leadership

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Twelve Business Books to Consider Reading in 2026

Here are twelve business books I recommend you consider for your reading list in 2026 – click below to see the list.  You’ll see that my list this year is centered around AI and change leadership -I guess that’s no surprise in these times!

Please share your thoughts on the list, any other suggestions, and your personal reviews or commentaries on any of these books that you have read in the comments below.

Wishing you every success in 2026!

Heather

(Note, I haven’t included any links to online booksellers for these books – please consider supporting small independent booksellers near you, they would appreciate your business. 😊 📖 )

1. The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the Rise of AI by Stephen Witt The story of how Jensen Huang transformed Nvidia into the dominant force powering the AI revolution.

2. Red Helicopter – A Parable for Our Times: Lead Change with Kindness (Plus a Little Math) by James Rhee  This bestseller uses a parable format to showcase how to lead change through kindness and strategic thinking. 

3. The Experience Mindset by Tiffani Bova  Bova outlines how  to enhance customer experience and employee experience simultaneously for unprecedented revenue growth – one of my favourite themes!

4. Influence at Work by Steve J. Martin A guide for how to master workplace influence through understanding both spoken and unspoken communication. Wish I had this book 30 years ago!

5. There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift by Kevin Evers This book explores  the business dynasty that is Taylor Swift. It explores the elements of her success that can transform businesses far beyond the music industry. I think Taylor is the whole package so this is a great one!

6. The AI Driven Leader by Geoff Woods Woods exploreshow to navigate AI without losing sight of core leadership principles. Great book if you’re interested in how to harness AI as a tool to grow business and increase velocity of results.

7. Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss by Kirstin Ferguson Ferguson uncovers the hidden forces underlying our decisions and how we can identify and overcome cognitive blind spots. Thought Provoking.

8. Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick Mollick provides a guide to engage with AI as co-worker, co-teacher, and coach – necessary skills for everyone in today’s world of work.

9. The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions – and How the World Lost Its Mind by Dan Davies An interesting exploration of how decision-making can fail in the current business environment. I found it a bit of a slog to get through – but very interesting concepts.

10. Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World by Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani An exploration of how AI-centric organizations are leading a wave of business model change. And how algorithms and networks are changing strategy and leadership – necessary concepts for us all to think through.

11. Leading Through Disruption: A Changemakers Guide to Twenty-First Century Leadership by Andrew N. Liveris Former Dow CEO Andrew Liveris offers practical solutions for navigating disruption. Easy read and some great thoughts – I think everyone could take a couple of takeaways (at least) from this one.

12. Adapt: Mastering Change in Four Steps by Andrea Clarke A practical four-step framework for leading change—Engage, Accept, Activate, Release. Who doesn’t need more tools to help with change these days?

Leadership Meditations for 2018
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Leadership Meditations for 2018

Here are twelve leadership meditations for 2018.  I coupled them with photographs of scenes in my favourite place, Newfoundland and Labrador.  Most of these meditations I have created or amassed over the years, some I know I heard elsewhere but can’t remember the source.. I apologize in advance if you have heard any of them before, but I truly believe they are all worth sharing and reflecting on.  I hope that you enjoy these meditations, and that they help you have a successful chapter on your leadership journey in 2018.  I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018!

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Remarks to Atlantic Director Education Event November 2, 2017
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Remarks to Atlantic Director Education Event November 2, 2017

Last week I had the great pleasure of speaking to a conference at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.  The event was for Atlantic Canadian Alumni of the Directors Education Program from the Institute of Corporate Directors, and was on the topic of Governance and Disruption.

There were a lot of ‘big questions’ being debated in the room, particularly around the paradoxes that are arising in being a Director in times of such uncertainty and change.   The role of management and of Directors is changing, and every firm needs to think about how they are managing the interrelated areas of Innovation, Disruption, Customer Behaviour Change, and Technology Evolution – and the impacts of all of these on both the strategy and risk profile of a firm.

It was extremely refreshing to see such energy around the evolution of good governance! Bravo to the Institute of Corporate Directors, The Sobey School of Business, and the Atlantic Canada Directors Education Alumni for putting together such a great event!

My session in particular was around the steps that Directors need to take to ensure good  strategy and good governance in these times of disruption.   I thought I’d share my slides from the event here…obviously there was a lot of dialogue that went with the slides – so feel free to ask me any questions that you may have…

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Are you “Open for Innovation”?
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Are you “Open for Innovation”?

I get asked a lot about innovation. When people are asking me about it they are usually asking in the context of technology innovation, but that is not what first comes first for me when thinking of innovation.

In thinking of true innovation in business I think of the times that I have been part of reimagining a way of serving the customer, reinventing new approaches to the conduct of business, or instilling new team practices.   For sure many of these had a technology component, but it wasn’t the technology that came first. Rather, the technology was a tool to solve a business problem or to capture an opportunity we saw emerging.

