I’ve founded companies, shut them down (then rebuilt my life), and coached hundreds of executives and founders through their own turning points. Those experiences taught me that resilience isn’t about bouncing back after hard things happen to you. It’s about being open to what can happen through you, including growth, clarity, curiosity, and conviction. That’s why I wrote Rethinking Resilience and why I return to these books often. Each one has helped me see strength, adaptability, and curiosity as intentional and sustainable traits—not something we summon only after crisis. I’m passionate about helping leaders move from reaction to intention and turn pressure into power, and I think this list captures that shift perfectly.
I love this book because it reframes emotional strength as flexibility, not control.
Susan David reminds us that emotions aren’t weaknesses to manage; they’re data points to understand. The research and stories in the book make it feel practical, not preachy.
Every time I read it, I’m reminded that clarity starts with self-honesty: you can’t lead others intentionally if you’re disconnected from what’s really going on inside yourself—and you need to get honest about your emotions and stay agile within them.
This is one of the most actionable books I’ve ever read on this aspect of inner resilience.
Perfect for lovers of Quiet and The Power of Now, Emotional Agility shares a new way of relating to yourself and the world around you
Every day we speak around 16,000 words - but inside minds we create tens of thousands more.
Thoughts such as 'I'm not spending enough time with my children' or 'I'm not good enough to present my work' can seem to be unshakeable facts. In reality, they're the judgemental opinions of our inner voice.
Drawing on more than twenty years of academic research and her own experiences, Susan David PhD, a psychologist and faculty member at…
I recommend this book because it redefined what “conviction” means for me.
Grant’s idea of “confident humility”—holding strong beliefs lightly—challenged how I think about certainty. Real conviction isn’t about defending what you know; it’s about being grounded enough to stay curious.
This book reminds me that confidence and openness aren’t opposites—they fuel each other. Every time I read it, I’m reminded that clarity comes from questioning, not clinging.
It’s one of the most practical guides I know for staying adaptable and steady in a fast-changing world.
"THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more-it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I've never felt so hopeful about what I don't know." -Brene Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead
The bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking:…
To create innovative, collaborative, and high-performing organizations, we need a new leadership model.
Speaker, consultant, and former Silicon Valley executive Minette Norman is committed to inspiring leaders by sharing some of the most important things she learned over the decades she spent in the corporate world, such as: every human…
I recommend this book because it completely flips the idea of resilience.
Taleb argues that we shouldn’t aim to be unbreakable. Instead, we should aim to grow stronger from stress and volatility. I don’t agree with every example (and it’s dense at times), but it’s one of those books that forces me to think differently about systems, teams, and even my own mindset.
It’s a powerful reminder that disruption isn’t the enemy, stagnation is.
'Really made me think about how I think' - Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit West
Tough times don't last. Tough people do.
In The Black Swan, Taleb showed us that highly improbable and unpredictable events underlie almost everything about our world. Here Taleb stands uncer tainty on its head, making it desirable, even necessary. The antifragile is beyond the resilient or robust. The resil ient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better and better.
Just as human bones get stronger when subjected to stress and tension, many things in life benefit from stress, disorder, volatility, and turmoil.…
I adore this book, from the title to the contents.
(I love asking "what’s possible?” and then making it reality—that’s the very essence of a startup founder and CEO!) It’s creative, human, and endlessly quotable.
The Zanders show that true leadership isn’t about control, it’s about perspective. Their stories blend music, psychology, and life in a way that always pulls me out of scarcity thinking and back into imagining what’s possible.
Whenever I catch myself over-analyzing or trying to “power through,” I reread a chapter and instantly feel lighter, more creative, and more grounded in choice instead of pressure.
Presenting twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. The Art of Possibility combines Benjamin Zander's experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment. The authors' harmoniously interwoven perspectives provide a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of life. Through uplifting stories, parables, and personal anecdotes, the Zanders invite us to become passionate communicators,…
I love this book because it reframes leadership as a long strategic game instead of a transactional one.
Sinek’s concept of the “infinite mindset” mirrors how I think about Intentional Resilience: it’s not about surviving one hard moment, it’s about sustaining clarity and conviction over many moments. His writing reminds me to zoom out, focus on purpose, and lead with a sense of ownership and collaboration instead of competition.
It’s one of those rare leadership books that keeps getting more relevant every year.
The New York Times-bestselling author of Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, and Together Is Better offers a bold new approach to business strategy by asking one question: are you playing the finite game or the infinite game?
In The Infinite Game, Sinek applies game theory to explore how great businesses achieve long-lasting success. He finds that building long-term value and healthy, enduring growth - that playing the infinite game - is the only thing that matters to your business.
What if everything you’ve been told about resilience is wrong? Resilience isn’t about bouncing back after hardship—it’s a skill you can design into how you lead every day. In Rethinking Resilience, award-winning author Tissa Richards redefines resilience as a tactical, learnable advantage that fuels clarity, confidence, and performance under pressure.
Drawing on her experience as a founder, CEO, and coach to top leaders, Richards offers practical tools and stories that show how to stop reacting and start leading with intention. You’ll learn to make better decisions, build adaptable teams, and stay grounded and effective—even in uncertainty. This is resilience as a competitive advantage: clear, confident, and entirely within your control.
The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be.
UNWRITTEN: The Thought Leader’s Guide to Not Overthinking Your Business Book is a business book about how to write a business book. Written by a business owner (a ghostwriter) for other business owners, it shows you the easiest way to fit writing a book into running your business. And most…
