Alyceum

Igniting Leaders, Inspiring Revolutions

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Best Books for Aspiring Board Directors

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One of the questions I get asked often is my recommended reading list for aspiring or new board directors. Please note these recommendations are skewed very much for Not-For-Profit boards as that’s where my experience lies. I am also a big book nerd who loves reading about the processes, culture and people that make boards work effectively. A book to me is like an intimate chat with the author, listening to their knowledge and experience on a subject, and what better topic than boards to soak in the wisdom and experience of others!

 

Eyes Wide Open by Robyn Weatherley

 

This is a fantastic book and if you’re a new or aspiring board director, you should definitely check this one out now, go!

I interview the author, Robyn Weatherley in the Board Ignition course as she has written my number one recommendation for new and aspiring directors! I love Robyn’s book as it is jam packed with great information and advice. And it’s easy to read too!

 

Difference Makers BookDifference Makers by Dr Nicky Howe and Alicia Curtis

 

I have to plug my own book, right?

This is a great read on an emerging issue for ALL board directors – the beauty and brilliance of diversity in the boardroom. It shares the story of how the Engaging Young Leaders on Aged Care and Community Boards was started and also delves into the research to prove diversity is an advantage in the boardroom.

 

Not-For-Profit Board Dilemmas by Julie Garland McLellan

 

Julie is an Australian governance expert and her books are pure gold! Not-For-Profit Dilemmas gives you fantastic NFP case studies on regular issues that might be faced along with two expert opinions following each case study providing perspectives on what to do or should have been done.

 

101 Boardroom problems and how to solve them by Eli Mina

 

Oh, the boardroom can be an interesting place!

There is such a range of challenges that can plague the boardroom and Eli gives you a succinct and easy to read overview of all of them and some strategies to overcome them too. All great boards are striving to improve, this book gives an aspiring or new director an overview of the challenges that can and will occur on all boards so you can pinpoint and act appropriately.

 

Building Better Boards: A Blueprint for Effective Governance by David A. Nadler, Beverly Behan, Mark Nadler

 

I found this a really interesting and useful read about what makes top boards tick. The only caveat I would make is that it is a little dated now being written in 2005 and it’s also written for an American corporate context. That being said, I did find it easy to read and had many strategies that would be useful in the NFP context too.

 

Directors at Work: A Practical Guide for Boards by Geoffrey Kiel, Gavin Nicholson, Jennifer Ann Tunny and James Beck

 

This is a great reference book for board directors in Australia. It is a hefty book but this means it’s thorough. It includes the governance processes and procedures as well as the behavioural dynamics that support good governance. You definitely need at least one reference book like this in your collection. I highly recommend this be the one.

 

These are just a few…

 

Of course, there are many, many books on board governance, culture and the Not-For-Profit sector. Shout out too to a colleague, Paul Smith over in the eastern states of Australia on releasing his new book, Right Seat, Right Table too.

I would love to hear about the books you’ve come across in my Facebook group, Alyceum Leaders.

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My Top 10 Books on Purpose

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Let’s face it – the last few years has many of us reassessing how we live our lives and got us thinking about the legacies we will leave behind.

Spending the last 20 years as a community change-maker and  leadership facilitator, creating and facilitating programs like the online Greater Good Collective, I’ve read a lot of books about creating meaning and purpose.  I often find these books to be some of the most inspiring and awe-creating reads.   They ignite your soul and boost the joy for life.   They connect you with what is most important in life by cutting the noise that we can so easily get caught up in.

 

What could these reads inspire in you?

I can name two books that have had a monumental impact on my life.  I note one of them below – Business as Unusual by Anita Roddick as it very clearly inspired me to start my business as a vehicle for social change.  As was the book, Half the Sky by Sheryl WuDunn and Nicolas Kristoff being a huge catalyst in starting 100 Women.

Purpose will mean something slightly different to everyone so I’ve tried to add a variety of books so each book might appeal to someone different. There are a few new book releases as well as some that have been around for a long time.  Choose one book that resonates with you and give it a go!

 

Here are ten of my favourite books on purpose

I’ve collated a list of books that might help you spark your journey to defining, refining and living your purpose.

 

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

My husband to be gave me this book for my 19th birthday. It’s not only a favourite of mine but for many all over the world. This book is a poetic fable about a shepherd on his way to find his treasure. It’s a story about finding your way in the world, living your purpose and trusting the teachers and omens along the way. Coelho’s writing is a dream to read.

 

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
— The Alchemist

 

Power by Kemi Nekavapil

This book is hot off the press!

