10 of the best business books to take you into 2026

Why 98% of Executives Can't Articulate Their Core Values

Learning as a Competitive Edge 

Sitting on a beach, cool drink in hand, and a good book to read.  

Does it get any better than this? 

Our list of recommended business books (culled to our 10 best books) have lessons for leaders at all levels - with insights on AI, adaptability, growth, inclusion, communication, influence, and trust. 

Cast your eye over our top book picks to guide you to success in 2026 - we've picked a key highlight from each to help you choose which of our favourite books you'd like to read next.

Happy reading!

Our top book picks

What a helpful book! 

The centrepiece of Geoff Woods’ book [_The Ai-Driven Leader_](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/becoming-an-ai-driven-leader-the-strategic-framework) is his C.R.I.T. framework for interacting with generative AI tools like ChatGPT:

**C** - Context: Provide detailed background information about your situation  
**R** - Role: Assign AI a specific expert role  
**I** - Interview: Have AI interview you to gain deeper context  
**T** - Task: Define the specific objective you want AI to help with

"If all you take from this session is this CRIT framework, game changer," Geoff says. "Context, role, interview, task. This will take your use of AI beyond probably 99% of the people that you know."

“The Ai-Driven Leader” - Geoff Woods 

A great book for embracing a changing future. 

In [_"Adapt,"_](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/key-insights-from-work-futurist-andrea-clarke) Andrea Clarke outlines a 4-step framework for developing adaptive leadership:

**Engage with Signals of Change**

The first step is actively looking for early warning signs of change:

*   Shifts in your own behaviour (like a news reporter who stops buying newspapers)
*   Emerging workplace trends (like the anti-hustle “slow productivity” culture)
*   Changes in how customers interact with your products
*   New technologies affecting your industry

**Accept What Is Changing**

The longer we delay accepting change, the more opportunities we miss to influence how that change affects us.

**Activate Your Response**

Once we accept what's changing, we need to activate our energy and optimism for change. Clarke recommends using the "explore versus exploit" principle. She told how this works in practice:

"Every morning, I write down what am I going to spend 80% doing today? I'm going to triage email, I'm going to return phone calls. I'm going to do the daily tasks that need to be done. But then in the other column, what am I going to spend 20% of today _exploring_?" 

**Release What's Holding You Back**

The final step involves identifying what you need to _let go of_ to create space for new growth.

Clarke recommends creating a simple "let go list" of three things that might be holding you back, whether it's an outdated mindset, belief system, or something no longer aligned with your direction.

"Adapt: Mastering Change in 4 Steps."- Andrea Clarke

A fascinating look at all aspects of trust. 

[Rachel Botsman](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/trust-lessons-for-leaders-from-rachel-botsman) says before we make a decision, it’s worth taking a trust pause. This gives us time to ask:  
• _Where is this confidence coming from?_  
_• Am I seeing or hearing something I want or need to be true?_  
_• Is it because this person seems similar or familiar to me?_  
_• What information do I still need to make a reliable decision?_

She says expert colleagues advise not letting your gut make the decision. Instead, “trust but verify. Verify everything.”

“How to Trust and Be Trusted” (audio book only) - Rachel Botsman

A helpful book for changing behaviour in others.

Building on Robert Cialdini’s 7 principles of Influence, [Steve Martin](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles?search=steve) shows how to persuade others in work scenarios.

For example, humans look up to those who are an "authority" with knowledge/expertise and credibility/trustworthiness.

And, what _other_ people say about you is especially powerful.

In an experiment of real estate agents, receptionists were told to change how they answered incoming calls from _“Let me put you through to John X, head of sales”_ to _“Let me put you through to head of sales John X, he’s got 20 years’ experience in this specific area, trained in London \[etc\]…he’s the best person you can speak to.”_

There was a 19.6% increase in appointments made, and 15.5% increase in sales made.

Note: Steve Martin will expand on his research at [**LeaderSHIFT 2026**](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/a02RG00000J6bpyYAB/overview?campaign_id=701RG0000136gYiYAI&promo=Blog&type=Affiliate) in Sydney and Melbourne in February.

