Social Capital Books

Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World

By Parmy Olson

When ChatGPT ushered in the age of mass use of AI with its launch in November 2022, we didn’t know all the implications of what it would bring. Now we are experiencing them, both good and bad, but what many leaders still don’t fully understand is how the race between artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and DeepMind is shaping the business world and life as we know it. In this valuable book, Parmy Olson, a tech writer at Bloomberg, brings a reporter’s lens to the story. If you are a Social Capital leader who wants to understand the impact of AI on your employees, customers and community, add Supremacy to your reading list.

Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well

“Fail fast.” “Fail forward.” We’ve all heard the business clichés. In Right Kind of Wrong , influential organizational psychologist Amy Edmonson — known for her groundbreaking work on psychological safety — offers a fresh take on failure. If you’ve experienced a big failure, she offers practical strategies for making the most of what you’ve learned. For any Social Capital leader who is in the vanguard of reinventing business, failure at something is inevitable. That doesn’t mean it has to sink you or your organization, as Edmondson shows in this powerful book.

The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism

Neither our economic systems nor our political systems operate in a vacuum. In The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, Martin Wolf, the chief economics commentator for the FT , explores how each system in the U.S. has undermined the other, chipping away at all but the wealthiest Americans’ stability and prosperity. He argues for an updated New Deal to spark investment and innovation and support stability and sustainability and embraces openness to the world economy. If you’re a Social Capital leader interested in the latest thinking on closing the wealth gap, this book is vital reading.

What Went Wrong with Capitalism

Capitalism has fueled what was once the world’s highest standard of living in the U.S., but basics like food, shelter and medical care are increasingly unaffordable for the middle class. In What Went Wrong with Capitalism , Ruchir Sharma, former chief global strategist for Morgan Stanley from 2016 to 2021, explores the role of government intervention in firms and markets, arguing that it reduced dynamism in companies, led to significant growth in private and government debt and paved the way to monopolies. His solution: allowing markets to do business more freely.

Situational Leadership: The Model for Leading Others, Navigating Change, and Unlocking Performance

Great leaders don’t take a one-size-fits all approach to working with people but often struggle to tailor their leadership style to the unique needs of the situation at hand and the people involved. In Situational Leadership®: The Model for Leading Others, Navigating Change, and Unlocking Performance , co-authors Suzie Bishop and Sam Shriver, executives from The Center for Leadership Studies, show how to adjust your leadership style using a four-step model built around identifying the task at hand, assessing someone’s “Performance Readiness,” matching and communicating their response as a leader and creating positive momentum. If you’re a Social Capital leader looking to retain your best performers, this is a vital guidebook.

Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America

When it comes to making capitalism work for all, home ownership has long been viewed as an important foundation. In Golden Gates (released Feb. 2020), New York Times housing reporter Conor Dougherty shows how skyrocketing rents and home ownership costs have not only squeezed many Americans but prevented them from building wealth. Looking at the San Francisco Bay area as an example, this book shows how escalating housing costs contribute to income inequality, providing insightful food for thought for Social Capital leaders who want to make a difference.      

The Panoramic Leader: How Great Leaders See Differently

Leaders are facing unprecedented complexity, and it’s often hard to see through the fog. The Panoramic Leader offers a way to expand the lens through which you see the world so you can make better business decisions. Authors Marshall Goldsmith, the renowned executive coach, and Cornelia Choe, CEO of The Leaders Alliance, explain why you should update your “mental map” more frequently to view your company, your business environment and your options more accurately — and they offer an immediately actionable framework to do so. If you feel like your company is falling behind fast-changing business conditions, this book just may be your answer.

Show Up to Win: How to Land the Leadership Role You Want

Fearful that AI and market forces will take their jobs, many workers are essentially spamming job-hunting sites and employers with their résumés, with the hope they will find an opportunity to stay employed — a phenomenon known as doomjobbing. In Show Up to Win: How to Land the Leadership Role You Want , Kelly Kay and Jeff Sanders offer a more effective alternative. They show how job applicants can stand out, make the most of the first 30 days after a layoff, tell a compelling career story and share setbacks in a way that makes them more appealing. They tap their experience advising Fortune 1000 companies on leadership hiring and advising executives on career transitions as partners at Heidrick & Struggles. Social Capital leaders looking to improve their own career prospects and help mentees will find this book valuable reading.

SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership

Traditionally, authority in the corporate world has been measured by how much sway you have over people: your authority, influence and the number of direct reports you have. But today, companies are growing without adding people, thanks to technology. True leadership is built on how you develop others into leaders, says Sam Adeyemi, Ph.D., founder and director of the Daystar Leadership Academy. In SHIFTS, he shows how to do just that via employing empowerment and trust, focusing on strengths and moving away from transactional management that makes employees feel like cogs. If you’re a Social Capital leader looking to raise your leadership game, Dr. Adeyemi may be the action-oriented coach you’ve been looking for.

The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI

Using AI can open a world of opportunities for a team, but it can also pose challenges to leaders about how best to use it and when. In The Human Edge , Cheryl Strauss Einhorn offers a practical guide to how to use AI to help in decision-making, using her AREA method as a framework to supplement the judgment that comes from your experience, not to replace it. Einhorn taps her experience as an award-winning investigative journalist, adjunct professor at Cornell University and founder and CEO of Decisive, a decision science company that trains teams in complex problem solving. If you’re looking for a way to deploy the latest AI advances without losing the advantages that come from human curiosity, values and courage, The Human Edge is a valuable guide.

Your Values-Based Legacy: Making A Difference At Every Age and Phase of Life

For many Social Capital leaders, creating a people-centric business is part of building a lifelong legacy. In Your Values-Based Legacy: Making A Difference At Every Age and Phase of Life, Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr. offers a roadmap on how to make that happen. Kraemer is an expert guide as a former chairman and CEO of a multibillion-dollar global healthcare company and now a professor of Management and Strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. His prescription is based on exploring the influences in your life, celebrating your present and considering how to make your legacy sustainable — and he supports this with inspiring, real-world stories.

Being Smart Is Stupid: Why Embracing the Wisdom of Your Buddha Nature is the Secret to Great Leadership

Many leaders feel the onus is on them to have all the answers. What if you could let go of that mindset? Tricia Brouk offers a powerful alternative to top-down thinking in Being Smart Is Stupid . It’s about leaving ego behind and embracing intentional stillness, presence, openness and listening. Brouk taps decades of experience as a director, entrepreneur and Buddhist practitioner. If you’ve been struggling to implement your vision as a Social Capital leader, Brouk will provide an exciting path forward.  

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Smart phones and social media apps have their place in the business world, but as teens have spent more time on them, their mental health has suffered, as Jonathan Haidt, the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business, makes the case in The Anxious Generation . Many parents have suspected as much, but in this modern classic, he offers the data and analysis to back up their gut instincts. If you’re a Social Capital leader, you won’t want to miss his insights on the forces that have shaped many of today’s employees’ perceptions and life experiences.

YOU ARE BIGGER: Than your circumstances

When a Sri Lankan boy set out to climb the Himalayas, he had no idea of the dangers before him — but soon found out. That boy was author Ramindu Randeni, now a business coach in Sri Lanka. His formative journey as a mountaineer now informs what he teaches his clients about how to transcend the challenges in front of them. He captures these ideas in YOU ARE BIGGER . If you’re a Social Capital leader facing daunting circumstances, Randeni will help you find inspiration to persevere.  

Cementing Change: Cracking the Code for Communications That Work

One of the most important skills for a Social Capital leader is ushering in change. But how do you make it stick? That’s the subject of Cementing Change by Mary Lou Panzano. To counter the high failure rate of new initiatives in large organizations, she offers her 4Cs framework (Clarity, Connection, Caring and Courage) to address the most important failure point: communication. She taps 35 years leading corporate communications. If you’re tired of watching your big ideas peter out because of overwhelm, disengagement or skepticism, Cementing Change will offer you a powerful route forward.

The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind

One of the most challenging parts of being a Social Capital leader is persuasion. Changing the minds of the people in your sphere of influence — whether they are team members, customers or members of your community — is not easy. In The Catalyst , Jonah Berger, a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, reveals what successful change agents have discovered: They need to be catalysts — people who remove roadblocks preventing change. That means focusing not on how to change their minds but why they haven’t done so already. This book, released in 2022, has become a classic in the persuasion genre, and is a must-read for anyone who wants to change the world.

The Mission Generation: Reclaim Your Purpose, Rewrite Success, Rebuild Our Future

Profit and purpose are not mutually exclusive but balancing them challenges many a Social Capital leader. In The Mission Generation , venture capitalist Arun Gupta and co-author Thomas Fewer offer ideas on how to bring them into alignment. They look at how institutional distrust has eroded the relationship between employers and employees and how having a clear mission can override that. For those looking to build a purpose-driven life as a leader, this book offers powerful ideas on how we can redefine success to focus on what truly matters.  

The Myth of the Nice Girl: Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate

Women leaders often face a conundrum in the workplace — no matter what their personality, they often find themselves held to standards that aren’t imposed on men. If they’re too nice, they’re seen as wishy washy, but if they’re more direct, they can be labeled as difficult. In The Myth of the Nice Girl , Fran Hauser offers insights on why this phenomenon happens and how women leaders can transcend it. Whether you’re a woman looking to achieve big goals as a Social Capital leader or an ally, you’ll find this book full of practical and immediately actionable suggestions.

The Human Success Playbook: A Leadership Tale for the Age of AI

As AI brings leverage to organizations of all sizes, many people-centric leaders are concerned it will take away the human spark. That’s not an unfounded concern, as more companies grow without adding people. The Human Success Playbook , a business fable written by Zensai’s CEO Rasmus Holst, Chief Business Officer Robin Daniels and “the world’s first Chief Human Success Officer” Nina Caroe, offers a perspective that is practical, optimistic and human centric. You’ll learn how to collaborate with AI as if it is a true partner; use it to improve learning, engagement and performance and build a great culture for all your people, even as it is transformed by machines. For Social Capital leaders looking to keep people front and center in their organizations, this book will spark many creative ideas.  