From what I’ve read of this so far, this book is POWER-ful.  Seriously, it’s a delightful read as Kemi walks you through her five step framework to build your  power – presence, ownership, wisdom, equality and responsibility.  Kemi is a great storyteller (and she has incredible stories and experiences to share) and that combined with the reflective activities and tools she provides makes it an exceptional read.  She is unapologetic (point of the book) of sharing the intersections of power and race, and how power can be redefined.

It is positioned for women, in particular, being a guide to live and lead without apology!  Who doesn’t want that? But more, importantly, I believe it talks about how we can all be part of redefining the power that oppresses some in our community, while belonging only to the chosen few.  This makes it an important read for everyone.

“We want to build power-filled lives, not power-fuelled lives.”
— Kemi Nekavapil

Presence by Amy Cuddy

This book is not specifically about purpose per se but it’s not just about power poses either.  Have you watched Amy Cuddy’s TED talk on power poses?  This book is more about stepping into your own power using simple techniques to overcome fear and perform at your best. I love the idea of strengthening your personal power in the world. This book does not disappoint.

 

“Focus less on the impression you’re making on others and more on the impression you’re making on yourself.”
— Presence

 

How to Begin by  Michael Bungay Stanier

A new release from Michael Bungay Stanier, this is a very easy read and also highly practical book to finding work or a project that matters to you.  This is a great book if you’re at a crossroads in your life or looking to start your next big quest.  As the book title suggests – it’s all about how to begin.  How do you set a meaningful goal? And how do you know if it’s truly a worthy goal?  This book is also a fun and joyful to read.  Bungay Stanier bring a lightness to the content, while still being clever and useful.

He says ‘we unlock our greatness by working on the hard things’.  I couldn’t agree more!

 

The Power of Meaning by Emily Esfahani

This is a newer book written in 2017. Emily does a great job in deconstructing the research to living a meaningful life and the core elements in doing this. Her four pillars include belonging, purpose, storytelling and transcendence. I really loved her storytelling and how easy it was to read – a great book, for sure.

 

“To Aristotle, eudaimonia is not a fleeting positive emotion. Rather, it is something you do. Leading a eudaimonic life, Aristotle argued, requires cultivating the best qualities within you both morally and intellectually and living up to your potential. It is an active life, a life in which you do your job and contribute to society, a life in which you are involved in your community, a life, above all, in which you realize your potential, rather than squander your talents.”
— The Power of Meaning

 

Business as Unusual by Anita Roddick

This is my number one favourite book – ever! Big call, I know. I was eternally inspired by Anita Roddick and the business she started, The Body Shop (unfortunately she passed away many years ago). This book is her business manifesto and explores the opportunity for purpose in business. When I should have been reading my textbooks in the university library, I was reading this book…unsurprisingly it wasn’t long till I started my own business. I still go back to this book years later for Anita’s boldness of vision.  If you’re in business or want to be in business, this one is for you!

 

“Be courageous. It’s one of the only places left uncrowded”
— Anita Roddick

 

Strengths Finder by Tom Rath

Want guidance about what to do in your life, start with your strengths!

When talking about purpose, I would always recommend people start with self awareness and reflection about your core strengths. Where do you start to reflect on your strengths? Strengths Finder is a great reference book to help you clarify your strengths (as we can be terrible at doing this ourselves!). Buy the book, do the test and start understanding the strengths you can bring to the world.

 

The Lightmaker’s Manifesto by Karen Walrond

This is the read for any change-maker out there!

For many of us, having a purpose is having a calling to something bigger than ourselves.  Often this can be advocating against the injustices in our world.  At times, this can be challenging – when it feels like no progress has been made or the challenges of the world keep mounting.  Karen walks us through how to use our gifts for a greater cause and do so with love, light and joy.  Walrond also includes a highly practical manual at the end of the book with journal prompts, templates and exercises to cultivate your own “joy-filled advocacy practice.”  I also really enjoyed her conversation with Brene Brown on the Unlocking Us podcast.

Joyful activism – Love it!

 

Me to We by Craig and Marc Kielburger

This book is written by Canadian brothers and talks about finding meaning in life. A deeper meaning through choosing the right goals, focusing on community and service and giving your practical guidance and strategies to stay engaged with your life meaning. For me, purpose is what you can give to the world and this book perfectly shares this.

If this book resonates, the brothers recently teamed up with Richard Branson’s daughter, Holly Branson to write WEconomy which is another great read.

 

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Don’t manage your time – manage your energy, or most to the point – your flow!

Back in 2008, Csikszentmihalyi wrote this book which talks about this state of consciousness he named ‘flow’ which is essentially the feeling you get when you are in top form. This book unpacks the science of flow and gives you some great strategies to evoke it in your life.

