10 execs share the best books they read in 2023

December 15, 2023 5:30 AM

From CEOs to heads of HR, today's leaders know the value of reading for personal and professional growth.

EBN asked ten top executives for the books that inspired them in areas like wellness, education and new perspectives around their business strategies. Whether leaders want to refresh their management skills, or have a more positive mindset and vision for the future, these books offer advice for grappling with today's big challenges.

"Rachel Pacheco's book, 'Bringing Up the Boss: Practical Lessons for New Managers' reminds us that companies thrive because they have great leaders — and those leaders inspire and manage well whether in person, over Zoom calls, across different time zones, or in the face of constant change," says Alex Newbold, chief administrative officer at Wellthy. "What a super useful guide for building managers of tomorrow, and ensuring that the managers of today have an arsenal of tools to help their teams succeed."

Newbold and nine other executives reveal the best books they read this year: Add them to your reading list for 2024.

'The Infinite Game' by Simon Sinek

"A book I loved was 'The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek.' As a leader at a mission-driven company, I love exploring how strategy and mission are connected. This book really hammers home the importance of having an infinite mindset as you think about your vision and strategy. It's critical to staying relevant long term and achieving lasting success. "The Infinite Game" inspired me to be really thoughtful about the projects and goals I prioritize for our organization, and how they support our mission to improve and protect financial well-being." —Gulliver Swenson, chief people officer at insurance company Assurance IQ

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'Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity' by Peter Attia and Bill Gifford

"As I think about my health and wellness and the health and wellness of my colleagues — not just today but for the decades to come — one book has stuck out to me more than any other this year: 'Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity' by Peter Attia and Bill Gifford. The core message isn't just how long you live — but how well you live. We talk so often about investing in the health and well-being of our teams, and what I love about this book and have been sharing with colleagues is that it extends that focus and conversation far beyond the immediate moment. It gives people an accessible and motivating pathway to think about changes that can start today, but with impact that lasts for years." —Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO and co-founder of caregiver platform Wellthy

'Dynamic Reteaming: The Art and Wisdom of Changing Teams' by Heidi Helfand

"Given the roller coaster ride of today's market, the advent of new technologies like generative AI, and the limitless potential for growth for so many startups building new categories of work, one book that has been top of mind for me this year is 'Dynamic Reteaming: The Art and Wisdom of Changing Teams' by Heidi Helfand. Teams change constantly — in high-growth times that means an influx of new staff, either through hiring or maybe acquisitions, and in leaner times that might mean optimizing or structuring in ways that reprioritize and refocus energies toward core priorities and goals. What matters regardless of the moment is embracing the dynamic needs of your company and 'reteaming' your organization in ways that create momentum, agility, and a culture of confidence that teams can seize big opportunities or navigate turbulent times.

Helfand's book offers a smart roadmap for 'reteaming' that walks through common patterns and best practices with practical real-world examples. Overall it enables leaders to lean into change as an inevitable part of the workplace journey, and to look at change as an opportunity to thrive rather than something to avoid or ignore." —Kevin Roche, CTO and co-founder of Wellthy

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'Smart Brevity' by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz

"'Smart Brevity' is a book about the art and influence of saying more with less. Professional communicators love words so much that (ironically) most of us overwrite — we use too many filler words and nonessential information in our communications at a time when audience attention spans are under attack. This book is packed full of helpful insights and advice while also being super easy and fast to digest." —Bill Bourdon, co-CEO of communications agency Mission North

'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team' by Patrick Lencioni

"'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team' is an invaluable guide to one of leaders' biggest charges: Navigating the complexities of team dynamics. The book underscores how a lack of trust breeds discord, allowing ego and status to overshadow collective success. Trust, rooted in integrity and transparency, forms the bedrock of cohesive teams and fuels innovation. Lencioni's insights have profoundly influenced my own leadership approach, propelling my commitment to nurturing trust, driving impactful leadership, and achieving organizational success. Embracing this ethos, HR and business leaders can ensure everyone has a voice and hand in helping the company thrive." —Sam Reese, CEO of CEO coaching and peer advisory firm Vistage

'The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance' by Ruth Gotian

"'The Success Factor' outlines the four critical success factors possessed by high achievers and the actions one can take to develop and deploy them in a work context. The four factors are intrinsic motivation, perseverance, building a strong foundation and lifelong learning. The book is a practical guide that shares the importance and impact of each factor, integrates powerful high achiever stories to bring the points to life, and provides practical action items that can be implemented to develop each success factor based on personal needs.

Understanding the high achiever mindset resonated with me on a personal level because it helped me better understand myself. It was like a lightbulb went off. Throughout my career, I had a strong work ethic, a passion for solving challenging problems and a love of learning. I took many career risks, exploring different industries while building skills within strategy, business process and people management and leadership. I enjoyed the intellectual challenge, yet knew I had not found my "thing." It wasn't until I clarified my purpose and launched my own business that all of the puzzle pieces came together. Now, my work is my joy. Gotian helped me frame my journey in a way I had not considered." —Shamis Pitts, founder of leadership consulting firm PLC

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'Built to Last' by Jim Collins

"'Built to Last' has been the most impactful book, and one that I go back to time after time. When companies create a compelling mission, vision and value statement, their whole business strategy will become more clear. I won't create a people strategy absent this framework. It also helps people leaders tie all programs and frameworks back to reinforce and support the company's mission, vision and values. Together, this creates a built-to-last organization that will outperform the competition." —Anita Grantham, head of HR at BambooHR

'Reset' by Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.

"The world of work is increasingly volatile, uncertain, and complex. People use words like 'disruption' and 'perma-crisis' when describing the extensive and pervasive political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental changes that impact our lives and our workplaces. For this reason, I was eager to read the book 'Reset' by Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The subtitle of the book is "A Leader's Guide to Work in An Age of Upheaval." The book challenges leaders to realize the impact of using 'big-picture strategies' and 'practical solutions' to explore the benefits of 'reimagining' the workplace." —Cheryl Brown Merriwether, VP and executive director at substance abuse education and recovery organization ICARE

'Brown Is the New White' and 'How We Win the Civil War' by Steven Phillips

"To be a truly inclusive and diverse workplace, HR leaders today must understand the ever-changing demographics of our world. 'Brown Is the New White' and 'How We Win the Civil War' by Steven Phillips are books I recommend to any HR professional because they offer compelling and hopeful perspectives on how diversity will positively impact our organizations, from the workplace to the political arena and beyond. These books have helped me further develop the critical lens I look through to foster a diverse workforce at Quizlet, ensuring that everything from wellness programs to performance reviews promotes an inclusive workplace culture." —Stephanie Douglass, chief people officer at global learning platform Quizlet