Capitalism for All: Inclusive Economics and the Future-Proofing of America

John Hope Bryant is founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, which describes itself as America’s first nonprofit social investment banking organization, and former vice-chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. In Capitalism for All, he introduces his take on inclusive capitalism, an approach designed to turn the middle class into America’s superpower. His prescription for revitalizing the system includes using AI and other emerging technologies to lift all boats, applying stakeholder capitalism and global leadership through inclusion and a variety of actionable strategies and tools leaders can apply. Social Capital leaders will find many ideas that they can act on immediately to make capitalism more inclusive.

All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams

Many organizations are operating with leaner teams than ever before. That means each individual counts more than ever. In All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams — part of the six-book Entrepreneurship Simplified series — Mike Michalowicz, author of the bestseller Profit-First Accounting , shows how to create an environment where everyone on a team of any size can thrive. You’ll learn how to diagnose and address your organization’s most important problems, focus on the clients most aligned with your values, put systems in place that will help you keep your attention where it belongs and create a culture that brings out the best in all your key stakeholders. If you’re building a Social Capital organization from the ground up, this book will be an invaluable resource.  

Private Power and Democracy’s Decline: How to Make Capitalism Support Democracy

Americans are losing faith in capitalism, with only one-third now believing it works for the average person, according to a recent Gallup poll. Perhaps that is for good reason, given the extreme concentration of wealth in a few hands. The inequality is by design, according to Mordecai Kurz, the Joan Kenney Professor of Economics-Emeritus at Stanford. In Private Power and Democracy’s Decline , he looks at how the design of technology markets, the accumulation of private power and the suppression of competition are undermining a system that once seemed unshakeable. With many laws and regulations outdated, Kurtz suggests a variety of circuit breakers and protections to safeguard the fundamental principles of democracy, such as political equality. If you are interested in making capitalism work for all, you won’t want to miss this new release.

The Power of Legacy: Holistic Leadership for Lasting Impact

What legacy would you like to leave? And are your actions today leading up to the type of legacy you’d like to build in the future? In The Power of Legacy , Jamika Bivens, an expert on strategic leadership, will help you determine that through a Legacy Audit, a process she has developed to help purpose organizations develop leaders who can sustain both performance and people over time, and help leaders determine how to start assessing their impact, uncover habits eroding their influence and ensure their success is aligned with their deepest values. You’ll come away with immediately actionable steps to shift your leadership style from reacting in the moment to becoming more intentional, tapping the author’s work to help determine your core values.  

Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge

Even if you’re a CEO, realizing your vision as a leader depends on your relationships with key gatekeepers. In Managing Up, Melody Wilding — a high-profile executive coach who has worked with leaders at Google, JPMorgan and Verizon — offers a clear roadmap on how to cultivate more productive relationships with the leaders in your life who have more “positional power” than you. You’ll learn how to communicate with them more effectively, expand your bench of valuable connections and advocates, and showcase your accomplishments without seeming like a self-promoter. Wilding is the ideal guide for any Social Capital leader who wants to have a greater impact.

Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear

Who says Social Capital companies need to be dour and overly serious? Not Richard Sheridan. When he built his software company, Menlo Innovations, in Ann Arbor, Mich., he made joy the foundation. In Chief Joy Officer , he shows how leaders can build a happier, more human-centric workplace once they truly understand themselves. The test of whether it’s working, he shows, is if team members are developing individual leadership capacity. Don’t miss this fast-paced book if you want to bring more positive energy to your organization’s culture.

Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground

Many are worried about increasing polarization in society. In Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground, author Kurt Gray argues that we may have more in common than seems at first glance. Gray is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He shows that we all have the same moral mind — and how feeling threatened or vulnerable can influence our behavior. It’s valuable information for any Social Capital leader.

The Ai-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions

Using AI in the wrong ways can lead to slop, but using it strategically can give you an advantage in scaling your ideas as a Social Capital leader. In The Ai-Driven Leader , author Geoff Woods, former chief growth officer at Jindal Steel & Power, shows exactly how to make it work for your organization, with practical, immediately actionable ideas on how AI can help you use data to make better decisions and multiply the impact of every employee. If you’re looking for a book that will motivate you to put AI to work throughout your organization, this is the one.

The Lightmaker’s Manifesto: How to Work for Change Without Losing Your Joy

One occupational hazard of being a Social Capital leader is burnout. In The Lightmaker’s Manifesto , Karen Walrond, a lawyer and leadership coach, offers powerful preventive medicine. Drawing on her own experience as an activist, she shows how to reconnect with your intentions, spirit of fun and innate gratitude, no matter how serious the causes you are tackling. The Lightmaker’s Manifesto is ideal reading for any Social Capital leader who wants to stay connected to why they do what they do, without losing their spark.

1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History – and How It Shattered a Nation

History repeats itself, unless we understand and act on its lessons. In 1929 , journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin offers a fresh perspective on the 1929 stock market crash, telling the story through the lens of the powerful individuals who played a role, from bankers to politicians. He looks at how debt — an eternal sign of optimism that the future will always be better — and market manias played a role. As he puts it, “Each wave seduces us into thinking we’ve learned from history, and this time, we can’t be fooled. Then it happens again.” If you’re looking to put current events into historical context, 1929 offers powerful insights.

Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose

Loneliness, burnout and lack of purpose are epidemic today. The antidote: finding small reminders that we have value to contribute to others — and making those contributions in consistent ways. In Mattering , author Jennifer Breheney Wallace shows how to build our “mattering core” — an internal infrastructure that supports us when setbacks arrive. As she has found, the individuals who are thriving in today’s world have built “a sturdy, internal sense of feeling valued by friends, family, colleagues and their community, and knowing how they add value back.” Mattering offers a guide on how to build a mattering core that brings meaning and purpose to everything you do — and how to help those in your sphere of influence see that they matter, too. It’s vital reading for every Social Capital leader.

Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment

Flourishing is “the experience of joyful, meaningful growth, shared with others,” according to the definition Daniel Coyle uses in his recent book Flourish . He views it as a process shaped by our daily habits and environments — but it’s not a solo act. It’s one shaped by our relationships with others. In Flourish , he summarizes five years of journalistic research into ecosystems such as neighborhoods, companies and schools, that have done extraordinarily well at cultivating this type of joyful, meaningful, shared growth. If you’re a Social Capital leader who wants to spark genuine connection and a spirit of fun in your organization, Flourish is essential reading.

The Art of Compassionate Business: Main Principles for the Human-Oriented Enterprise (Second Edition)

Tired of the dated, industrial-era mindset that views employees as commodities, competitors as threats, resources as limited and customers as scarce and difficult? The Art of Compassionate Business, by Bruno Cignacco, a real estate entrepreneur and lecturer at the American University in London, offers an optimistic alternative. He offers practical, detailed steps for building and scaling a company that truly cares about people while still growing and turning a profit. For Social Capital leaders looking to cascade human-centric principles throughout their organizations, this is an ideal guidebook — and one that many will want to order for their entire team.  

Pornocracy

Social capital companies don’t exist in a vacuum. In Pornocracy , authors Jo Bartosch and Robert Jessel show how the $97-billion online porn industry is reshaping the world as the technology it is built upon rewires users’ brains. They take a close look at popular narratives about sites deemed harmless and even empowering to content creators, examining their impact on violence against women and children, our closest relationships and even love. If you’re a Social Capital leader looking for a greater understanding of the impact of online technologies, this book is an important part of the conversation.  

The Great Disruption: How Geopolitics is Changing Companies, Managers and Work

Companies are more interconnected than ever by geopolitics, and leaders of organizations of any size need to understand how to navigate factors like trade wars, sanctions and political instability, according to Srividya Jandhyala, Ph.D., an associate professor at ESSEC Business School and a former Fung Global Fellow at Princeton. In The Great Disruption , she explains why these geopolitical shifts are happening, and how to factor in the conflicts and sweeping changes that are likely to affect U.S. businesses. If you are running a Social Capital company or organization, understanding the “great disruption” will help you plan and think on your feet, so it doesn’t derail your vision.  

The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses

More than half of all employees are currently looking for another job or say they are open to new opportunities, according to Gallup. Often, it’s not the company they quit — it’s their manager. But no one starts out wanting to be a bad boss. How do you know if you’re at risk of inadvertently becoming one under the daily pressures of leading, despite your Social Capital ideals? The Devil Emails at Midnight will help you avoid the slippery slopes that can lead in that direction. Mallick, a CEO coach who draws on many years of experience in HR, offers many actionable suggestions for leaders on how to turn things around and lead from their highest potential.

Biohacking Leadership: Leveraging the Biology of Behavior to Maximize Your Impact

Our decision-making is driven by complex biological and behavioral forces. What if you could use the principles of neuroscience and biomechanics to harness those drivers to improve your physical and mental state, communicate more effectively and collaborate more successfully? That’s the question that author Scott Hutcheson, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at Purdue University specializing in technology and engineering leadership, addresses in Biohacking Leadership . He shows how we can tap into our innate biometric signals to lead smarter, leverage the same evolutionary drivers that help beavers and wolves collaborate and, ultimately, deliver results. If you’re looking to raise your game as a Social Capital leader, Hutcheson will inspire you with his science-based approach.

Capital Evolution: The New American Economy

We’re living in an economy where income disparities are only widening, and the gap between everyday working people and billionaires has become a vast, seemingly unbridgeable chasm. How did we get here? And how can we make capitalism work for all? Capital Evolution provides optimistic and actionable answers to what may be the most important questions of our time, drawing on the expertise of its authors, venture capitalist Seth Levine and seasoned business journalist Elizabeth MacBride. They offer a path forward built on ideals such as meritocracy, rule of law and listening to all stakeholders — one that will inspire any Social Capital leader who wants to make a difference.

The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance

Many workers don’t feel like they matter to their employers or colleagues, and this trend is undermining their mental health and hurting their organizations’ performance. So how can leaders make sure everyone on their team feels valued? That’s the sweeping question that author Zach Mercurio, Ph.D., tackles in The Power of Mattering . To leaders looking for answers, Mercurio offers a three-part framework — noticing, affirming and needing (the practice of showing people they are indispensable) — tapping his expertise as a researcher, author and speaker specializing in purposeful leadership and positive organizational psychology.

Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions

The decisions we make as leaders can make or break our organizations. So how can we be sure we make the right ones? In Distancing , retired U.S. Navy Captain David L. Marquet, author of the bestseller Turn the Ship Around , and Michael A. Gillespie, an associate professor of psychology at the University of South Florida, show how to get perspective on big decisions by, for instance, looking at them as your future self. Their methodology “Be Someone Else. Be Somewhere Else. Be Sometime Else” is a powerful guide for the important decisions you are making daily as a Social Capital leader.

Irresistible Change: A Blueprint for Earning Buy-In and Breakout Success

Phil Gilbert is a former general manager of design for IBM, a 400,000-employee company, and, as such, he has a rare perspective on large-scale transformation. In Irresistible Change , he shares how to inspire increasingly skeptical and autonomy-craving workers to embrace a new vision, tapping his direct experience in updating how IBM’s teams worked. Rather than get on a soapbox about how great change will be, he argues, it’s important to achieve buy-in by proving the value of what you’re proposing. One big idea: treating change as a high-stakes product and putting resources behind making it successful. If you’re a Social Capital leader, you’re a change agent, and this powerful book will help you break through organizational inertia and achieve goals you never thought possible.

The Debt Machine: How Private Banks Engineered Global Control

Why are average people struggling hard to keep up with the cost of living but never getting ahead? Author Mark Gerard Keenan, a United Nations Environment Programme Expert, argues in The Debt Machine it’s part of a modern, extraction-based economy that turns everyday citizens into permanent debtors. Underlying the “debt machine” is the control private banks have taken of global finance, in his point of view — and wars and recovery plans won’t fix it. If you’re a Social Capital leader, you won’t want to miss Keenan’s insights on what could be done to remake the system and create a better, more equitable world.

Inspire Greatness: How to Motivate Employees with a Simple, Repeatable, Scalable Process

Matt Tenney, a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, believes there is an algorithm leaders can follow to motivate their teams to do their best work. He shares that formula in Inspire Greatness . It starts with understanding that the main job of a leader is inspiring the team, but underpinning this is identifying what team members need to do to thrive, collecting feedback on how managers are meeting employees’ needs, and making it easy for leaders to learn from that feedback with bite-sized learning modules. If you’re looking to help your Social Capital company reach the next level, this book offers many practical suggestions.

You Are an IP Company: The 12-Step Plan to Increase Your Intellectual Property Influence, Impact, and Income

Social Capital companies are pioneering game-changing new ways of doing business. If you’re among them, you may not have taken stock of which ones are intellectual property. As authors Kary Oberbrunner, an entrepreneur and inventor, and Katherine Rubino, an attorney, point out, more than 90% of your company’s value is linked to your IP. In this highly actionable book, they explain why you should not promote your IP until you take the necessary steps to safeguard it; how companies such as Disney, LEGO, CrossFit, Dr. Pepper, Magnolia and Apple saw exponential growth after protecting their IP; how to monetize IP; and more. If you’re looking for ways to add value to your company, this guide is essential reading.

Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family (Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition)

In the eyes of Bob Chapman, chairman and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, and Raj Sisodia, co-founder and chairman of Conscious Capitalism, every single person on the team is important. But how do you prioritize every individual in your organization in a fast-paced chaotic business environment? Everybody Matters (Expanded 10 th Anniversary Edition) offers a valuable blueprint for making sure your employees feel trusted and cared for while you grow your company, making it a must-read for Social Capital leaders.

The Compass Within: A Little Story About the Values That Guide Us

Companies often have core values, but as individuals we have them, too. In The Compass Within , Robert Glazer shares a parable based on the story of a high-achieving manager thrust into ethically muddy situations. As the manager engages in a process to discover what his core values are and begins letting them guide his life, he opens the door to a new world of authenticity in his career, personal relationships and community. If you keep finding yourself thrown into workplace situations filled with gray areas, this book will offer you valuable guidance on how to navigate them while staying true to yourself. Social Capital Insiders readers can get the book’s companion course for free if they order a hardcover copy of the book. This offer ends Sunday, Oct. 19.

How AI Changes Your Customers: The Marketing Guide to Humanity’s Next Chapter

If you’re a Social Capital leader, you likely give a lot of thought to how to reach the people who matter most to your organization: your employees, your customers and your community. The best way to do that is changing, thanks to AI. In How AI Changes Your Customers , futurist and author Mark Schaefer, a marketing expert and member of the faculty at Rutgers University, shows how to stand out in a world of shallow attention, how brands can create emotional resonance even as automation erodes empathy, how AI is disrupting our “why” and the best way to help people rediscover it, and the art of building connection and belonging when human contact is harder to come by.

Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World

During the lockdowns of the pandemic, Naomi Klein — a professor and author known for writing best-selling “big ideas” books on capitalism such as This Changes Everything and No Logo — began to do some digging into why she was being confused with Naomi Wolf — author of The Beauty Myth . She disagreed with many of Wolf’s public statements that were being shared on social media and political activities. Her exploration led to Doppelganger , which examines the forces of misinformation that have led to polarization and how corporate elites exploited the collective state of shock COVID brought in order to ram through self-serving policies without public discussion or consent. Social Capital leaders looking to make sense of the current political and economic environment will find fascinating insight here.  

Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto

Working around the clock has become a necessity for many Americans, as the cost of living outstrips their ability to cover essentials like food and shelter. In Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto , author Trisha Hersey, founder of the organization The Nap Ministry, makes the case that we are stuck on the treadmill of sleep deprivation and exhaustion because capitalism, built on violent systems such as slavery, has brainwashed us into working like machines. “People are waking up to the truth of their manipulation under toxic systems,” she writes. Her antidote is a simple one: allowing yourself to take a nap if you are tired — without guilt. “People are waking up to rest,” she writes. “We will no longer be a martyr for grind culture.” If you’re a Social Capital leader looking to build a better workplace culture, perhaps the most radical step you can take is making sure that team members do have time to rest.

What Matters Next: A Leader’s Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That’s Moving Too Fast

A recent report from MIT found that 40% of companies and 90% of workers are using AI tools at work. How can Social Capital leaders make sure that decisions on how to use AI and other technologies put people first? Kate O’Neill, founder of the strategic advisory firm KO Insights, lends valuable insight in What Matters Next: A Leader’s Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That’s Moving Too Fast , tapping what she has learned working with organizations such as Google, McDonald’s and the UN. Her “Now-Next’ model offers a model for turning questions into insights and eventually “Bankable Foresights” that look ahead to the future. If you’re looking to harmonize human knowledge and the intelligence that comes from machines, she is a trustworthy guide.

Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams

Many white-collar workers live in fear that they will get pushed out of their jobs — with good reason. In a business environment where loyalty is often a thing of the past, reduced hours, slower promotions and limited opportunities are a reality for many workers. Workplace expert Selena Rezvani calls this “quiet firing,” and it reduces engagement and destroys company cultures. In Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams , Rezvani offers an alternative: practical ideas leaders can embrace today, like prioritizing candid, trust-building conversations. If you’re looking to add to your Social Capital toolkit, you’ll want this book on your nightstand.  

Artificial Integrity: The Paths to Leading AI Toward a Human-Centered Future

Technology can be a tremendously empowering tool for any business leader, but it can also turn into a trap. How can we prevent it from being misused and manipulated as we increasingly turn to AI? In Artificial Integrity: The Paths to Leading AI Toward a Human-Centered Future, digital strategist Hamilton Mann argues for an approach that puts human values first and to always keep an eye trained protecting our integrity as a society. Social Capital leaders who are looking to deploy artificial intelligence in their operations will come away with ideas on the responsible advancement of human and artificial co-intelligence, using AI for productivity-enhancement and making sure any AI we use is trustworthy. If you’re navigating complex issues like this in your organization, Mann’s perspective will be very valuable.

The Unexpected CEO: My Journey from Gas Station Cashier to Billion-Dollar CEO

At a time when leadership is often reduced to metrics and control, former refugee Shirin Behzadi offers a radically human alternative — one shaped by adversity, empathy and unwavering conviction. After being jailed repeatedly in Iran, she fled her homeland alone while still only a teenager. In America, she began behind bulletproof glass at a gas station. But she went on to build and lead a billion-dollar company — by listening deeply, empowering others and leading with authenticity. Behzadi’s lived experience of displacement, motherhood, illness and reinvention stands as a powerful counterpoint to depersonalized leadership models that prioritize profit over people. Her insights on ethical capital raising, empathy-driven growth and purpose-led leadership offer a master class for Social Capital leaders committed to building businesses that matter. Her honest and compelling memoir is not a tale of overnight success. It’s a blueprint for building meaningful enterprises from the ground up — and a strategic guide for leaders who believe that people-centric values drive real value, resilience and longevity.

The Unlocked Leader: Dare to Free Your Own Voice, Lead with Empathy, and Shine Your Light in the World

At a time when some corporate leaders are reverting to the old command-and-control, worker-unfriendly style of leadership, Hortense le Gentil is a voice of sanity, making the business case for a more authentic, empathy-driven approach. Le Gentil — a sought-after leadership coach, speaker and author — offers a valuable counterpoint to harsh strategies that prioritize profit at the expense of people. Her specific strategies for shifting your way of thinking, mindset development, and connection with yourself and others will be valuable for any Social Capital leader.

The Equity Edge: How Addressing Bias in Recruiting and Retention Drives Success

Hiring the right people is critical to building a Social Capital company. But despite many leaders’ best efforts, those A players are elusive. The Equity Edge is a vital guide that will empower you and your team to identify the gifts and capabilities of every job seeker accurately, so you can truly tap into the best talent available. If you’re tired of hires who misfire, consultant Jenn Tardy’s strategies for breaking through “unexplored biases” and building a strong employer brand that has great people knocking at your door will set you free.

How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle

Hedge fund manager Ray Dalio is considered one of the greatest investors of all time. How countries Go Broke offers his take on the debt problems weighing down the U.S., Europe, Japan and China — and how to break out of what he calls the “Big Debt Cycle.” He bases his findings on his studies of more than 100 “big debt cycles” in the past century, some of which fueled bubbles and busts, and in some cases, going back 500 years. For Social Capital leaders seeing the effects of the national debt on their organization, this book brings valuable insight, as Dalio connects debt cycles to the factors that preoccupy many leaders: natural disasters, politics, geopolitical tensions and technological change.

