Challenging Assumptions
I've always found that the best source of inspiration for me is a combination of reading and conversations. Reading because it provides the basic information, arguments and ideas in a way that allows me to absorb, process and reflect on what I'm learning. Conversations, on the other hand, provide a way to then test that learning either through sharing and teaching what I've learnt or by challenging my understanding and conclusions.
While at Endava, I created a reading list for the People Development and Recruitment teams that covered all the key books that had shaped my thinking and approach to helping increase business performance by unlocking of the capabilities of the people and unleashing the power of collaboration and interaction. My strong belief is that the combination of understanding how we think (neuroscience), how we interact (culture) and how stuff gets done (complexity) is fundamental in the new world of work.
I've created a page on the Leadership58 website to share with you those books and some brief reflections on each of them. If you really want to know what's coming and why in the leadership and HR space then these are the places to go. In later posts I intend to share some of the apps, websites and links to organisations that are really moving things forward. It will be worth coming back to the list every now and again as I'm sure I'll be adding more to it as my reading expands.
While there's never a single right answer, I hope that the books I suggest help to challenge some of the assumptions you have about other people, about how the business world works and how you can maximise performance while creating an environment that enables each individual to be the very best that they can be.
