Learning and Development Resources

Books

Suggested Books:

Love + Work, Marcus Buckingham

“You’ve long been told to “Do what you love.” Sounds simple, but the real challenge is how to do this in a world not set up to help you. Most of us actually don’t know the real truth of what we love – what engages us and makes us thrive – and our workplaces, jobs, schools, even our parents, are focused instead on making us conform. Sadly, no person or system is dedicated to discovering the crucial intersection between what you love to do and how you contribute it to others.” – Marcus Buckingham

Daring to Lead, Brené Brown

“When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human.” – Brené Brown

TED Talks

TED Talks are influential videos from expert speakers on education, business, science, tech and creativity. TED is devoted to spreading ideas usually in the form of short powerful talks.

Suggested Talks:

How to turn a group of strangers into a team

“Business school professor Amy Edmondson studies "teaming," where people come together quickly (and often temporarily) to solve new, urgent or unusual problems. Recalling stories of teamwork on the fly, such as the incredible rescue of 33 miners trapped half a mile underground in Chile in 2010, Edmondson shares the elements needed to turn a group of strangers into a quick-thinking team that can nimbly respond to challenges.”

What frogs in hot water can teach us about thinking again

“Why are humans so slow to react to looming crises, like a forewarned pandemic or a warming planet? It's because we're reluctant to rethink, say organizational psychologist Adam Grant. From a near-disastrous hike on Panama's highest mountain to courageously joining his high school's diving team, Grant borrows examples from his own life to illustrate how tunnel vision around our goals, habits and identities can find us stuck on a narrow path. Drawing on his research, he shares counterintuitive insights on how to broaden your focus and remain open to opportunities for rethinking.”

Articles

Suggested Articles:

3 Reasons Why You Should Implement Stay Interviews At Your Company, Heidi Lynne Kurter

“Retention is a top concern for many companies as they struggle to keep existing talent from leaving. Yet, few companies are taking the time to talk to their current employees to learn what it would take to keep them. Employees go through new hire check-ins when they join the company and exit interviews when they leave, yet the time in between is overlooked. Abe Breuer, CEO and owner of VIP To Go, said, “a stay interview allows you to avoid repeated issues.”

The Business Case for Curiosity, Francesca Gino

“Although leaders might say they value inquisitive minds, in reality most stifle curiosity, fearing it will increase risk and inefficiency. Harvard Business School’s Francesca Gino elaborates on the benefits of and common barriers to curiosity in the workplace and offers five strategies for bolstering it. Leaders should hire for curiosity, model inquisitiveness, emphasize learning goals, let workers explore and broaden their interests, and have “Why?” “What if…?” and “How might we…?” days. Doing so will help their organizations adapt to uncertain market conditions and external pressures and boost the business’s success.”