Back to Blogs
Share this Article

My top 5 reads for World Book Day

  • Publish Date: Posted about 2 years ago
  • Author:by Ruth Foster

​​​Happy World Book Day! 

In honour of this day, I bring you my top 5 reads for investing in your personal and professional development.

  1. Will it Make the Boat Go Faster - Ben Hunt-Davis
    Ben Hunt-Davis won Olympic Gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 as part of the Men's Rowing Eight. This book outlines a series of practical techniques that can be applied to any team, to facilitate a high performing team culture. A really interesting read, with examples that make it memorable, and if it works for gold medalists, then there is undoubtedly some useful techniques!
    Buy the book here.

  2. 5 Dysfunctions of a team: Patrick Lencioni
    I posted about this recently and this is another book centred around team dynamics and how to build high performing team cultures. Emphasising the need to build, at a base level, trust amongst team members and how you can do this through showing vulnerability. A step by step guide with exercises to address each level of dysfunction – making this simpler to apply in the working world.
    Buy the book here.

  3. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: Charlie Mackesy
    “This book is for everyone, whether you’re eighty or eight,” says the introduction to this book. A book which “.. encourages you, perhaps, to live courageously with more kindness for yourself and for others and to ask for help when you need it – which is always a brave thing to do,” says the author Mackesy. It’s not a novel but a series of quotes almost, accompanied by pictures, to support your emotional wellbeing and, well, personal growth I guess. I challenge anyone not to take something from this book. It’s quite moving.
    Buy the book here.

  4. 7 habits of highly effective people: Stephen Covey
    A leadership classic and one of Covey’s many “must-reads”. Beginning with the end in mind, one of the habits, is something I’ve always been a huge advocate of. It helps keep conversations focussed and can help emotions that, at times, can be counter productive. For any leader, or aspiring leader, if this isn’t already on your bookshelf, then it’s a very worthy investment.
    Buy the book here.

  5. I’m ok, you’re ok: Thomas A. Harris M.D
    This is a practical guide to transactional analysis which makes us think about the dynamics of our relationships (in all aspects of our lives) and makes us question where we’re not in that adult to adult space and how we can get to that point. This is a fascinating topic that always sparks interesting debate and discussion in management development sessions and struck a chord with me from the moment I first read about it.
    But the book here.