Top L&D books for ambitious learning leaders
5 minute read
What are the best Learning and Development books to keep you a step ahead in your career? We asked some of the biggest names in Learning and Development (L&D) on the Learning at Large Podcast for their book recommendations. Read on for the top L&D books every learning leader should know.
Top 10 L&D books recommended by the experts
1. Lead. Care. Win.: How to Become a Leader Who Matters, Dan Pontefract
This book helps you become a more caring, engaging leader. You will build meaningful, respectful relationships and understand that every human interaction is crucial.
“What I love about it is that it’s not just a book, there’s also practice. It is a completely immersive learning experience, it’s positively brilliant! He’s looking at leadership in a very different lens, it is about leading with empathy and compassion.”
Loris Niles-Hofmann
Senior Learning EdTech Transformation Strategist, NilesNolen
Hear more from Lori on how to fill skill gaps with ‘right skilling’ by checking out the full podcast episode.
2. The 5 Personality Patterns: Your Guide to Understanding Yourself and Others and Developing Emotional Maturity, Steven Kessler
Leena and James recommended this book because it explores what is going on inside people. You will understand what motivates them, what matters to them, and how to influence and communicate with them successfully.
“It helps you understand yourself and develop emotional maturity.”
– Leena Nair, Chief Human Resources Officer, Unilever
3. Design Thinking for Training and Development: Creating Learning Journeys That Get Results, Sharon Boller, Laura Fletcher
When learning is seen as a one-time event, the employee and the business suffer. This book lets you discover how to design learning so it sticks and drives improved performance.
“It really takes the design and thinking concept, and applies it to what we do every day. There are some great points in this book, in terms of how we think about design, and how it’s different from the traditional method we have done in the past.”
– Patrick Bowl, Learning and Development Director, Worldpay.
4. Everyday Chaos: Technology, Complexity, and How We’re Thriving in a New World of Possibility, David Weinberger
In a complex, unpredictable world, things are constantly changing. This book explores how to embrace the possibilities that disruption presents, including insights on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human behavior.
“It really looks at all the disruption which is happening all around the world, it talks about AI and the practical examples of that. Also talks about what that means behaviorally for human beings. It talks about approaches to embracing disruption, the change it brings, and the opportunities it offers.”
– Martin Peart, People Effectiveness Director, GSK.
5. Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business, Erin Meyer
Effective communication is vital in a global business. This book helps to navigate cultural differences and achieve mutual understanding.
“This is the go-to for anyone who wants to communicate the best way that they can do with anyone, regardless of where they come from. I cannot recommend the Culture Map enough.”
– Mary Glowacka, former Vice President of Leadership Development & Engagement at Bank of America.
6. Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear
How can you keep people engaged in learning? James Clear explores how minuscule changes can grow into life-altering habits.
“That’s been really interesting for me, as I think of it through the L&D space, and then also in the marketing space. It takes you through how the brain works and if we want to change our habits, we have to do certain things.”
– Ashley Sinclair, Managing Director at MAAS Marketing.
Hear more from Ashley on how to use marketing techniques to deliver a strong impact by checking out the full podcast episode.
7. Disconnected: How to use People Data to Deliver Realness, Meaning, and Belonging at Work, Colleen McFarland
If you want to build effective training, you need to connect with the next generation. This book explores how to create data-driven learning experiences that align with and engage your new and future employees.
“If you want to build training, you need to connect with the next generation. She does a really nice job of tying our data-driven world with our data-driven kids, and how we need to create a data-driven experience to engage them.”
– Dave Barone, Consultant at Josh Bersin Academy.
8. Improving Performance Through Learning: A Practical Guide for Designing High Performance Learning Journeys, Steven Robert O. Brinkerhoff, Anne M. Apking, Edward W. Boon
Improving Performance Through Learning helps you navigate the revolution from face-to-face to digital learning, whilst keeping the mission of impactful workplace learning.
“It’s been life-changing. It obviously has implications for corporate learning, but we are all humans, and learning is just a necessity in life. I’ve found applications personally, in terms of what I’m trying to achieve in my academic journey.”
– Travis Thompson, Learning and Development Operations Leader at Wells Fargo.
9. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield
Dan highlighted this book as giving a great insight into what may be stopping you from trying new things. We all have goals we want to achieve. Whether it’s a business or personal objective, how can you avoid the roadblocks that stop you in your tracks?
“That book just shined a light on resistance, in a way that was really enlightening to me and helped evolve my mindset about what is stopping me.”
– Dan Mitchell, Global Learning Leader at Marsh.
10. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
Stephen Covey’s work offers practical insight into living effectively and getting closer to your definition of success.
“This made a huge impact in my life. We believe that it’s that important to manage your life before you can manage others.”
– Joe Tischbern, Director of Talent Development and Engagement at Smart & Final.
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