A selection of our favorite reads and online resources.
We are avid readers, skilled researchers, and voracious skimmers. This is a selection of books and resources that have been formative, useful, and/or inspiring in our careers and lives. Many of them have also had an impact on our clients and their organizations.
Click on the “+” or the category below to see more:
If you're interested in effective and authentic leadership...
- Kevin Cashman: Leadership from the Inside Out: Becoming a Leader for Life
- John Zenger & Joseph Folkman: The New Extraordinary Leader
- Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee: Primal Leadership
- Brené Brown: Dare to Lead
- Adrienne Maree Brown: Emergent Strategy
- Bill George: Discover Your True North
- Heifetz & Linsky: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
- James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner: The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations
- William B. Joiner & Stephen A. Josephs: Leadership Agility: Five Levels of Mastery for Anticipating and Initiating Change
- Meg Wheatley: Core Practices of Life-Affirming Leaders (article)
- HBR IdeaCast (podcasts and blog posts from HBR contributors)
- Talent Matters. Stanford Social Innovation Review’s blog on leadership development in the nonprofit sector.
- Podcasts from Parker Palmer, Center for Courage and Renewal.
If you are involved with nonprofit leadership and management...
- Free Management Library. A complete integrated online library for nonprofits and for-profits.
- BoardSource. A nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering exceptional governance practices. A selection of free, for-sale, and member-only resources.
- Make a difference for your cause: Strategies for Nonprofit Engagement in Legislative Advocacy. By the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest.
- Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations. A free and useful guide by Independent Sector (registration required to download PDF.) There’s also a workbook that accompanies the guide.
- Dashboards for Nonprofits. Blue Avocado offers a great approach to dashboard reports for finance, programs, board accountability.
- Board Self-Evaluation. A selection of resources from the National Council on Nonprofits.
- Meeting Evaluation Form. A quick, two-page evaluation that board members can complete during the last 5 minutes of a meeting. once or twice a year. Offers great insights into what’s working and what isn’t at board meetings.
- Boards on Fire! Inspiring Leaders to Raise Money Joyfully, by Susan Howlett.
If you're interested in social entrepreneurship and innovation....
- Stanford Social Innovation Review
- IssueLab, the Foundation Center’s database. Free access to thousands of case studies, white papers, evaluations, and issue briefs addressing some of the world’s most pressing social issues.
If you're interested in happiness, fulfillment, or flourishing in life...
- Shawn Achor: The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life
- Jessica Pryce-Jones: Happiness at Work: Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success
- Martin E. P. Seligman: Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being
- Martha Beck: The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life
And if you're curious about what else has captured our attention along the way...
- Pema Chodron: Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears
- Tom Rath: StrengthsFinder 2.0
- Anne Lamott: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
- Lynne Twist: The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources
- Lynda Barry: Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor and Making Comics
- Tara Mohr: Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead
- Brené Brown: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
- Guided meditations for Busy People, by Bodhipaksa. This recording includes brief meditations (~3-9 minutes) on breathing, mindfulness, etc. It has been a great tool for clients who struggle with calming the mind. Other titles include half-hour meditations on reducing stress, fostering awareness, etc. (Bodhipaksa is a Buddhist monk with a lovely, soothing Scottish accent.)