These days I spend a lot of time discussing with people the use of emerging digital platforms in their business. Often the discussion begins with someone asking me about these emerging “platforms”: Cloud, Internet of Things, Location-Based Services, AI, Big Data, Social Media, Mobile Payments, Programmatic Marketing, Digital Analytics, Content Management Systems, the list goes on… and on…and on! But these platforms are not where you start if you want true innovation in your business.

If you want true innovation in your business you have to start with what I call a mindset that is “Open for Innovation”.   This Open for Innovation mindset is a fundamental culture that you need throughout your business. From the front-line to the C-Suite your culture needs to encourage people to be always looking at the business from new angles, and constantly asking “how do we make this better”?

Once you have this mindset flourishing in your business, you will find that, rather than drowning in a sea of technology or innovation buzzwords, you will be able to see more clearly what your true business requirements are and make clearer requests of your product, IT and support teams to help you deliver innovation into action.

A key aspect of your leadership approach should be thinking through how you are creating this Open for Innovation mindset. And I think one of the best ways is through the questions you ask.

Here are some questions that you can regularly ask yourself, and your team. As you and your team get comfortable openly answering questions like these, I think you will find that creativity increases, and innovation breeds.

  1. Even if this aspect of our business is already perfect, how can we make it better?
  2. If you were starting a new business to compete with us, what would your strategy be?
  3. How would we do this differently if this was our one and only chance to Wow our customer, and our very survival depended on it?
  4. What is the number one thing our customers want from us that we don’t do? (and the only rule on this one is the answer is not allowed to be “lower prices”)
  5. What part of our business processes should we have stopped 5 years ago?
  6. What are the things our customers rate us worst on, and what would it take to fix it?
  7. What is the process in our company that frustrates our employees the most?
  8. If someone wanted to completely replace our core product or service, how would they do it?
  9. What skills, personalities or knowledge are missing on our team?
  10. Would you encourage your children to work at this company?

Try some of these out and listen carefully to the answers.. I think you’ll see some new angles on how you can apply innovation to make your business better.   Let me know how it works for you.

Three things every business person should be thinking about for 2015
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Three things every business person should be thinking about for 2015

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I always feel like September is the start of the new year. Even if you are in one of the many organizations with a fiscal year end at December 31, it is in the fall of the year that you are planning, finalizing budgets, and making decisions as to what initiatives you will pursue next year.

So here is my list of three things every business person should be thinking about for 2015.

1. What’s your content Play?

As we move into 2015 we really are seeing a real change in the appeal of your communications. Advertising in its traditional sense is obsolete, and what moves the needle is relevant content that builds connectedness with your customers and potential customers.

People no longer want to be given a pitch, and they are now adept at ignoring your traditional approaches –  and I include in this their ability to ignore your traditional digital approaches! People want immersive, interactive experiences that bring them into the story and build a deep connection. You need video and interactivity, and you need it now, and you need it working on every type of screen.

The good news is that with the rising wave of content distribution engines, social media interfaces, and the interactive evolution of traditional advertising mediums – there is opportunity for businesses large and small to engage in these deep meaningful experiences with customers.

You need to think of yourself as a publisher, friend and trusted confidante for your customers. Make sure you know what your opportunities are here, and that you are thinking hard about how your messages truly engage, inform, inspire and entertain your audiences.

2. The rise of deep data

Despite all the brain-numbing hype over big data in the last couple of years, it really is time to think about how you are going to use deep data to help your business. The reason I prefer the term “Deep Data” vs. “Big Data” is that it is focused on the true insight that can be gleaned from all the information around you – going deep on the pieces that are important. Big data is an overwhelming concept and for most businesses it is impossible to know where to start. In Deep Data what is important is to truly understand those specific data sets that are critical to how your target customers live, think and feel.

Companies who use analytics to identify and go deep on the few true business drivers will be the ones able to use data to make real change and seize new opportunities. And I believe they will find these opportunities much quicker than the companies that spin up gargantuan algorithms with an incomprehensible sea of variables.

3. How will you win the war for hearts and minds?

Much has been written on the emerging war for talent, and also on the unique aspects of engaging the millenials in your workplace. I think there is a bigger issue at play here. People of all ages, tutored by the millenials in their lives, are becoming innately more social and more cynical than ever before.

With respect to the rise of social media and mobile connectedness, people are now driven by instant feedback, instant “coaching” from their wider community of influence, and open dialogue on every topic. How will you build a culture and action mindset in your organization that a) feeds this new expectation of employees; b) captures the advantage of this new connectedness with your customers; and c) opens your organization to true, instant feedback from all your stakeholders?

With respect to the increasing cynicism of both your employees and customers, how are you incorporating this reality into planning? People are not willing to take your claims at face value, and are more intelligent, educated and media savvy than ever before. How are you amping up the proof and trusted support network for your claims? The smartest companies in 2015 will use the power of peer networks, compelling evidentiary content, and open dialogues with employees and customers to close the deal faster, even in the face of a cynical audience.

There is definitely a war for talent, but there is a bigger war for the hearts and minds of everyone who counts in the success of your business.