The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross Pressures That Make or Break Today’s Companies

The business world is in a constant state of disruption. Leaders are constantly caught between “cross pressures,” or contradictory demands, according to Robert Siegel, a lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and venture partner at Piva and general partner at XSeed Capital. Examples of cross pressures include the need to succeed at both execution and innovation, the imperative to project both strength and humility, and the need to focus both internally and externally. So, what is the answer to these conflicting tensions? Siegel prescribes “systems leadership,” a framework he developed with Jeff Immelt, former CEO of General Electric. An alternative to both top-down command-and-control thinking and disruptive, Silicon Valley-style leadership, it offers a holistic, interdisciplinary path to figuring out the right things to do and accomplishing goals consistently. For Social Capital leaders looking for a way forward, Siegel is an inspiring guide.

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism

Sarah Wynn-Williams ran international policy at Facebook, and her role allowed her a chance to experience Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” ethos, and the values underlying it, firsthand. In this funny and candid memoir, she offers an insider’s perspective on how a company culture she considered careless contributed to world events, including the last U.S. presidential election. If you’re a Social Capital executive concerned about the impact of social media on society, you won’t be able to put this bestseller down.

Give First: The Power of Mentorship

Venture capitalist Brad Feld is known around the world for co-founding the prestigious entrepreneurship accelerator Techstars and igniting the startup community in Boulder, Colorado, through his work at his investment firm The Foundry. In Give First , he embraces principles that many Social Capital CEOs have embraced, such as mentoring without the expectation of getting anything in return. When you’re trying to change the world, it’s tempting to try to control the outcome, but often that’s not possible. Feld’s longstanding support of the entrepreneurship community is a testament to how letting go can open doors.

The Stoic Capitalist: Advice for the Exceptionally Ambitious

Robert Rosenkranz, the chairman of Delphi Capital Management, rose from working-class origins to become a self-made billionaire, thanks to an illustrious career in private equity. He used that success as a Social Capital platform to support civil discourse and free speech, launching the program Open to Debate, which is widely distributed through NPR stations. He also funded Impetus Grants to expand our healthy lifespans; and Canyon, a cultural institution in New York showcasing visual art, sound, music and technology. In The Stoic Capitalist , he explores topics that many Social Capital CEOs will find relatable: how to balance ambition with contribution, the art of aligning interests to shape better outcomes, how to set clear metrics for success, and how to turn negotiation into a problem-solving exercise and not a contest of wills. If you’re looking for inspiration to achieve your next big goal, this book will infuse you with energy.

Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity

The power of play to stimulate creativity is well-documented. In Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection and Sparks Creativity, Cas Holman, the acclaimed play designer behind Rigamajig — the play system at New York City’s High Line — and professor at Rhode Island School of Design, shows how play can be used to open up the imaginations of adults, improving our creativity, ability to trust and adaptability. For Social Capital leaders, this book is a treasure trove, showing how unlocking the spirit of play leads to better collaborative and iterative thinking at work and showing how nostalgia, imagination and silliness can spark creative thinking.                  

Cyber Warfare – Truths, Tactics, and Strategies

With more of our lives lived online, hackers are having a field day. And no matter what organization you lead, it’s essential to prevent these cyber thugs from interfering with your ability to get critical work done. In Cyber Warfare – Truths, Tactics and Strategies, you can learn what to do about it from Chase Cunningham, who created the Zero Trust Extended Framework as an analyst at Forrester Research, helping countless companies and governments prevent increasingly complex cybersecurity breaches. As he points out, the bad actors aren’t just misanthropes in hoodies. They’re professionals likely trained by their government, and they know what they’re doing. Read this concise book to find out how to keep them from distracting you from building your Social Capital company.

Rich Relationships: Create a Million-Dollar Network for Your Business

There is a significant difference between relationships that are intentional and purposeful and those that are purely transactional. That’s the overriding message of Rich Relationships: Create a Million-Dollar Network for Your Business by Selena Soo — and it aligns perfectly with the values of Social Capital companies that are putting people first. This book will help you free the time you need to maintain the relationships that matter and let go of those you don’t have the capacity or time to maintain. We can only maintain about 150 key relationships at a time, as she explains. Her book will help you identify and nurture the ones that will help you make a difference.

Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously)

Think your company’s big problem is a lack of employee engagement? Think again. It could be a scarcity of engagement among your managers . Author Bree Groff shows managers how to bring the spark back by turning their attention to what makes work fun: having friends there, finding meaning and caring for one another. That’s easier said than done in a business world that often revolves around quarterly profits, but Today Is Fun is full of practical suggestions. Groff is a senior advisor to SYPartners, a 30-year-old global transformation consultancy, and previously served as CEO of NOBL, an international consultancy that pioneers new ways of working.

Do More Good

Many of today’s employees want to know their company has a purpose beyond business — but how do you talk about social issues and politics at a time when people are more divided than ever? In Do More Good , Neil Ghosh, former CEO of SOS Children’s Villages USA, makes a case that people can’t be afraid to leave their values at the door — and offers guidance that will be helpful to all Social Capital leaders. Ghosh examines how business leaders can be transparent about their belief systems, why Gen Z employees want to discuss politics at work, how to reward “micro-altruism,” and more. If you’re seeking ideas on how to navigate these tricky issues, don’t miss this book, endorsed by President Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama.

Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures

Many brands want to expand overseas but, in today’s business environment, that’s a complicated prospect. That said, if you’re not exporting, you’re leaving money on the table. In Brand Global, Adapt Local, authors Katherine Melchior Ray and Nataly Kelly offer an inside look at how global brands such as Nike, LVMH, Nestle, Shiseido, Natura and Marriott break into new markets. For Social Capital CEOs, there are valuable insights on immersing yourself in the culture of a new market, staying true to your brand while embracing a new positioning and scaling a brand globally.

Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs

Immigrants have started successful startup companies — Chobani, BioNTech and WhatsApp, to name a few — often with little in the way of capital and connections. In Pioneers , author Neri Karra Sillaman shows how to tap the founders’ best practices to build a more resilient business, embrace diversity and inclusion, leverage the power of community, and create a legacy built on giving back. The author knows her subject matter, as both a former child refugee and an academic. She is an entrepreneurship expert at the University of Oxford and an adjunct professor at ESCP Paris. She also founded Neri Karra, a global leather luxury goods brand. With entrepreneurial immigrants continuing to have a powerful influence on the startup scene, this book offers a fascinating window into the future of entrepreneurship.

Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And Why Resilience Alone Isn’t Enough)

As the world lurches from one crisis to the next, many leaders have sounded the drum for resilience to their teams. But resilience alone may not be the answer — and it can run dry when we’re exhausted by years of stress, argues organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich. In her research, she found the capacity for regeneration is more important. She shows how to tap into today’s crisis to move forward — instead of trying to bounce back to the past. For Social Capital leaders looking for a new paradigm for navigating life’s bumpy rides, Shatterproof offers powerful ideas and practical steps for implementing them.

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How Everyone Can Prosper Together

Most of us are aware of the “tax” that racism has placed on people of color. In The Sum of Us , Heather McGhee, former president of the think-tank Demos and chair of the racial-justice organization Color of Change, shows what racism costs every American in a world of increasing privatization and economic inequality. The antidote: coming together in community. If you believe life should be more than a zero-sum game, you’ll find McGhee’s insights stimulating and, ultimately, a source of optimism about the future.

Every Purchase Matters: How Fair Trade Farmers, Companies, and Consumers are Changing the World

If you’ve ever picked up a Fair Trade chocolate bar or bag of coffee beans, you may have wondered how that purchase was making a difference. In Every Purchase Matters , Paul Rice, founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA, shows how the simple decisions we make at the grocery store have a ripple effect around the world. With how we source products part of the ongoing discussion about tariffs, this timely book shows how embracing sustainable business can play a role in building a more economically equitable world.

Gratitude Tiger: Creating Joy Through the Art of Impactful Letters

Many Social Capital business leaders have a gratitude practice, in which they take stock of the good things in their lives. In Gratitude Tiger , keynote Joel Zuckerman offers ideas on taking that one step further, by using the art of letter writing to express appreciation to team members and other important people in their lives. One of Zuckerman’s hallmarks: writing letters just thanking someone for being themself. At a time when many employees are looking for purpose and connection at work, reviving the lost art of letter writing is a practice whose time has come, and Zuckerman is an enthusiastic guide.

Re-Humanize: How to Build Human-Centric Organizations in the Age of Algorithms

Phanish Puranam is an expert on organizational design whose work looks at how to ensure AI complements human work; how businesses can use it without creating digital sweatshops; and why organizations should be designed by employees, and not just tech executives. In Re-Humanize , he shares what he has learned about how to make some jobs more meaningful with AI and how to avoid algorithmic bureaucracy, where AI messes up people’s lives by making important decisions best rendered by humans. If you’re concerned about how AI will impact our collective future, this book is a must-read.

Winning with Integrity: Getting What You’re Worth Without Selling Your Soul

Winning with Integrity is a modern classic, and the lessons it shares from legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg — an inspiration for the movie Jerry McGuire — are just as apropos today as they were when this book first came out in 1998. Chief among them is the importance of ethical dealing and responsibility. He believed that the best deals were not about winners and losers but rather balance and values. If negotiation is part of your work as a social capital leader, you’ll want to study the steps he shares, from “Orientation” to “Making the Deal.”

G.O.A.T. Wisdom: How to Build a Truly Great Business

Goat-milk soap maker Beekman 1802 was launched in one of the most economically disadvantaged counties of New York State in 2008, during a recession. Its founders, Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, grew it to one of the largest independent beauty companies in the U.S. by 2020, one that serves companies like Anthropologie. In G.O.A.T. Wisdom , the co-authors share the wisdom that helped them build the company to nine-figure retail sales — as well as exercises to learn from principles like “frugal innovation.” If you want to scale an ethical company, this is an entertaining instruction manual.  

Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It: Learning Moments from an Everyday CEO of a Multi-Billion-Dollar Company

As the former CEO of WD-40, Garry Ridge took inspiration from a letter a devoted father sent him about the power of legacy. He built a culture that is famous for allowing every team member to thrive and experience psychological safety. He believes the onus is on the CEO to become the type of leader willing to do all that it takes to build and lead a culture like this. This type of leadership starts in your heart but also includes your head and your hands, as in your actions and behaviors. Through it all, he underlines the importance of humility. Any Social Capital leader who is looking for a reminder of why servant leadership is so important will find it in this powerful book.

