Kim Brisky

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

By Brené Brown

The author emphasizes the importance of daring leadership, which involves asking the right questions, sharing power, and embracing vulnerability in difficult situations. Brown suggests that leaders should focus on what humans can do better than machines and artificial intelligence, such as empathy, connection, and courage.

You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters

By Vanessa Bohns

The author is a social psychologist and argues that people often underestimate the impact they have on others. She uses her research to show that people are more aware of us and influenced by our words and actions than we realize. This can lead to missed opportunities or unintentional misuse of our influence. I think readers can better understand and utilize their influence, encouraging them to recognize the power they already have rather than seeking more.

Rusty Shields

ATD’s Handbook for Consultants

By Elaine Biech

Don't let the title of this book fool you. Even if you are not a consultant, this book will provide you with an anthology of great strategies that can be applied in any facet of learning and development. This book was a collaboration of over 35 experts in their field that any L&D professional would benefit from having on their shelf.

Caffeinated Learning: How to Design and Conduct Rich, Robust Professional Training

By Anne M. Beninghof

The first session I ever attended at an ATD International Conference & Exposition was facilitated by Anne Beninghof. I was so blown away by the amount of engagement and retention I experienced in one 60-minute session. I picked up this book from the bookstore as soon as it was over, and it completely changed the way I design learning events from a neurological and adult learner perspective. Ten years later, I still refer to this book often and share it with learning professionals almost daily.

The Adult Learner: The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development

By Malcolm S. Knowles, Elwood F. Holton, and Richard A. Swanson

This book has shaped my career as an L&D professional and facilitator. The father of adult learning theory shares six foundational principles to what we do. The application strategies and use cases in this book can apply to any learning event.

Elizabeth Kohler

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

By Carol S. Dweck

We use a lot of Dr. Dweck’s teachings in our development courses, as they are so relevant to learning and growth in yourself and others. I really love the concept of the false growth mindset this version introduces and the macro versus micro point of view this book takes to apply the concepts to teams and organizations rather than just the individual.

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.

By Daniel Coyle

This book is both scientifically interesting and applicable to talent development. The real-life examples are inspiring, and it is a book that will help you coach others while experiencing coaching yourself.

Julie Winkle Giulioni

The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines

By Matt Beane

This timely book offers a roadmap for preserving and elevating the human role in skills development in a world that’s increasingly dominated by technology. Matt Beane describes the separation that AI and automation create between junior workers and learning opportunities with experts—and ways to interrupt this dangerous trend by bolstering the expert-novice relationship.