 

“To overcome the anxieties and depressions of contemporary life, individuals must become independent of the social environment to the degree that they no longer respond exclusively in terms of its rewards and punishments. To achieve such autonomy, a person has to learn to provide rewards to herself.  She has to develop the ability to find enjoyment and purpose regardless of external circumstances.”
— Flow

 

I shall stop there…

I could actually keep quoting more books to read but these ten gives you a good start and hopefully there is something that resonates with you. If you’re after something more practical, check out my post, Four Practical Experience to help you form your Purpose.

Books and practice are a dangerous combination!  Read, act and reflect – repeat! That’s a sure fire strategy to defining, refining and living your purpose.

Tell me what books have inspired you in building your purpose in life inside the Alyceum’s Facebook group.

 

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The world needs more purpose-driven people. But where do you start? This inspiring guide will give you powerful insights to find and refine your own purpose in life.
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Top 10 Books for 2020

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I believe in the transformative effects of books. Personally I’ve witnessed how a book can inspire a different perspective and move me to action. Are you making the most from the incredible knowledge we have at our fingertips?

Which books to read?

I’m an avid reader and yet, I still feel there is not enough time in the day to read as many books as I want.  So I have to be discerning with the books I read. I look closely for recommendations and I don’t stay around for long with books that don’t capture my attention.  Yes, often I’m dipping in and out of books too for the info I’m craving at that moment. I try to search for a range of books and throw fiction books into the mix too (although most of these recommendations are non fiction).

It’s like a fireside chat with an incredible mentor…

I love non-fiction books as it feels like you are getting personal mentoring from leaders from every part of the globe hearing about their research, influences, perspectives and ideas.  What a wonderful pleasure to be able to access their thinking and ideas.  Some are leadership focused and others are focused on mindset, personal transformation and rituals.

My top 10 book for 2020

Ok, so here are the parameters, I’ve limited this list to books that have come out in 2019 or 2020, not books that I’ve discovered that have been published before then (because that would be an even longer list). I’ve also tried very hard to keep it just to 10!

So within those constraints here are my favourite books for 2020.

Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links.  I hope you enjoy the books that inspire me!

My first among equals pick goes to…

1. Manifesto for a Moral Revolution by Jacqueline Novogratz


How I would really love a real fireside chat with Jacqueline Novogratz!

Jacqueline Novogratz is a true pioneer of our times.  She is the founder of Acumen, a global community of socially and environmentally responsible partners dedicated to changing the way the world tackles poverty.  Wow – what an incredible aim!

How did she do it? She shares her own life journey in this book as well as many of the changemakers that Acumen has invested in over the years and I absolutely delighted in learning from her and their experiences.  It’s the type of book that inspires you to do better, think bigger and keep trying.

This is a super wise read. Her insight into creating systems change to empower our most disadvantaged fellow human beings brings to light just how important human dignity is.

If you are looking for leadership ideas and strategies to do good in the world, this book is an absolute MUST!

2. The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices by Casper ter Kuile 


This was such a captivating read.

Author, Casper ter Kuile is a thoughtful and entertaining writer. This book is light yet deep.  It explores how we can add layers of meaning and connection into our lives which is suffering from disconnection, loneliness and ….  He explores how you can transform your daily habits into practices that create a sacred foundation for your life.  He explores four areas of connection – to self, to others, to the natural world and with the transcendent.

Casper has an intriguing background; he is a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School after growing up in a secular family in England!  He co-authored a white paper called How We Gather which explores the ways we come together in the modern world for life long endeavours to build community, seek purpose, be accountable and serve others.

3. Untamed by Glennon Doyle


This is the book we all needed in 2020. Glennon has such a down to earth tone about her that makes her reading accessible to everyone.

This book encourages us all to really trust our inner voice and stop adhering to the expectations of everyone else. Who would you be if you had full permission to truly live the life you want?  This book is a wake up – dig beyond your social conditioning and live life according to your rules.

With so many memorable metaphors that instantly become part of your vocabulary…you’re a cheetah and we can do hard things! This is the first book I’ve read of Glennon’s memoir series and I really enjoyed it.

4. Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman


Often when we explore relationships we are mostly talking about intimate relationships, family relationships or work relationships.  This book explores friendships!

Our close friendships can mean so much in our life but rarely do we delve into how we can foster these relationships over a long time. How do you overcome different life stages, geographic moves and more generally the ups and downs of life.

I loved reading this part-memoir of the author’s own friendship together, exploring the history of friendships and how we can make the most of our friendships in our lives.  It brought to my attention just how important these relationships are in my own life and how I can cultivate them more mindfully.  To all my big friends – thank you!