Unicorn Team: The Nine Leadership Types You Need to Launch Your Big Ideas with Speed and Success

With the combined value of the world’s valuable brands down 20% since last year, it’s more important than ever to get product launches right. In Unicorn Team , Jen Kem, who was part of the leadership teams of Oprah Winfrey Network, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Oracle, shows how to get it right. It’s about having the right combination of talent on your team — Visionizers, Strategizers and Mobilizers, as she describes it. It’s also important to allow room for experimenting by setting aside “failure money” — five to 10 percent of your budget that you’re willing to invest in experiments and can afford to lose. Anyone who wants to be effective in building a Social Capital brand will benefit from her insights.

Essential: How Distributed Teams, Global AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership

As the conversation on how to integrate AI into our lives in a human way moves forward, leadership strategists Christie Smith, Ph.D., and Kelly Monahan, Ph.D., explore how to use tools like generative AI with teams that are increasingly autonomous. In an era when many workers are voting with their feet and starting businesses, employees are returning to unionizing, and anti-trust authorities are cracking down on consolidation, companies need to find new ways to lead, argue the authors. “Stakeholders are no longer willing to put up with the refusal of owners to share power, collaborate openly or embrace the values of those who do the heavy lifting,” they write. Leaders who transform their companies with a human-centric approach, while augmenting human skills with tools such as AI, will have an edge, as they see it.

Calling In: How To Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel

Lorretta Ross, a single mother who had to drop out of Howard University, could have turned away from a rapist who reached out to the rape crisis center where she worked. She’d been subjected to sexual violence, and the request infuriated her. Instead, she adopted a philosophy that guided her through the decades to come, holding him accountable but with a spirit of love. Ross eventually became a MacArthur Genius fellow, known for work that tapped into shared values versus a desire for punishment, such as deprogramming white supremacists. It’s a must-read for Social Capital leaders who want to heal the division in society today.  

Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy’s Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love

In an age of income inequality, many Social Capital leaders are putting their teams’ financial wellness front and center. Financial Feminist author Tori Dunlap has been a leading voice in encouraging women to learn about their finances and take ownership of them. If you’re an employer looking to help women advance, go straight to the chapter on “Earning,” which offers important insight to the factors holding many women back and will spark ideas on how to offer meaningful support. It’s time that employers recognize the reality that women’s unpaid daily responsibilities outside of work are often steeper than for male counterparts, even as they serve as the main breadwinner in many homes.  

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Creating an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Teens’ mental health started declining in 2010 — and that’s part of a trend that’s continuing. One factor is all the digital exposure they have via video games, social media, mobile phones and other technology. That’s important news for the employers who will be hiring them someday. In The Anxious Generation , Jonathan Haidt explains how young people became part of one of the biggest social experiments in history — and what to do about the harm done to an entire generation. If you’re a Social Capital leader who cares about youth, we recommend putting this book at the top of your reading list.

Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future

If you use LinkedIn, you can thank Reid Hoffman, who co-founded the professional networking site and is now a venture capitalist. In Superagency , co-authored with his writing collaborator Greg Beato, he makes the case that AI can be used in an egalitarian way that will help society, offering benefits such as personalized tutoring and faster cures for disease. He foresees a world where AI supplements human intelligence but doesn’t replace it. While not everyone will agree with Hoffman’s optimistic perspective — even Hoffman has called for “edufare” to help displaced workers obtain better skills — he brings a valuable insider’s perspective to the issue and how it is relevant to Social Capital CEOs.

Love and Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, And Do It For the Rest of Your Life

Love and work are almost synonymous for Social Capital leaders, many of whom feel the call of a higher purpose as they fulfill their roles every day. But it’s not always a linear path. Sometimes, we’re working toward what matters but we’re in the wrong role on a team. Or we’re leading a team that got burned by bad bosses of the past and isn’t quick to trust us. Or our job needs a redesign so we can do our best work. In Love and Work , respected researcher Marcus Buckingham shows how to escape the binding ties of conformity that keep many high-potential leaders trapped, and design a career that lets you achieve your highest potential at the office and when you go home.

Rethinking Two Weeks’ Notice: Changing the Way Employees Leave Companies for the Better

For employees departing for new opportunities, giving two weeks’ notice has been the standard for decades. Bob Glazer challenges that in Rethinking Two Weeks’ Notice: Changing the Way Employees Leave Companies for the Better . In this latest book, the CEO of Acceleration Partners offers fresh ideas on making parting conversations with employees more productive. It’s based on a four-part system he outlines built on psychological safety, honest communication, respect and commitment to a win-win. If you’re looking for ways to reinvent your organization, you’ll find Glazer’s insights both challenging and inspiring.

Our Robotics Future: The ultimate guide to the transformative power of automation, robotics and AI

You’ve seen the headlines that say robots are going to take our jobs, but are they accurate? Elad Inbar will lead you to question that assumption in Our Robotics Future . Inbar, CEO of RobotLAB, a robotics industry pioneer since 2007, offers powerful insight into how automation and robotics will transform the companies and jobs of the future and can make them better. Readers will learn how and when to integrate these powerful machines into their daily operations, tapping Inbar’s insights from working with big brands such as LG Electronics, SoftBank Robotics, Hilton, Marriott, Disney and Universal Studios. If you’re trying to stay ahead of the curve, this book offers valuable insider’s information.  

It’s Not Your Business to Succeed: Your Role In Leadership When You Can’t Control the Outcomes

No matter how great a leader you are, there’s one thing you can’t control: the universe. Even the best-laid strategies, processes and execution won’t necessarily guarantee you the outcomes you want. In It’s Not Your Business to Succeed, entrepreneur and pastor Brandon West reframes this reality as an opportunity to focus on doing things well and on our higher purpose. As he shows, success isn’t only about achieving key performance indicators — it’s about the journey and the “how” of getting there. If you’re frustrated that you’re not further along in achieving your Social Capital goals, this will be a refreshing and valuable read.

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

If you’ve ever wondered why some countries are rich while others are poor — and why some ascend as other collapse — you’ll find some interesting and unexpected answers in Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. MIT economics professor Daron Acemoglu and University of Chicago economist James Robinson — Nobel Prize winners for 2024 — show that man-made institutions are a big determinant, looking at examples like North and South Korea. Although this book was originally published in 2012, it’s very apropos for any Social Capital leader trying to make sense of what’s going on in the world today.

Creative Insecurity: Lean into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit

If there’s one skill every Social Capital business leader needs, it’s the ability to embrace the unknown and thrive in uncertainty. In Creative Insecurity: Lean into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit , James M. Sweeney, the serial entrepreneur who founded healthcare giant Caremark, offers a guidebook to running counter to the crowd and “getting comfortable with discomfort, propelling an off-balance state into forward motion and mitigating risk.” Even if you’re an intrapreneur within a big corporation, you’ll find inspiration in his chapters on succeeding with the “no-quit” gene, differentiating yourself as a “monopoly of one,” and recognizing that being first is more important than being right.

The New Goliaths: How Corporations Use Software to Dominate Industries, Kill Innovation, and Undermine Regulation

With the movement accelerating to break up Big Tech companies like Google, some are asking if this is the best way to help the public share in the wealth created in Silicon Valley. In The New Goliaths: How Corporations Use Software to Dominate Industries, Kill Innovation, and Undermine Regulation , James Bessen, an economist and technologist who is executive director of the Technology & Policy Research Initiative at Boston University, offers an alternative outlook — one based on forcing those companies to share their technology, data and insights. If you’re looking ahead to how AI and other technologies will shape the workplace in the future, and how they can be managed for the public good, this book will shed interesting light.

Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

The flow of information has a powerful influence on our daily lives — and world-changing events. In Nexus , renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari (who also authored Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind ) explores how societies throughout history have managed, used and suppressed information to reach their goals, for better or worse. Taking readers through the witch hunts, Naziism, Stalinism and many other eras when the flow of information could mean life or death, Hariri raises powerful questions relevant to any Social Capital leader about how we will manage information in the future and how it can be used to create a better world where people come first. As he sees it, we’re on a precipice, where getting the answers right could determine the future of civilization. Don’t miss this bestseller.

Leading from Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams

Many Social Capital leaders have embraced remote work, aware of how important it is to employees trying to balance their responsibilities to family and their community and how it can help organizations tap into talent around the globe. But sometimes, leading a remote team can be challenging, requiring skills that are outside the traditional leadership toolkit. In Leading from Anywhere , David Burkus, a consultant and former business school professor, offers insights on how to pull it off successfully. If you’re thinking about bringing employees “back to the office” for the sake of your office culture but are on the fence about whether it is best for your team, read this book before you decide.

The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry

Presidents and CEOs have always been interdependent — yet at odds at the same time. In The Power and Money, an historian and former White House aide during the administration of President George W. Bush looks at both the friendships and enmities that shaped many of the policies that affect our daily lives today. With federal government rules dictating how leaders can run their workplaces, conduct mergers and acquisitions, price products sold abroad, and more, corporations need a strategy for dealing with Washington in order to thrive, he argues. However, everyday Americans often get left out of the equation when these two powerful forces come together — and they’re left to contend with the aftershocks, like higher prices and limited competition. If you’re looking to contribute to a better world through your business, being aware of the forces behind the scenes is essential. Social Capital leaders of any political party will find valuable insights from both presidential history and current events shaped by leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and Warren Buffet.

On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything

Like it or not, our lives in the U.S. are heavily influenced by professional risk takers — like the hedge fund managers and venture capitalists who shape much of the business environment. In On the Edge , Nate Silver — a New York Times bestselling author and founder of presidential-election forecast site Silver Bulletin — looks at how power brokers like entrepreneur Peter Thiel, now-convicted cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and Open AI CEO Sam Altman are shaping the world. What they have in common, he argues, is not only a high tolerance for risk but an appreciation of uncertainty, an affinity for numbers, a distrust of conventional wisdom and an insatiable competitive drive. If you need a powerful reminder of why you’re doing all the work of building a Social Capital company where people are the ultimate bottom line, and what the alternative could be, pick up this fascinating book.

Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent Mind

Miles Everson has a unique window on the trends shaping the world of independent work, as CEO of MBO Partners, a company that connects enterprises with independent professionals who have the expertise they need. And, as he shows in Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent Mind , the growing trend toward self-employment shows no signs of slowing down, with many people craving the freedom and authenticity of doing their own thing and looking to leave behind the dated brick-and-mortar world. With many of the most talented workers opting to go indie, he shows how forcing talent to go back to the office is beside the point. What’s more important for Social Capital CEOs to understand is how to tap into the growing army of independent professionals. Everson is an enthusiastic and expert guide, taking readers on an entertaining, rock-and-roll-inspired journey through one of the defining trends of the modern workplace: the “unbundling” of work from full-time jobs. He shows how interlocking trends like the growth of digital technology, the fractionalization of our culture, greater knowledge flow around the world and shrinking labor force are transforming what it means to work, giving leaders a powerful telescopic view into the future.  

The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More

Communicating like a trial lawyer might not seem to be the route to building a better company — and world. But Jefferson Fisher, a trial lawyer and founder of his own law firm, may change your mind. He has attracted legions of followers with his YouTube videos on better communication. In The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More he offers insights valuable to any Social Capital leader looking to build true communication in the workplace and reduce toxic conflicts. The book covers topics like why you should never “win” an argument, how to take a “less is more” approach to conversation, how to communicate with intention, and the best ways to overcome conflict. If you’re looking to take your communication skills as a leader to the next level, this book will be a great source of insight.

The Problem with Men: Insights on Overcoming a Traumatic Childhood from a World-Renowned Psychologist

Ronald F. Levant is past president of the American Psychological Association and professor emeritus at the University of Akron. In The Problem with Men: Insights on Overcoming a Traumatic Childhood from a World-Renowned Psychologist, Dr. Levant explores questions you may have asked yourself when working with male leaders who aren’t bringing out the best in their team: Why are some men so problematic, incapable of expressing how they feel or to understand or respond appropriately to the emotions of others? Why do they explode in rage or resort to violence when their manhood is questioned? How do societal expectations of men play into toxic behaviors? Dr. Levant offers interesting answers, based on his many years of developing a field of psychology devoted to men and masculinity and his own experiences being raised by an abusive father. He also offers insights into leaders such as President Biden, Trump, Putin, Netanyahu and more. If you see male leaders as a key part of the equation of building a better world and believe that healing is possible for those who lack qualities such as empathy, you’ll find The Problem with Men full of helpful insight.

Dark, Dirty, Dangerous: Building the Vibrant Future of Manufacturing

Discussions on closing the racial wealth gap often focus on promoting home ownership and financial literacy. In Dark, Dirty, Dangerous: Building the Vibrant Future of Manufacturing, Karla Trotman adds a powerful idea to the conversation: supporting manufacturing. Trotman is CEO of Electro Soft, the black-owned electronics manufacturing firm founded by her parents. She shares what she has learned about building a thriving business where she has had the opportunity to offer livable wages, introduce career opportunities for those without a college degree, and break barriers for women and minority entrepreneurs — while building generational wealth. She also offers insights to how government policies can support the manufacturing sector and bring it back to American shores. If you’re concerned about America’s future, this is must-read.

Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now

With the world changing at an unprecedented pace, the Social Capital leaders who can learn the fastest will be most effective. That requires a beginner’s mind. In Beginner’s Pluck , Liz Forkin Bohannon, co-founder and CEO of Sseko Designs — an international purpose-driven fashion brand creating employment for women around the world — offers an entertaining guide. Chock-full of practical strategies for embracing your inner beginner, it shows how “dreaming small” can bring big results and offers some fresh ideas on how to train yourself to choose curiosity over criticism.

Go Ask Your Mothers: One Simple Step for Managers to Support Working Moms for Team Success

As CEO of Sarah Wells Breast Pump Bags, author Sarah Wells has been on the front lines of helping working mothers make their lives work. In Go Ask Your Mothers , she shares critical insights into how to attract and retain female employees. It starts with communicating in new ways about the challenges they face (she offers her own roadmap for starting the conversation) and delves into proven strategies leaders can use to ensure they don’t lose the talented women they’ve invested in when a baby arrives. With so many Social Capital leaders working hard to ensure they create environments where all employees feel welcome , Go Ask Your Mothers will be a valuable addition to many a reading list.

Teeming: How Superorganisms Work Together to Build Infinite Wealth on a Finite Planet (and your company can too)

How do you scale a Social Capital company in a way that benefits all the people on your team, not just those at the top of the pyramid? Teeming offers some fascinating answers to that question from the worlds of animals and insects. Tamsin Woolley-Barker, an evolutionary biologist, shows how hierarchical structures can serve organizations only to a certain point before they collapse under the weight of complexity and instability. Fortunately, other living creatures, such as ants and termites, have already come up with alternative structures based on collective intelligence, distributed leadership, swarm creativity and regenerative value.

The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter

Many companies are in transition, and that means so are their leaders. How do you keep the momentum going on your Social Capital goals when you shift to a new role? A lot has to do with how you handle the first three months. In The First 90 Days , Michael Watkins, a well-known executive coach, updates and expands upon his bestselling work, showing how to accelerate your learning, match your strategy to the situation, achieve crucial early wins, create alignment, build alliance and “accelerate everyone.” Social Capital leaders have no time to waste, and this book will help you make the most of every opportunity to keep moving forward on your goals as you take on new professional challenges.

Leading with Significance: How to Create a Magnetic, People-First Culture

Horne LLP, a respected accounting and professional services firm, is known for its award-winning people-first culture. Joey Havens, managing partner of strategic growth, played a big role in creating it. In Leading with Significance , he lets other leaders peek under the hood. What you’ll see will resonate if you are already running a Social Capital company: Most employees don’t care about their paycheck and benefits alone. They come to work for a sense of belonging, purpose and self-realization. If you’re looking for road-tested strategies for attracting and retaining talent in a people-first culture, you’ll find this book is chock full of them — along with lively case studies showing what Horne’s philosophy looks like when implemented day to day. Don’t miss this essential guide for Social Capital leaders.

10 to 25: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation—And Making Your Own Life Easier

Every generation of workers has its own ways of working. The challenge for leaders is finding ways to motivate team members of every age, down to the teenagers who are on the front lines of many businesses. In 10 to 25 , the renowned developmental psychologist offers precise strategies for understanding young people ages 10 to 25 and tapping into what gets them motivated, like the desire for status and respect. Yeager shows how to tap into best practices such as transparency and the need for purpose and belonging — principles that underpin many a Social Capital company.

Autocracy Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World

The dictators of the past were easy to identify by their violent tactics. But today’s dictators are financial structures designed to steal from everyday people, surveillance networks and sophisticated propaganda — and include corrupt companies around the world, as Anne Applebaum explores in Autocracy . These autocrats share one thing: a desire for power and money — and the ability to get away with it. If you sometimes ask yourself why you work so hard to build a Social Capital company, Applebaum’s work will remind you of why it’s so important for business leaders to offer an alternative. Our future depends on it.

What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

Should everything be available for sale to the highest bidder? Are there parts of our lives that market values should never enter? In What Money Can’t Buy , philosopher Michael Sandel looks at questions that many Social Capital leaders must consider as they grow their companies and impact. He looks at tricky situations like those where some members of society can buy their way out of the queue, offering and accepting incentives, how markets crowd out morals, insurance markets built around bets on life and death and others that are full of gray areas. If you’re tired of summer beach reading and looking for something deeper, What Money Can’t Buy will give you the intellectual stimulation you’re seeking.  

Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take

In Net Positive , former Unilever CEO Paul Polman teams up with sustainable business champion Andrew Winston to make the case that business should be the main driving force to tackle societal problems such as climate change, income inequality and the divisiveness that is holding us back. They outline a new social contract where leaders, their employees and communities focus on giving back to the world more than they take, providing valuable details on how to do this. Net Positive ’s approach is tightly aligned with the philosophy many Social Capital companies embrace and reading it is a great way to reinvigorate your commitment to building a company that puts people first.

Talent, Strategy, Risk: How Investors and Boards Are Redefining TSR

In the past few decades, long-term corporate value was defined almost solely in terms of shareholder profits. But Social Capital leaders are redefining the equation. In Talent, Strategy, Risk, Bill McNabb, former chairman and CEO of Vanguard, teams up with Dennis Carey, vice chairman of Korn Ferry, and well-known business advisor Ram Charan to look at the upside that comes when companies shift their mindset to one focused on long-term value creation. People are a big part of this, playing a critical role in spotting new opportunities and adding to a company’s competitive advantage. If you’re looking for ideas on building the kind of future-focused company where the best talent wants to stay, you’ll find many ideas on how to do that.

The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World

What if, instead of averting your eyes in the elevator, you said, “Hello”? In The Power of Strangers, journalist Joe Keohane explores what happens when we reach out to the people around us, instead of simply minding our business or assuming they are dangerous. At a time when loneliness has reached epidemic proportions around the globe, Keohane suggests a path forward, one that fosters connection, empathy, happiness and even brain health. It’s a model that every Social Capital leader can embrace.

These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs – and Wrecks – America

If you need a booster of the energy that led you to work in the Social Capital sector, it can be helpful to consider the alternative. In These Are the Plunderers , you’ll find a vivid reminder of what happens when companies put people and their well-being last . Gretchen Morgenson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and Joshua Rosner, a policy analyst, team up to analyze how a focus on profits above all happens in many companies backed by private equity funds. Through diligent reporting, they show how this approach leads to job losses, reduced worker benefits and pension returns, higher healthcare costs and business bankruptcies. It’s definitely not a feel-good book, but it is a powerful reminder of why you do the work you do.

Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Understanding what makes a product, service or idea sticky is critical in business — but it’s not easy to grasp. In Contagious , Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger unlocks the code to what makes something viral. If you’re looking to spread the word about your Social Capital company and what it stands for, check out his immediately actionable ideas for helping to spread information. His strategies and tactics can save you hours of time and wasted effort, so you can stay focused on the big picture.

No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

One challenge for any Social Capital company is adapting and staying relevant while remaining true to its values. No Rules Rules is, in essence, an in-depth case study on how Netflix pulled it off, becoming an entertainment juggernaut while continuing to reinvent its culture. Its model is one where people come first, freedom and responsibility go hand in hand, and constant innovation keeps work fun If you’re searching for insights on how to keep a culture fresh, look no further.

Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life’s Difficult Journeys

Payam Zamani came to the U.S. as a refugee from Iran and ended up orchestrating a billion-dollar IPO. However, he found that building great wealth left him disconnected from his spiritual beliefs. His answer was to launch a private equity firm, One Planet Group, that is focused on online technology and media businesses that improve society and give back to communities. In Crossing the Desert , he shares the story of fleeing from Iran and, eventually, creating a company named one of San Francisco’s best places to work. It’s a story that will inspire any Social Capital CEO.

The Art of Gathering

People are at the heart of Social Capital companies, and how they come together matters. In The Art of Gathering , Priya Parker, a facilitator of high-profile business gatherings, offers a roadmap for making your team’s meetings, conferences and events better — and countering the global epidemic of loneliness and isolation along the way. Many leaders miss opportunities to make meetings memorable, she points out, but it’s possible to reclaim those chances to connect by tapping into the deeper purpose of coming together and finding new ways to make them unforgettable. The Art of Gathering makes those pursuits much easier.

Love Is Just Damn Good Business: Do What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do

Is it possible to build a business culture around love? Steve Farber, a consultant to Fortune 500 leaders, shows that it’s not only possible but natural. It’s about identifying your passions, creating a culture built on innovation and joy, making customers love how you treat them, focusing on serving the needs of others and opting to do the work you love. As Farber demonstrates, team members inevitably serve customers better if they love the work they do — along with the experience of going to work. This is an area where Social Capital companies have a powerful edge.

The Whole Story: Adventures in Life, Love and Capitalism

John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods for 44 years, is an American icon who has inspired countless entrepreneurs with his commitment to doing good while building a sustainable business. In The Whole Story: Adventures in Life, Love and Capitalism , Mackey, who retired in 2021 but continues to inspire, shares the story of how he turned a tiny health food store in Austin into an empire of 540 stores with $22 billion in sales. It’s a story built on idealism, shared passion and putting people first — an idea that is sure to resonate with Social Capital leaders everywhere.

Wall Street’s War on Workers: How Mass Layoffs and Greed Destroyed the Working Class and What to Do About It

Not very long ago, most working-class Americans could afford the basics of life, such as housing, food and shelter, from their salaries. Now many lead a precarious, paycheck-to-paycheck existence, in which a constantly escalating cost of living is pushing many out of the middle class. Author Les Leopold, founder of The Labor Institute, a nonprofit that designs research and educational programs on occupational safety and health, argues that one factor is mass layoffs used to bring more profits to shareholders at employees’ expense. He believes there is a better way, one where workers matter, and it’s built on practices such as new pay structures for corporate officers. This book is chock full of innovative ideas for Social Capital leaders on how organizations can continue to grow and scale without leaving their workers behind.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

Vision will only get you so far in business. If you want to build a high-impact Social Capital company, you need to be able to execute on that vision. In The 4 Disciplines of Execution , Chris McChesney, global practice leader of execution for Franklin Covey, and coach Jim Huling share best practices for putting your best ideas into action. The 4 Disciplines are: 1. Focus on the Wildly Important, 2. Act on the Lead Measures (based on the 80-20 rule), 3. Keep a Compelling Scoreboard and 4. Create a Cadence of Accountability. The 4 Disciplines platform, used by organizations such as Whirlpool, Dekalb Medical Center and Marriott, is known for helping clients rally their teams around a breakthrough they hope to achieve, activating frontline teams and creating organizational transparency. Any leader who has been looking to drive results will find valuable takeaways in every chapter.  

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

Social Capital companies are focused on people — their employees, their customers and their communities. And the heart of any people-centric business is communication. In Supercommunicators , author Charles Duhigg, a reporter for The New Yorker magazine, shows how to improve the quality of communication with all the people you work with by understanding which of three conversation types you are having: practical, emotional or social. It is only when you find common ground that you can truly connect with your team and unlock their potential, as this important book underlines.

The Power of Vulnerability: How to Create a Team of Winners by Shifting INward

You already know that you should be creating a sense of safety for your team, breaking out of organizational hierarchy to unlock every individual’s potential, and embracing authenticity. But sometimes it’s hard to close the knowing-doing gap. In The Power of Vulnerability , coaches Barry Kaplan and Jeffrey Manchester offer immediately actionable insights on the “how.” Social Capital leaders who want to raise their game will find that The Power of Vulnerability is an invaluable guide to building a stronger team by leaning into the one gift we all share: our humanness.

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

Burnout is an epidemic, and many Social Capital companies are looking to prevent it — as we explored in our story “Well-Being and Companies Slaying the Burnout Dragon.” Leaders can play a role in helping team members to take a more conscious approach to work by encouraging them to do fewer but more meaningful things, work at a natural pace, and “obsess” over quality. In Slow Productivity , Newport, one of today’s leading voices on productivity, shows how to free everyone on your team from busywork and allow them to focus on work that really matters.

The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder

Stanford professors Robert Sutton, author of The No-Asshole Rule , and co-author Huggy Rao tackle the forces that make it hard to get anything done in a large organization in this insightful book. Offering ideas on how to identify, diagnose and eliminate “destructive friction,” they embrace the powers of civility, caring and even love in the workplace — and allowing for certain types of friction that will help everyone on the team get better at what they do. Running a Social Capital company, at its essence, means busting through inertia, and you’ll learn plenty about how to do that in these pages.

Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations

Wish you could reduce internal rivalries on your team and get everyone to work together more smoothly as you build your Social Capital company? Culture of Growth will show you how. Author Mary Murphy, a social psychologist, builds on her mentor Carol Dweck’s pioneering work in showing how to nurture the talent and intelligence of everyone on your team and avoid the cults of genius that can demotivate those who aren’t among the anointed few. If you’re looking to scale your impact, this book is the playbook you need.

Radical Humility: Be A Badass Leader and A Good Human

Urs Koening, a seasoned executive coach, professor and ultra-endurance champion, got a crash course in people-centered, collaborative leadership when he became a NATO Peacekeeping Commander. The result is the Radical Humility framework he shares in this book — designed to help leaders shift from a “Heroic,” top-down style of leadership to “Humble.” If you’re looking to add to your leadership toolkit and take your Social Capital company to the next level, this practical and actionable book will be a powerful asset.

The Boldly Inclusive Leader: Transform Your Workplace (and the World) by Valuing the Differences Within

As the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion evolves, many Social Capital leaders want to stay current on the latest thinking. Minette Norman, a former Silicon Valley executive, makes that easy in The Boldly Inclusive Leader , showing how to support a feeling of belonging among everyone on your team, the best ways to create psychological safety, the best ways to spark group innovation, how to cultivate empathy and compassion, and how leaders set the tone for everyone else’s behavior. Any Social Capital leader who aims to build an equitable workplace will want to read, and re-read, this valuable book.

Bold Kindness: A Caring, More Compassionate Way to Lead

Cathy Thorpe has expanded Nurse Next Door, a home-care franchise, to more than 300 locations in Canada, England and Australia. In Bold Kindness , she reveals the secrets to building a culture where even the smallest kindnesses matter. It is all about creating what she describes as an engaged, empowered and self-led team. For Social Capital leaders who are looking to attract caring and compassionate employees, this bold new book offers a blueprint for creating exactly the kind of culture where they’d like to work.

The Coming Wave: Technology, Power and The Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma

Many of us are already experiencing the impact of AI — a force with the power to create tremendous wealth but also shake up the existing world order. In The Coming Wave , Suleyman — who was a co-founder of the AI company DeepMind — offers insight into how leaders can use a “containment” strategy to make the most of this technology while minimizing its capacity for harm. If you’ve been looking to get more done in less time in a Social Capital organization, The Coming Wave is an excellent primer on getting the most out of AI and avoiding its pitfalls.

You Don’t Have To Be Ruthless to Win: The Art of Badass Selfless Service

The world of commercial real estate is known for sharp-elbowed competition. Author Jonathan Keyser, founder of the firm KEYSER, found he was soaking up values he didn’t like when he rose through the ranks of the industry. Then he realized he had another option — to reinvent himself as a selfless leader. Along the way to servant leadership, he grew revenue at his commercial real estate brokerage to eight figures. If you’re not happy with the culture of your industry and don’t know how to break out of unhealthy norms, Keyser is just the guide you’ve been looking for, offering principles that apply to every industry.  

All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams

Even the best leaders are finding team building hard in the post-pandemic environment, thanks to challenges like labor shortages and the ongoing transition to more remote work. In All In, Mike Michalowicz — founder of Profit First accounting as well as two multi-million-dollar companies he sold — offers fresh ideas on how to find and retain great employees. The result is a book that shows leaders how to uncover the potential of every team member, nurture their talents and turn them into top performers. If you’re looking to build a team where everyone cares about the company and its mission as much as you do, this valuable book will show you how.

Feel-Good Productivity: How To Do More of What Matters to You

Ali Abdaal is a physician, entrepreneur and productivity expert. In Feel-Good Productivity , he reveals what he learned by immersing himself in the science of productivity and studying the approaches of the world’s most productive leaders, Olympic athletes and Nobel-Prize-winning scientists. The upshot is that if your work makes you feel good, you’ll be more productive — an idea that syncs up nicely with the Social Capital philosophy of creating workplaces where human beings can thrive. If you’re looking to find new ways to achieve more of your goals as a leader and inspire your team to reach new heights, look no further than Feel-Good Productivity .

It’s the Manager: Moving from Boss to Coach

Many Social Capital companies are abandoning the hierarchical approach to leadership and embracing more collaborative environments where managers act as coaches and mentors. In It’s the Manager , Jim Clifton, chairman of Gallup, and Jim Harter, chief scientist for Gallup’s workplace management and well-being practices, pull together 52 discoveries from Gallup’s largest study on the future of work to provide guidelines on how managers can create the best possible working relationship with their direct reports. The idea is to help each team member achieve their full potential. If you’re looking to expand your repertoire as a leader, this book is a valuable and immediately actionable guide.

It’s Personal: The Business Case for Caring

Lorna Bornstein dreamed up Grokker, an online well-being solution, while on vacation with her husband and finding herself frustrated with the quality and availability of instructional yoga and fitness videos. She taps her experience turning her idea into a venture-backed company known for its supportive, Social Capital culture in It’s Personal: The Business Case for Caring. This recent book is a treasure trove of her ideas for CEOs who want to help team members feel more connected, create a better workplace experience for employees, improve the employer-employee relationship, lift the burden off mothers in the workforce and more. And if you want to hear more of her ideas, check out our panel, “CEOs Get Real.”

