THIS MONTH’S PAGE-TURNERS ON BUSINESS AND BEYOND

When you hear the word “courage,” what image comes to mind? Perhaps you see a soldier in a combat zone or a firefighter rushing into a burning building. Courage is that, of course, but it isn’t confined to extreme situations. Courage is also about embracing vulnerability. It’s about tuning in to that voice inside that tells us to shake things up or hold our ground on tough issues. It’s daring to step away from what’s comfortable, whether that’s quitting your nine-to-five job to start a new business or speaking up in a meeting when you normally wouldn’t.

This edition of Readers & Leaders explores courage in its many forms. New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof recounts his path from a small-town farm to every corner of the world to report on protests, massacres, civil wars, genocides, addiction, and despair; Marine Corps veteran Nate Boaz shares how he’s conquered danger head-on; Alison Taylor helps organizations discern when they should lend their voice to a contentious issue; Elaine Lin Hering shares how to build the confidence to find the voice you’ve learned to bury; and teenagers Jason Liaw and Fenley Scurlock offer a road map for aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages.

Want early access to interviews? Download the McKinsey Insights app to read the latest Author Talks now.

it bears repeating

“I’m hoping that at a time when journalism feels a little bit discredited, there will be some young people who will go out and want to cover a crisis in South Sudan or Gaza or Tigray or Myanmar, as well as these astonishing levels of child poverty in our country. I was inspired by an older generation of journalists, and I would love to help pass that baton on to the next generation.”

—New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, in a May edition of Author Talks.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

TURN BACK THE PAGE

Looking for more ways to become a more courageous version of yourself? Face your fears with these popular interviews.

1. Into the unknown
2. How to conquer fear, prepare for death, and embrace your power
3. Make anxiety your ally
4. Poet Maggie Smith on loss, creativity, and change

BUSINESS BESTSELLERS TOP

8

It’s time to stock up on your beach reads. Explore April’s business bestsellers, prepared exclusively for McKinsey by Circana. Check out the full selection on McKinsey on Books.

BUSINESS OVERALL

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (Penguin Group USA)

BUSINESS HARDCOVER

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (Penguin Group USA)

ECONOMICS

Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America’s Working Men and Women by Batya Ungar-Sargon (Two Rivers Distribution)

DECISION MAKING

Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell (Hachette Book Group)

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (Penguin Group USA)

WORKPLACE CULTURE

How Work Works: The Subtle Science of Getting Ahead without Losing Yourself by Michelle P. King (HarperCollins Publishers)

COMPUTERS & AI

Your AI Survival Guide: Scraped Knees, Bruised Elbows, and Lessons Learned from Real-World AI Deployments by Sol Rashidi (John Wiley & Sons)

SUSTAINABILITY

Beyond Shareholder Primacy: Remaking Capitalism for a Sustainable Future by Stuart L. Hart (Two Rivers Distribution)

If you’d like to propose a book or author for #McKAuthorTalks, please email us at Author_Talks@McKinsey.com. Due to the high volume of requests, we will respond only to those being considered.

—Edited by Eleni Kostopoulos, managing editor, New York

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