5. Be Fearless by Jean Case


Jean Case is the CEO of the Case Foundation (a philanthropic foundation supporting social entrepreneurs driving change) and also the first female Chairwoman of National Geographic Society in its 131 year history.

She shares her incredible experience working as and with changemakers, compiling the approaches and strategies to be fearless in your approach in transformational change.

I love the stories she shares, both of incredible changemakers from around the world as well as her own stories of how she lives her life.

6. Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World by Layla Saad


This is a truly brilliant book.

I first came across Layla a few years ago following the conversations about race globally especially when her work was confronting white educators. This piqued my interest as a facilitator of programs working with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds including people of colour.

I love how she has set out this book as a 28-day challenge.  Make no mistake, each day is deeply confronting work, but this is the work we must do to overcome the white supremacy. White supremacy work is not just for unhinged fringe groups, everyday people like you and me must commit to it and share our part in a system we were born into to ensure we don’t continue it.

I love how Layla shares that she wrote this book to be a good ancestor  (how wise is this?!) and by reading this book, you do your part in being a good ancestor too.

7. Thriving Mind: How to cultivate a good life by Dr Jenny Brockis


This is the book we truly needed this year and that was even before COVID hit!

Now more than ever we need to focus on how to thrive in our modern life and Jenny has lots of practical strategies – backed by evidence based research – to help us do that. This book speaks directly to the challenges of modern living, loneliness, stress, lack of connection and mental health.

She writes about happiness and engaging all of our emotions, enhancing our energy, mood and resilience as well as harnessing the powers of connection and relationships.  I am really lucky to call Jenny a friend in real life and she is the real deal!

8. Humour, Seriously: Why humour is a superpower at work and in life by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas


Both these authors are so interesting in their fields of study that I’m surprised I hadn’t come across them before.  Dr Jennifer Aaker is a behavioural psychologist, and Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching courses on innovation, the power of storytelling and purpose. Naomi Bagdonas is a Stanford lecturer and a professionally trained comedian. She has designed and facilitated innovation workshops for the boards and leadership teams of Fortune 100 companies.

We have also experienced how humour can shift the feeling in different situations – make us relax, be vulnerable or make down barriers. Yet, this book really explores how it can be useful in a business context. Given our businesses are moving into the age of creating an experience for the customer (and our employees), I enjoyed being stretched to think about how I can use humour more. Full disclosure – I’m not the funniest person around but I definitely enjoy hanging with funny people.  This book really breaks it up and gives easy ways to start thinking and seeing the world in a humorous way!

9. Becoming by Michelle Obama


This memoir is pure delight to read.

Like many people, I adore how Michelle carries herself, standing as a role model in society.  It’s her character, her empathy, her intelligence and her ability that draws people to her.  It was a privilege to read more about her journey. Very inspiring.

This has been out for a little while now and it certainly is a chunky book, but beautiful stories that will lift your spirits for sure.

10. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert


I want to finish my list with a fiction novel. I believe fiction can be just as insightful as non fiction. Just like my non fiction favourites, there have been novels I’ve read, seemingly just at the right time, that have changed my outlook on life.

I did get a chance to read a few novels this year including this absolutely superb book by Elizabeth Gilbert.  (Side note – Reese Witherspoon has a great online book club recommending mostly novels each month – check it out)  Being a theatre lover, I was in awe of the depth of research and understanding used to bring to life in a thoroughly entertaining way.  I love the themes and questions that she exposes in this book; the role and place of a woman, women’s sexuality and how we respond differently to men and women.

The characters and how they live their lives can definitely be confronting to the reader even 80 years after the period we are reading about!

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Of course, these were just my absolute favourites!  Something in me makes this such a hard blog post to publish because there are always so many other books worth reading and mentioning…RBG, David Attenborough, Barack Obama, Julia Gillard to name just a few. Maybe I’ll set different parameters next time and share my favourites within particular subjects such as leadership or diversity in the future.

An important realisation

You know, when you start to collate all the books you are reading and have read, you start to get an understanding of which voices you are listening to and perhaps, more importantly, which voices you aren’t hearing. I definitely like to read female stories and perspectives as well as perspectives that are going to challenge my point of view on the world. Looking at my own list, I’m keen to read some more Aboriginal authors in 2021 and found this fantastic list which will help me guide my choices!

Well that’s it for now. I would love to hear your top reads for 2020 too!

Get this Free Guide: 6 POWERFUL SECRETS TO FIND YOUR HIGHEST PURPOSE IN LIFE

The world needs more purpose-driven people. But where do you start? This inspiring guide will give you powerful insights to find and refine your own purpose in life.
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