Favorite Books I Learned the Most From in 2020 on Leadership, Coaching, and AntiRacism

To support lifelong learning, I read A LOT of books, article, and blogs. In 2020, I set a goal to read 40 books annually. Reading, for me, includes reading a physical book or e-book, and also listening to audio books. In order to keep track of which books I have read, I keep a list in a Google docs spreadsheet. Between the years, it was not uncommon for me to request the same book from the library that I have read in the past, and the list heIps me to keep track of my reading. I also recommend books of interest in my monthly newsletter. To keep track of what I am learning through reading, I write notes in my Evernote notebook that I can reference to use in the future (i.e. blog posts like this).

Here is my list of 10 books I learned the most from in 2020

➡️ All my gear: https://kit.co/SARAHSCALACONSULTING

Leadership

I frequently read books about business and leadership because I often use the lessons in my consulting practice or when I am teaching leadership development for my clients.

Humble Consulting: How to Provide Real Help Faster by Edgar Shein
This book suggests a change in the way consultants work with their clients. Historically, consultants would run assessments or tests with clients, diagnose the issue, and recommend a solution. Schein suggests a different approach to support the complex challenges that organizations face today. Through twelve case studies, the author shares an approach that includes authentic openness, curiosity, and humility.

Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock
This book shares lessons from the former Head of People Operations at Google. What stood out to me most was Google’s approach to hire the best people (top 90%) and investing more money in talent acquisition, and spending very little money on learning and development. Google’s philosophy is to hire the best performers who can “start doing great work right away.” This is different from most companies that “spent more on training current employees than on hiring new employees.” There are many great lessons in this book that are summarized as a few bulleted sentences at the end of each chapter, which makes it easy to remember and apply.

Coaching

I read a lot about Coaching as an ICF Certified Executive Coach to keep my skills and approach sharp.

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
This is one of the best selling coaching books! After hearing Stainer speak at the World Business and Executive Coaching Summit (WBECS) this year, I appreciated his simple approach and energy. This book is excellent for organizations that want to bring a coaching program to their company. This simplified process includes seven essential questions for managers and leaders to use when coaching their teams or staff.

The HeART of Laser-Focused Coaching: A Revolutionary Approach to Masterful Coaching by Marion Franklin
Having heard Marion speak in programs for my ICF Chapter and reading her book, I gained a lot of insight on her approaches to getting right to what matters. In her laser-focused approach, Marion suggests direct communication and identifying themes to quickly move beyond the stories to delve deeper with clients.

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia
This books shares the Ikigai Japanese concept which means “reason for being.” Especially during this time of ambiguity, uncertainty, and loss due to the pandemic, this model is helpful for identifying what you should put at the center of your world. Many people and industries today are having to pivot in order to survive and re-invent themselves during the current state of the world. It asks questions like: What are you good at? What does the world need? What can you be paid for? What do you love? It also has readers identify their passion, mission, profession, and vocation.

The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day by Andy Puddicombe
In this book the author, former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe, shares best practices for bringing mindfulness and meditation into your life. Bill Gates even recommends this book and approach, as it helped him get into the habit of daily meditation. People may benefit from this simple approach, especially during these times of ambiguity.

Anti-Racism / Social Justice/ Gender Equality

After reading the book White Fragility earlier this year, I realized quickly that I have a lot to learn about the history of race and racism.

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
This book helped me understand the history of racism in the world, and how it has impacted Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). In addition to historical facts, the author walks you through chapters in his life and how racism impacted and influenced him. In this book, Kendi defines ANTIRACISM as “a powerful collection of antiracist policies that lead to racial equity and are substantiated by antiracist ideas.” The focus for being antiracists lies in policy, whereas the author defines ANTIRACIST as “one who is expressing the idea that racial groups are equals and none needs developing, and is supporting policy that reduces racial inequity.” I found it helpful to differentiate policy from behavior. I especially appreciated the recent podcast with Brené Brown and Kendi: How to Be an Antiracist.

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
In this book, DiAngelo provides a straight-forward discussion to assist white people in better understanding racism as a systemic issue while acknowledging the discomfort many white folks have in discussing race in any fashion. Robin is on faculty at the University of Washington, Seattle and has done significant research and written books on equality and racism. An additional, quick resource by this author is a 20-minute video, where DiAngelo shares what it means to be white in a society that proclaims race meaningless, yet is profoundly separated by race. I found this short video to be extremely helpful: Deconstructing White Privilege with Dr. Robin DiAngelo.

Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD
I learned about this book through the Next Big Idea Club when I attended the FREE training by Eberhardt titled: How to Fight Racial Bias, According to a Stanford Psychologist. This course was very helpful as I continue to learn about anti-racism. Eberhardt is best known as the world’s expert on the psychology of “black-crime” association and biases. She is often hired to work with police departments to help minimize their bias towards minorities. This book shares her real experiences, from being pushed against her car, handcuffed and arrested during a traffic stop a day before completing her doctorate at Harvard, to her 5-year old son asking, after seeing the only black man on an airplane, he “hoped he doesn’t rob the plane.” Each example shares her in-depth research on bias and how it plays out in every day life.

What Works: Gender Equality by Design by Iris Bohnet
Early in this book, the author shares how in the ‘90’s, auditions for an orchestra changed its approach by having musicians sit behind a curtain. This change brought more women into orchestras, where they had been excluded in the past. I remember being in high school, as a trumpet player, and auditioning for the all-state music festival. I was behind a curtain, and got the highest score and seat. In retrospect, this probably had a lot to do with the curtain that hid the fact that I was female. This researched-based book by Harvard Professor Iris Bohnet shares tools needed both in boardrooms and classrooms to design and support organizations in bringing gender equality to the forefront.

What books did you most enjoy in 2020? Leave a comment.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. WHAT BOOKS DID YOUR READ IN 2020? I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WRITING THIS STORY, SO IF YOU ENJOYED IT, PLEASE CONSIDER SHARING, AND LEAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY. I’D REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

Check out my other blogs on recommended books for:

10 Books with Impact During COVID-19
5 Favorite Books on Positive Psychology
5 Favorite books on Coaching Coaching
5 Favorite books on Leadership Excellence

Disclaimer: This very helpful post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that should you click any of the links and make a purchase, I may get a small commission at absolutely no cost to you.

Follow my blogs on Medium, LinkedIn, and Twitter.+

Sign up for our Newsletter for great articles, tools, and top blog posts

About the Author:
Sarah Scala is a senior talent management leader and executive coach with 20+ years of experience providing organization development, change management, and leadership development solutions for diverse global and local industries. She is a collaborative consultant, coach, and educator supporting performance transformation of executives, leaders, and teams. Sarah is a methodical, results-driven leader recognized for helping clients reach their highest potential, increase revenue, reduce turnover, elevate business profitability, build competencies, and improve performance.

Learning, ResourcesSarah A. ScalaNovember 23, 2020Sarah Scala ConsultingComment

Blog