You don’t need to wait for the new year to make positive changes in your life—you can start right now. Whether you’re taking steps to define your purpose, tackling big projects, or trying to curb overthinking, these personal development books just might give you the motivation you need to get started. For more suggestions from 50-plus leaders across industries, including McKinsey global managing partner Bob Sternfels, check out “What to read next: McKinsey’s 2024 annual book recommendations.”
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Recommended by:
Sahar Albazar, Deputy chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Egypt House of Representatives; Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner
Recommended by:
Anthony Smaré, executive chair, TrueNorth Capital, Papua New Guinea; chair, Paradise Foods; Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport
Recommended by:
Liz Tenety, cofounder, Motherly; CEO, Founding Women
Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking Is the Beginning & End of Suffering by Joseph Nguyen
Recommended by:
Madeline McIntosh, cofounder, CEO, and publisher, Authors Equity; former CEO, Penguin Random House US
Sahar Albazar, Deputy chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Egypt House of Representatives; Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
Homecoming: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child by John Bradshaw
Recommended by:
Álvaro Rodríguez Arregui, cofounder and managing partner, IGNIA; Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most by Adam Alter
Recommended by:
Boris Gartner, CEO, LALIGA North America; president and partner, Relevant
Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead by Tara Mohr
Recommended by:
Liz Tenety, cofounder, Motherly; CEO, Founding Women
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