To be a successful leader of change, businesses require a leader that has a shared understanding of the changes, strategies, and actions necessary to promote a lasting impact on the world.
The Center of Creative Leadership found that ‘change-capable leadership’ for 275 executives boiled down to organizational change initiatives of collaboration, communication, and commitment.
Meanwhile, a 2022 research study in the Oxford Review noted significant factors that impact employee emotional responses and performance outcomes. This included how authentic leadership can ‘create a positive and ethical climate within the workplace’ and a positive emotional response in employees.
The books here provide entrepreneurs and business leaders with modern tools for self-actualization, personal health, and global change. Whether you are searching for ways to improve your leadership style or make a collective impact, these great reads are sure to inspire.
1. Ian Williams – Soil and Spirit
Across the endlessly changing business terrain, leaders and entrepreneurs need to have a strong sense of self-actualization. This includes the recognition of what challenges may be faced at the foundation of their entrepreneurial journey, along with the environmental, economic, and social challenges that exist on the outer borders.
In Soil & Spirit: Seeds of Purpose, Nature’s Insight & the Deep Work of Transformational Change, Ian Williams is a trusted guide for leaders looking to take the next step in their journey. Those looking to chart a path of transformation will be given an in-depth look at the internal, social, external, and spiritual landscapes that shape our civilization. Williams’s methodology for designing these resilient landscapes is meant to help individuals awaken their life’s purpose and become a stimulus for actual cultural transformation.
This may mean something different for each person, but the commitment to self-actualization remains the same. As told by Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the voyage of self-actualization demands long-term dedication to emotional intelligence and leadership to find personal growth and self-fulfillment.
2. Dr. Erin Yuet Tjam & Ryuichi Utsugi, M.D. – Skin Sobering
Many leaders know that being conscious of our everyday practices, when it comes to sustainability and overconsumption, is a key element in making the world a better place and creating an equitable future for all. A 2019 survey by The Benchmarking Company revealed specifically that 64% of consumers say sustainability is important when choosing a beauty product to purchase.
In the book, Skin Sobering: 99% of Products Age and Harm Your Skin Erin Yuet Tjam, Ph.D., and Ryuichi Utsugi, M.D. take a closer look at common skincare products touted by the beauty industry. Learning to be self-aware in our daily skin care habits offers leaders valuable lessons that go beyond beauty. The most sustainable and effective way to take care of our skin is, in fact, sobering.
When leaders find small ways to make a difference in their own lives, they are more likely to inspire, or maybe even advise the people in their circles, to adopt such practices. Thus, leaders create a ripple effect that then leads to a greater amount of collective, societal change.
3. James Baker – Live Forever and Fix Everything
In Live Forever & Fix Everything: A Practical Plan for a Future That Works for Everyone, James Baker gives readers practical solutions that leaders can pursue independently or alongside experts to address problems. These solutions include envisioning a positive path forward and learning to utilize today’s technological advancements.
According to Baker, harnessing the power of technological advancements is essential to individual and collective actions geared toward sustainable change. Yet, so is the need to focus on our relationship with the natural world and us as individuals to take control of the health of our society. Together, our focus on greater emotional well-being and innovations has the capacity to help us make better choices to fix everything and live indefinitely.
Change Requires Effort, But The Work is Worthwhile
As leaders continue moving forward, they must learn to focus on the skills that led them there and their ability to be effective change-makers. This means serving as an advocate for change while informing those they lead how to make the world a better place.