5 Must-Read Business Books for the Summer

Have you read a book lately? Turns out reading is in again: book sales were up 1% last year, according to BookScan data. And the summer when many business leaders throw a book in their beach bag.

When we asked our consultants what they are reading, we found two themes. The first is actionable steps. Today’s unpredictable business environment is not a time for theory or meandering thought leadership; it’s a moment for getting it done. The second theme is outright professional development. Previous reading roundups from our consultants have included Moby-Dick and winding memoirs; all of today’s recommended books are how-to guides to understanding and conquering human behaviors. These are books that blend psychological insights with practical workplace applications, all aimed at helping people perform better.

“The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni breaks out six different strengths that people have: wonder, invention, discernment, galvanizing, enablement, and tenacity. Everyone is strong in two, and weak in two. His whole premise is that the better you understand geniuses of your team—church group, military, or corporate—the better you’ll be able to align them to where they can be most energized and most successful. I apply it to screen candidates for the strengths needed in a role, and within my team in terms of, ‘Hey, who are you partnering with? If someone’s good at data and someone’s good at pitching, can you partner?’”

-JP Sniffen, practice leader at the Military Center of Expertise at Korn Ferry

“I recommend The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. I just completed it! What really stuck with me is that trying to control how others act—rather than protecting your energy and focusing on what you can control, which is yourself— only leads to frustration. We can all gain a better ability to set boundaries and not take things so personally, which is huge for us here at KF executive search.”

-Reena Patel, principal in the Global Financial Officers practice at Korn Ferry

“I would recommend Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari to everyone who believes that the world will change because of AI. Readers will realize that information revolutions have happened before in human history, and that this is part of evolution. AI is not to be feared.”

-Maneesh Dube, senior client partner in the Executive Search practice at Korn Ferry

“Advertising is known for being noisy and annoying to consumers. Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads (fifth edition) by Luke Sullivan and Edward Boches touches on bringing creativity back into ads, and the importance of saying something that matters to cut through the noise. Today, that message is more relevant than ever: Make people forget that they are watching an ad, and you've sold them on your brand.”

-Chloe Carr, communications specialist at Korn Ferry 

“I really like The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson. It disabuses people of the notion that psychological safety means being nice. Creating it within your organization helps foster an environment where people share ideas, get things wrong, are creative, and take risks. That ultimately leads to a more engaged workforce and finding problems sooner.”

-Kari Poby, psychologist and director of search assessment at Korn Ferry

And we’d be remiss to not include Love, Hope and Leadership: A Special Edition by Gary Burnison, the latest book from our CEO. It is a collection of perspectives on modern leadership. Flip through its to-the-point directives, which remind managers, executives and entrepreneurs that the best leaders are empathetic, authentic, and help others thrive.

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