Thinking about your content play, the rise of deep data and winning the war for hearts and minds are three things I think you should be thinking about. What are your thoughts of trends to consider in 2015? I’d love to hear from you.

Take Care,

Heather

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Are you a label maker?

ImageRecently I was called for a reference and was asked for the “one word that best described the candidate”. One word?, I thought. How can I possibly encapsulate all the power and potential of this person in just one word? And worse, once I say whatever word I pick, will it be affixed in the other person’s mind forever? What if I get it wrong?

I don’t know if we’re all born with an overzealous need to organize everything, but I have noticed we seem to have a keen need to label ourselves, and the people around us.

Through our lives we collect a series of labels. These labels are hewn from inputs from all over: descriptions put on report cards by first grade teachers; off-handed comments by teenage friends; feedback from your first work supervisor; a comment thrown out in a heated discussion with a loved one… the sources are endless!

We seem to latch on to these labels and they frame a basis for how we see ourselves. Sometimes they even drive our behaviour in terms of prescribing how we act in the future. In many ways we are what we believe about ourselves, and equally dangerous we see others in the context of the labels that we have heard affixed to them.

These labels put opaque lenses on our observations, colouring our impressions of what we see in others. And they can actually be self-fulfilling prophecies that influence the opportunities people are given, and the interpretation of their work.

In building teams it is important that we not encapsulate our team members in labels that limit their ability to stretch and to bring the full extent of their contribution to the table. Putting labels on people, or on ourselves, allows us to organize the team into a nice little arrangement in our mind – yet it also restricts the full range of contribution that the team members can bring.

By labelling someone with a functional expertise you run the risk of ignoring his or her great ideas outside of that specific area. By labelling someone with a certain personality trait you ignore other parts of his or her personality or needs. By labelling someone with a certain competency you can ignore the many other competencies that they have, or that they can develop if given the opportunity. Similarly, when you label yourself you restrict your innovation and your willingness to step out of your ‘label zone’ and stretch yourself to your maximum.

This call was a gentle reminder to myself to avoid the trap of assigning neat little labels on myself or on others…because nothing is more limiting than that.

Comments?

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Searching for balance? Keep your head where your feet are

126409852 I was asked recently to share on my blog some comments I have made over the years to people seeking the extremely elusive “work-life balance”.   When my kids were really young I would often get asked “How do you do it? How do you balance young kids, community work, and your job?” The first thing I should say is that I often found this question startling. My immediate thought would be “how can they possibly think I’m balancing everything?”. Many days back then I felt like I had long given up trying to keep my head above water, and was fighting to keep just one nostril exposed to let me breathe!  Happily I did learn how to achieve that elusive feeling of balance, at least the balance that is right for me and, for what it may be worth, here is my advice.

1. Let go the Myth of Perfect Balance I have always felt that trying to find that perfect ‘balance’ is setting yourself up for failure. Chasing this myth immediately sets one side of your life facing off against the other. There you are desperately seeking that magical fulcrum that will make the pieces hang in perfect harmony. Not so! Think instead of your life as a rich tapestry, and you have to weave all the pieces together into the beautiful picture that is uniquely right for you. And the picture in your tapestry cannot be the same as anyone else’s, because it is built on choices that are uniquely your own. Will you marry? Will you have children? If so, how many? What community and volunteer organizations will you be part of? What friends will you spend time with? How will you invest in your own health and wellness? What career will you love and choose to pursue? The secret to ‘balancing’ all these choices is to think of them as selections that you are making to weave together in the one story that is uniquely your own, the one picture that is uniquely satisfying to you.

2. Keep your head where your feet are Be very mindful of which piece of the tapestry you are working on at a given time, and be very focused in that moment. When my children were really little I started to feel really unbalanced… I was spending all my time at work worrying about home and all my time at home worrying at work. I quickly realized that I needed to learn to be focused in the moment. The mantra I developed for myself was ‘keep your head where your feet are”. When you are at work – stay focused on work, and when you are at home  – the same rule applies! There is always something else that you COULD be doing – the key is to focus on what you ARE doing. I don’t know any greater feeling of imbalance than having your head and feet in two different places. Training yourself to be fully present goes a long way to driving balance in your life.

3. Balance is a marathon  Remember that balance is a marathon. You don’t need to have everything perfectly balanced every day! What is important is that overall – when you look back on the weeks, months and years – you feel balanced, even if there were many days that you didn’t!  Moments of imbalance are normal.  However,  if you are feeling that you’ve been going too long with only that one nostril poking over the water and you’re about to go under – don’t panic. Instead climb to the nearest shore (may I suggest a spa day or personal retreat?), take a breath, reflect on the choices you are making, and see how you can adjust your personal story to make it more what you are seeking.

All this to say, this is what I found worked for me. The biggest message in the story of balance is that it is a truly personal journey. Give yourself permission to make the choices and take the actions that work for you. Don’t apologise…this is your life you’re living.

 

Thoughts??