Book Resources

 Adrienne Maree Brown

 An essential read if you are seeking to support change and possibility in yourself, your organization and community.  Emergent strategy is about how we shape and generate systems and patterns through our own relatively simple interactions.  As natural beings we move like nature – creating possibilities from small interdependent changes. 

  Kemi Nekvapil  

“Leaders who constantly make decisions feel the need to respond quickly. They confuse the speed of the response with the response itself. 

• In what areas of your life do you react even if pausing would be a more powerful choice?
• What are the effects of reacting instead of pausing? 
• How would pausing benefit you in your life and work?”

  Tara Mohr 

“We do a disservice to women when we advise them to simply 'be confident.' We will all feel profound self-doubt when we boldly create, speak up, or lead. This is even more so for women because of the bias we face and the dearth of role models we see. But here’s the good news: we don’t need confidence to play big. What we need is a new, more conscious and skillful relationship to our self-doubt. That is entirely learnable." 

 Tammy Lenski 

I appreciate her thoughtful and practical book, The Conflict Pivot, with its worksheets and communication tools. On her website she encourages us to practice scales when talking about difficult topics or when we are feeling a bit stuck. We practice scales by asking questions like these:  “On a scale of 1-10, how sure are you that your picture of the problem is complete and accurate?” 

Charles Duhigg

 What I enjoyed most about this book is how it complements the leaders and writers I follow on conflict transformation, discussing what matters most, and healthy relationships at work and at home. The author talks about ways to cultivate a deeper understanding of what each person wants and needs in a conversation and relationship. He gives examples of connecting questions and how learning about each other’s needs, goals, and meaningful experiences are the foundation for trusting relationships at work. If we don’t understand each other’s needs we most likely feel unheard and grow a sense of disconnection. When listening at work, discerning what the person sharing really wants right now (to be heard? hugged? helped?) is a starting place for connection. 

Robert Kegan & Lisa Lahey

Immunity to Change explores why individuals and organizations often struggle to implement desired

changes, even when highly motivated. The book introduces the concept of a hidden

"immune system" -deeply held assumptions and competing commitments that

unconsciously work against change. The framework provides powerful tools to identify

these internal barriers and align leadership behavior with strategic goals. Through real-

world examples and a step-by-step process, it helps leaders foster personal growth and

meaningful organizational change. 

Charles Feltman

This book offers a practical framework for cultivating trust and having conversations to restore it as needed by paying attention to our behaviors. The best way to go from the concept of trust to the behaviors that support or damage it is to look at trust in four areas (Care | Sincerity | Reliability | Competence) in which we can assess behaviors and actions. How would you order these four areas of trust by their importance to you in choosing to trust someone? In which trust area do you think you are most trustworthy from the perspective of your supervisor? team? employees?  and least?

 12 powerful tools for Leadership, Coaching and Life

Marilee Adams 

 A key takeaway from this leadership tale -Look carefully at your questions because they affect how we think, feel and act. Leaders, teams and organizations with judging tendencies have greater stress, interpersonal distress, turnover and burnout.  

 Rosamund Stone Zander 

A guide for mission-driven leaders and coaches who believe that meaningful change starts within. The book invites us to recognize and release the limiting stories we carry—and to step into new narratives that open up growth, connection, and possibility. As Zander writes, "If you are going to cause a shift in another, you accept that you are obliged first to bring about a shift in yourself..." This inner shift reshapes how we see the world, how we lead, and how we inspire transformation in others.

 C. Otto Scharmer 

 A research-based organizational development approach that blends systems thinking,

innovation, and leading change with awareness practices. Taking a closer look at how

the quality of results in any kind of system are a function of the quality of relationships

(relationship to self, others, etc.) and to change the quality of relationships need to

transform the mindsets of the people enacting the system. If you are seeking tools and

methods for leading from the emerging future, enabling leaders to create solutions that

realize future possibilities, you may enjoy what Otto Scharmer offers. It is an innovative pathway to update our mental and organizational operating systems for effecting

change.

Amanda Ripley 

A smart, surprising dive into why we get stuck in those “us vs. them” battles—and how to get out. Ripley shows that high conflict isn’t just about the loud arguments or surface- level drama; it’s about the understory—the deeper fears, identities, and emotions hiding underneath. For leaders, coaches, and curious humans, this book is a witty, eye-

opening reminder to stop fighting the symptoms and start getting curious. Want to change the story? You’ve got to go below the surface.

Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen

Thanks for the Feedback is a down-to-earth guide to giving and receiving feedback with less stress and more impact. Perfect for new leaders and mission-driven teams, it helps unpack why feedback can feel hard—and offers practical tools to turn tough conversations into growth, connection, and stronger collaboration.

Marshall B. Rosenberg 

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is founded on language and communication skills

that strengthen our ability to be relational as opposed to being right. While the principles

are not new, they serve as a powerful reminder of how to relate to one another by

reframing how we express ourselves and how we listen to others.

Rather than reacting out of habit or automatically, our words can become conscious

responses, rooted in an awareness of what we are perceiving, feeling, and

wanting—both in ourselves and in others.

Prentis Hemphill

A powerful exploration of personal and collective healing through the lens of

embodiment, justice, and love. Written for those who lead with care, the book blends memoir, cultural analysis, and deep wisdom to show how true healing requires both inner work and systemic change. Hemphill invites leaders to reckon with power, trauma, and connection—not as abstract ideas, but as lived practices that shape how we show up for ourselves and others. It's a compassionate guide for building more just, grounded, and healing-centered communities. It’s not just about self-care—it’s about shifting how we relate to each other and creating spaces rooted in justice, love, and real change. A meaningful read for anyone trying to lead with heart.

 Michael Baran and Tiffany Jana 

This practical handbook shifts the conversation around microaggressions by introducing

a new term: Subtle Acts of Exclusion (SAEs). The authors share how overt

discrimination is easier to recognize, SAEs are often unintentional and rooted in

everyday behaviors that can still cause harm. These may include stereotypes,

backhanded compliments, or assumptions made under the guise of humor or

friendliness. The book offers actionable guidance for individuals and organizations to

recognize SAEs in everyday interactions, understand their impact, address them

constructively, and foster conversations that build trust and inclusive environments.

 Brené Brown 

Atlas of the Heart is a helpful guide for anyone seeking to connect more meaningfully with others. Brené reminds us, "Language matters. It's the raw material of story, it changes how we feel about ourselves and others, and it's a portal to connection." The book encourages

leaders to use words thoughtfully—to build connection and dignity—and to speak up

when language crosses the line. It’s a practical, gentle way to communicate with more clarity and care.

 Byron Katie 

Byron Katie has created a process called “the work” to help us better understand our meaning making habits and patterns and learn if they serve us, our relationships and our happiness. I find her tools valuable as a way to explore greater authenticity and alignment in our professional and personal lives.  

Elizabeth Lesser

 “If there is one thing that has made a difference in my life, it is the courage to turn and face what wants to change within me.”  

 So much of my work in adaptive leadership, change and conflict transformation is to explore individual and group behaviors, beliefs and values. To explore what is below the defensiveness. What is at the heart of the matter? What are the needs of individuals, groups, and organizations? What if we think of poetry as language against which you have no defenses? 

In this way, I find poetry to be a rich and fruitful exploration for growth, change and adult development.