The Elephant’s Dilemma: Break Free and Reimagine Your Future at Work

GE veteran Jon Bostock led the company Big A** Fans to economic sustainability as CEO, then went on to launch Truman’s, a direct-to-consumer consumer-cleaning-products company focused on reducing waste and clutter in its industry — ultimately achieving a successful exit. Along the way, he developed an approach to leadership that helps everyone on the team achieve their highest potential. In The Elephant’s Dilemma , Bostock offers his take on how to innovate and take risks in a people-centric work environment, a welcome departure for the take-no-prisoners ethic of many venture-backed startups.

Remote: Not Distant: Design A Company Culture That Will Help You Thrive in a Hybrid Workplace

Many Social Capital companies have embraced the hybrid workplace model since the pandemic. Now that it’s here to stay in some form or other, they’re continually looking for ways to improve on a good thing. In Remote, Not Distant , Gustavo Razzetti, CEO of cultural transformation firm Fearless Culture, offers insights on how to benefit from offering a flexible workplace without losing your company culture. Razzetti offers practical and pragmatic tips that will be useful for Social Capital leaders in every industry. If your version of a Social Capital company includes employees spread out in offices around the country or the world, this book will help you build a more cohesive culture and then take it up a notch.

Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys

Trader Joe is not only one of the most successful grocery chains in the U.S., but it is also a leader in creating a great workplace, the essence of what a Social Capital company can be. In Becoming Trader Joe , founder Joe Coulombe shares his strategies for building a business around his values and identity, putting people first, and weaving fun and innovation into the workday and shopper experience. Coulombe, whose company donates 100% of unused food to neighborhood recovery organizations, also offers insights on how to put a personal spin on philanthropy. If you’re looking for ideas on how to create a great, values-driven culture, this playbook should be your first stop.

The Rebellious CEO: 12 Leaders Who Did It Right

What do The Body Shop’s Anita Roddick, Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard and Vanguard’s John Bogle have in common? Ralph Nader, who spent much of his life bringing reform to corporate America, has found them to be shining examples of leaders who embraced the idea of caring about more than just profit and wove a people-first approach into how they ran their companies. If you’re looking for inspiration to take your company to new heights as 2024 kicks off, this book is chock full of specific ideas on how to do well by doing good that you can customize to your own company culture.

Dare to Un-Lead: The Art of Relational Leadership in a Fragmented World

Many of todays’ leadership models evolved from management theories that Henry Ford and Frederick Taylor espoused during the Industrial Age. In Dare to Un-Lead , Celine Schillinger, founder and CEO of the consultancy We Need Social and a former operations executive, argues that they are doing harm to both individuals and society and explains why that machine-like perception of the world has become obsolete. She offers an alternative way of leading companies, based on a view of organizations as living organisms, showing how to provide reliability and order amidst the complexity. It’s an approach based on liberty, equality and fraternity — principles that are very compatible with Social Capital organizations. If you are trying to transition from the dated organizational structures of the past in a Social Capital company, make sure to add this thought-provoking book to your nightstand.

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

Many leaders believe that people either have natural talents for their jobs or not. In Hidden Potential, groundbreaking Wharton Business School professor Adam Grant challenges that assumption, showing that achieving success in one’s role is more about character and knowing how to learn than natural genius. It’s an empowering message for any Social Capital company that wants to make sure everyone on its team has opportunities to learn and grow, or that has to ask its people to step into new roles they’ve haven’t tried before. Even better, Grant offers systems and strategies for putting this empowering idea into action in any workplace. If you’re looking to unlock the full range of contributions from everyone on your team, this book is a must-read.  

Move Fast and Fix Things

“Move fast and break things” is a popular rallying cry in big tech firms — but often, that mindset led to toxic workplace cultures that put profit before people. In Move Fast and Fix Things , veteran leaders Frances Frei, a former Uber executive who is now a Harvard Business School professor, and Anne Morriss , executive founder of The Leadership Consortium, show how you can move toward big goals rapidly while still putting people front and center. The foundation is trust, built by a leadership team that shows authenticity, logic and empathy at the same time. In doing so, the authors show how to build on an approach that many Social Capital companies have embraced in brand new ways.

The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever

Michael Bungay Stanier ignited a powerful conversation about the importance of coaching teams from a basis of curiosity — rather than top-down, hierarchical leadership — with his book The Coaching Habit. With The Advice Trap , Stanier, the CEO of learning and development company Box of Crayons, returns to his roots in servant leadership, guiding executives and managers on taming the “Advice Monster” — the tendency to offer un-asked-for prescriptions and opinions — so you can bring out the best ideas from your team by using curious inquiry. If you’re a Social Capital leader looking to tap the full potential of everyone on your team, this book is the ideal manual.

The Solution Revolution: How Business, Government, and Social Enterprises Are Teaming Up to Solve Society’s Toughest Problems

Some world problems seem so intractable it’s easy to lose hope. But there’s always hope, and, in The Solution Revolution , William Eggers, executive director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights, and collaborator Paul MacMillan offer a path forward, looking at how to create a more collaborative and productive economic system that is equipped to tackle massive challenges such as world hunger and crumbling infrastructure. They’re believers in erasing public-private-sector boundaries and building what they call “the solution economy.” If you’re looking for ways your Social Capital company can make even more of a difference, you won’t want to miss this compelling book.

Becoming Coachable: Unleashing the Power of Executive Coaching to Transform Your Leadership and Life

One secret weapon that many of the nation’s most successful leaders share is their willingness to keep raising their game. Many turn to executive coaches to guide them. But to get the most out of executive coaching, you have to be coachable. That’s the subject of this powerful work by Social Capital leader and executive coach Marshall Goldsmith and coaching firm CEOs Jacquelyne Lane and Scott Osman. You’ll learn what coaching can and can’t do, how to find your ideal coach and the best ways to accept feedback so you can grow as a leader. This is a must-read for any leader who hopes to lead people from a position of humility and lifelong learning.

Relentless Implementation: Creating Clarity, Alignment and a Working Together Operating System to Maximize Your Business Performance

Alan Mulally is legendary for turning around Ford Motor Co. In Relentless Implementation , he offers his ideas on getting your team truly aligned so you can put your strategy to work. The essence is about working together, and he offers 11 strategies for doing that more effectively. One key: Putting your business plan front and center by setting up a weekly business plan review meeting. He also offers valuable trips for leaders on creating accountability — a key pillar for any Social Capital company that wants to get results.

Tribe Culture: How It Shaped WD-40 Company

How can a company keep employee engagement above 90%, through good times and bad? Ask Social Capital CEO Garry Ridge, former chief executive of WD-40. In this candid look under the hood at one of America’s most successful corporate cultures, Ridge offers powerful insights on how to create a culture of belonging. One strategy that has served WD-40 well: Choosing values that connect team members to a higher purpose. Ultimately, Ridge turned what could have been merely a team into a tribe of passionate brand advocates. If you’re looking to do the same, you won’t want to put his playbook down.

Born to Shine: Do Good, Find Your Joy and Build a Life You Love

Kendra Scott turned her hobby into a billion-dollar company and, along the way, turned it into a powerful emblem of what an employee-centric company can look like. In Born to Shine: Do Good, Find Your Joy and Build a Life You Love , she shares how she used a $500 investment to turn her idea for a business into a great place to work that has been particularly supportive of women. As Scott freely admits, this is not a story of perfection but it’s one about trying, experimenting and overcoming challenges, and is full of inspiration for leaders looking to reinvent the workplace one day at a time.

Let Them See You: The Guide For Leveraging Your Diversity At Work

No one can argue with the business case for diversity. There is now a broad body of work showing that having a more diverse team contributes to greater profitability and outperformance relative to your industry. Despite that, progress has been slow. In Let Them See You: The Guide For Leveraging Your Diversity At Work , Social Capital CEO Porter Braswell, co-founder of the career advancement platform Jopwell, offers practical advice to diverse professionals on how to overcome obstacles, get recognition, create perceived value, build a personal brand and more.

Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business

John Mackey defined conscious capitalism for a generation of socially minded entrepreneurs as CEO and founder of Whole Foods. In Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business , Mackey teams up with Conscious Capitalism Inc. co-founder Raj Sisodia to explore how four key principles — higher purpose, stakeholder integration, conscious leadership and conscious culture and management — can help build strong businesses that benefit every stakeholder they touch. It’s required reading for anyone interested in Social Capital.  

WTF?! (Willing to Fail): How Failure Can Be Your Key To Success

Brian Scudamore is CEO and founder of O2E, whose brands include 1-800-GOT-JUNK? In WTF?! (Willing to Fail): How Failure Can Be Your Key To Success, he shares insights from more than 30 years of “failing upward” that will be helpful to any leader trying to build a people-centric culture. Scudamore’s book is a powerful reminder that to build a Social Capital company, you have to be willing to experiment and innovate, and that means accepting the possibility of making mistakes and learning from them. The alternative is standing still, and that’s not acceptable to Social Capital leaders.  

The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment

In The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment , executive coach Marshall Goldsmith looks at what it takes to build a regret-free life. As he sees it, it’s all about breaking through failures of the imagination and closing the gap between what you want to achieve and what you actually accomplish. It’s a message that’s very much in sync with the Social Capital movement, which isn’t just about embracing people-centric ideals but rather living them.

Elevate: Push beyond your limits and unlock success in yourself and others

Being a Social Capital leader is all about elevating the people around you, and Robert Glazer embodies this principle. In Elevate: Push beyond your limits and unlock success in yourself and others , Glazer offers a panoply of ideas on how to tap the hidden potential of everyone around you. Success is a team sport when you’re running a Social Capital company, and the best leaders know how to bring out the best in every player, as Glazer so aptly shows.

Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family

Many companies aim to be family-friendly, but the practical reality may be far different for employees. In Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family , Bob Chapman, CEO of manufacturing company Barry-Wehmiller, reveals how to let every single person on your team know that they matter just as much as members of your own family. That means rejecting the corporate belief in rolling layoffs, sharp-elbowed cultures and rules that treat people like robots in favor of a management style that emphasizes caring, empathy and inspiration, in the true spirit of Social Capital.