he does. Very insightful and helpful to learn what he and other leaders Tim engages with are learning and engaging with. I’ve made several changes and adjustments in my life as a result, which have been instrumental in my life so far.
Faith for Exiles by David Kinnaman
This book was so incredibly relevant and helpful that I actually purchased the Audiobook version [ ] as well so I could listen to it again and again. Kinnaman overviews one of the most significant challenges facing today’s generation (connectedness through social media and smart phones) and the impact recent Barna research reveals about their discipleship in the Church. In the same vein, Kinnaman and Matlock make sense of the cultural changes and challenge leaders like you and I in how we can impact their world in ‘Digital Babylon’.
Warning: This book may cause you to evaluate your current discipleship models and move to make changes that meet your students where they’re at today. Be encouraged that this is not an overnight thing, but one that requires faithfulness and diligence over time. But do heed this: we don’t have long. We need to act!
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
Principles is the only book on this list that I am definitely picking through right now. Being a completionist, it pains me that I can’t just blaze through this book and retain everything I read. Yet, I am grateful that I am! Dalio has compiled a vast and thorough resource that, when read rightly, will motivate the leader within you to seek to apply as much of it as you can to your life and work. At the crux, Dalio aims to provide effective ways for leaders and their organizations to make decisions, approach obstacles, and lead teams. It doesn’t matter where you are in your life or what your role is on the team, this book is applicable and relevant to everyone.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
I am currently two chapters into Grit and am loving it! The key theme of Duckworth’s book is that talent applied does not always determine “success”. It’s much deeper than face value. Grit, therefore, is “passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. It is having stamina, sticking with your future – not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years – and working hard to make that future a reality. Grit is a marathon, not a sprint.” And the more we understand what makes us gritty, the deeper our purpose becomes and the greater success we find in what it is we put our minds to.
You Can Change by Tim Chester
I just started reading this one this month. In the past 5 years or so, I discovered a massive opportunity to speak into the lives of others by understanding the challenges we face when it comes to change, transition, and identity. Chester begins with the foundational overview of our Image of God (IOG) and how the Gospel shapes who we are and as a result, who we are becoming. He then begins to break down the motivations we have to make change in our lives. So far a great read!
Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman
This was recommended to me recently by a good friend who is a counselor for one of California’s major universities. In a season where asking the right questions about dating and relationships matters, Gottman’s approach to dating your significant other and asking the right questions along the way, will be an insightful and helpful resource. For me, this book will be used as much personally in nature as it will be professionally in nature. I am excited to crack this one open and get intentional about the relationships I am cultivating.
Do you have a book recommendation or one that I need to know about? I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email at hello@joshgirgenti.com!
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