Back to Human: How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation

Dan Schawbel

Da Capo Press, 150 pp., $27

This book is designed to help the next generation of leaders become more effective. It offers tips and strategies on how to hire effectively, increase productivity, grow strong interpersonal skills, be more collaborative, and become more fulfilled at work without relying on technology. Schawbel's research, which included more than 2,000 managers and employees across different age groups, found that electronic and virtual communication contributes to a greater sense of isolation at work. "The point of Back to Human is to help you decide when and how to appropriately use technology to build better connections that I never thought would have been possible," Schawbel writes.

Lessons From Mars: How One Global Company Cracked the Code on High Performance Collaboration and Teamwork

Carlos Valdes-Dapena

Changemakers Books, 448 pp., $27.95

The Mars in this book refers to Mars Inc., the chocolate company, not the planet. The author, who spent 17 years with the company, introduces the Mars Framework for High Performance Collaboration, which is a counterintuitive system for channeling immutable self-interest into optimized collaboration. The book equips team leaders and team members with ideas, research, and tools to gain actionable concepts and insights, including how to avoid the pitfall of confusing consensus with unanimity or how to build trust in teams. Valdes-Dapena says teams need a sense of purpose and need to know the reason behind why they should collaborate.