Straight Talk: Influence Skills for Collaboration and CommitmentRick BrandonMatt Holt Books, 272 pp., $25

Brandon, who has 30-plus years of experience designing and delivering leadership and professional development training on influence skills, calls Straight Talk a workshop in a book. "Its mission is to help you to turn off autopilot and become more aware and accountable around how you're living and relating with others," he writes. The book is divided into three parts: core communication skills, "smooth sailing conversations" such as when advising and recognizing, and "rough sailing conversations" such as disagreements. Brandon explains that honest and direct speech enables individuals and organizations to thrive, counteracts miscommunication, and enriches virtual communication.

The Restart Roadmap: Rewire and Reset Your CareerJason TartickHarperCollins Leadership, 208 pp., $24.99

If you're ready to make a change in your job, career, or life, follow the eight steps Tartick presents in this book. Start with being honest. He says that honesty is a requirement in "taking a good, hard, accurate look at your life right now." Tartick himself went through a career and life overhaul, and he uses that experience to counsel readers on how to break free of the blueprint, get unstuck, and pursue a life of their dreams. Each of his steps has a dedicated chapter that guides readers through the process of finding the career or lifestyle that is right for them. "You can write your own script," he writes. "Finding a healthy, fulfilling career means doing it your way."