Summer Reading List for Career Growth: A Curated List of Books and Resources to Inspire and Help You Grow Professionally

Summer reading is a great way to invest time into your career both personally and professionally. Books that provide in-depth discussions on topics you may be interested in learning more about can help you to tackle some of work culture’s toughest topics. Many books are targeted towards improving leadership skills. If you are into self-help and how-to books that provide practical steps to emulate in and out of the office, try searching for nonfiction titles in the career isles of your favorite brick and mortar or online bookstore. Public libraries are free and are a great alternative to save money while finding selections to pique your interest. To start you off we have curated a list of titles that are highly recommended to include in your summer reading starter pack:

1. Good to Great captures five themes that must be included in any business culture for success. The author Jim Jones explains throughout his research that there are several core reasons why some companies remain successful while others do not. Understanding Level 5 Leadership, among other themes presented in the book can help you to develop skills to keep you competitive and ahead of the game.

2. Delivering Happiness is an awesome book that explores the importance of creating a culture of happiness in business. Making customer service the expectation for everyone at the company and not just the customer service department ensures a culture of service and accountability. This New York Times best seller discovers, “a powerful model for achieving success and by concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own.” (Barnes and Noble Book Sellers).

3. First Break All the Rules examines how to refrain from falling into the typical manager hamster wheel. This book is awesome because it provides practical tips on how to approach leadership not following the pack, rather develop employees based on their talent and not necessarily their skills and experience. You will learn the importance of approaching leadership from an outsider’s perspective that will help you to drive the results you have always wanted in your organization.

There are many phenomenal summer reading titles to choose from to include in reading. Here are a few more titles to consider as you round out options for your summer reading pleasure:

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
What Color Is Your Parachute? Your Guide to A Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Success
Introverts- Leverage your strengths for an effective job search
Happen to Your Career - An Unconventional Approach to Career Change and Meaningful Work
Daring GreatlySummer reading can be a great way to keep you engaged in your career while helping you to optimize your results. Often the summer season tends to be slower and filled with more down time than other times of the year. Taking advantage of the insights offered in the books suggested will support your journey as a professional- wherever your career takes you! If you are interested in attending free virtual one-on- one career coaching sessions, please register here.