This book by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant came out in 2017, two years after Sandberg’s husband had died very unexpectedly aged 47. The two main ideas that run through the book are how to nail ‘Option B’ when ‘Option A’ is no longer on the table and how to build resilience in the face of awful tragedy. I have never been one to pursue ‘Option A’ at all costs – I have always believed that being too blinkered in any one course means that you can miss out on wonderful opportunities that aren’t straight in front of you. I am also relatively pragmatic when it comes to realising that…

‘Couples that work – how  to thrive in love and at work’ by Jennifer Petriglieri really got me thinking about how to make my marriage work now and over time. The premise that relationships evolve and constantly need work, is one that isn’t new and is one that I am very aware of. However, this book looks at it through the lens of dual-career couples and how we need to pay particular attention when we want to ensure our careers AND our relationship survive.  More and more relationships are made up of dual-career couples who are having to navigate ‘life admin’ and work commitments, in a way that is very…

Are you a generalist or a specialist? I am definitely a generalist which is why Range by David Epstein really resonated with me. Range highlights the benefits of being able to draw ideas and inspiration from across a variety of disciplines and interests to help solve a problem in a unique way.  The initial focus is on the “Tiger vs Roger” issue – the premise being that Tiger Woods became the best in the world due to just practising golf from a very young age, whereas Roger Federer played numerous sports in his childhood and adolescence which helped make him such a brilliant tennis player. Epstein’s theory is that golf…

‘Care personally whilst challenging directly’ – surely this is a mantra that everyone should be following in both personal and work guises. No beating around the bush and feeling frustrated when people “don’t really get it,” but always done from a position of love.  Kim Scott has taken this idea and called it ‘Radical Cando[u]r’ and turned it into a movement (as well as a best selling book and podcast). The book is one that I recommend to anyone who is learning to manage people or situations and is one I return to frequently. It gives tangible examples of how (not) to give feedback in a way that sticks with…