**Tip:** Consider how you are introduced before you present your case. At meetings, instead of going around the table introducing yourselves, have your team leader share each team member’s expertise with the others in the room.

“Influence at Work” - Steve Martin

You won't believe some of the ideas in this book! 

Netflix’s culture is based on the premise that high performing employees with the right attitude and ability to collaborate don’t need strict processes.

[_No Rules Rules_](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/erin-meyer-explains-the-netflix-reinvention-framework), co-authored by Erin Meyer and Reed Hastings, explains how Netflix realised that strict rules turned off great employees, but that some frameworks or policies were necessary to help its staff decide how to act when they came across dilemmas.

Instead of wordy employee handbooks or ambiguous one-word values (such as the infamous “integrity, respect, excellence” values espoused by the disgraced Enron), Netflix came up with surprising and memorable statements that speed up decision-making. Examples include:

· **“We are a team, not a family”**

· **“Adequate performance gets a generous severance.”**

· **“Act in Netflix’s best interest.”**

“No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention” - Erin Meyer and Reed Hastings

A book of "aha" moments.

[Blindspotting](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/leadership-blind-spots-lessons-from-a-scandal-and-a-success) is the practice of recognising and owning our blind spots - those hidden gaps in thinking and decision-making that come from our biases and assumptions.

Kirstin Ferguson defines blindspotting through three core mindsets:

*   **Being honest** - About what we know and don't know
*   **Being curious** - Searching for truth and different perspectives
*   **Being flexible** - Willing to change our minds when evidence demands it

"If you don't think you've got blind spots, that is your first blind spot," Kirstin told us in interview.

“Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss” - Kirstin Ferguson

Super practical, no-nonsense advice with words to suit many common scenarios.

U.S. trial attorney Jefferson Fisher teaches a [Three-Step Communication Framework](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/jefferson-fishers-s-communication-framework) for de-escalating conflict and communicating effectively.

**Say It with Control**

*   Breathe before speaking: 2 seconds in, 1 second in, 6 seconds out
*   Use silence strategically - it's wisdom, not weakness
*   Pause to choose your words carefully

**Say It with Confidence**

*   Cut filler words ("um," "like," "sort of") and weak phrases ("Does that make sense?")
*   Express needs unapologetically ("I won't accept that" not "I'm maybe thinking...")
*   Fewer words = clearer point

**Say It to Connect**

*   Frame discussions with clarity and care: state your topic, share your desired outcome, invite their agreement
*   This creates safety and mutual understanding
*   Stick to one issue at a time

“The Next Conversation” - Jefferson Fisher

Comes alive with sobering stories of team members being ignored or overlooked (many from Mita's own experience).

_"Inclusion, at the end of the day in the workplace is, ‘I work for you, I feel valued, I feel seen, I feel recognised. My voice matters, my work matters’,"_ [Mita Mallick](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Creating-Equitable-Workplaces) told us on International Women's Day 2025.

She advised leaders to critically examine their meeting practices:

_"Look at your calendars tomorrow. And I want you to think about who's invited to meetings and why, and who do we exclude and why."_

This simple practice can reveal unconscious patterns of exclusion that undermine inclusivity efforts.

“Reimagine Inclusion” - Mita Mallick 

A wake-up call for leaders "making do" with inadequate equipment and technology. 

Tiffani Bova says that some data shows positive Employee Experience factors can drive up revenue by 50% or more, and profits by nearly as much.

It's the ripple effect when you take [steps to getting Employee Experience (EX) right](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/employeeexperience) or getting Customer Experience (CX) right. 

The masterclass learned that:

*   C-suite who have EX as their top priority saw 1.3x growth (39%) in their client satisfaction KPIs over those who do not (29%).
*   C-suite who have CX as their top priority saw 1.4x growth (57%) in their employee satisfaction KPIs over those who do not (40%).
*   There is 1.8x faster revenue growth at companies with **both high CX and EX** versus low CX and EX.

“The Experience Mindset” - Tiffani Bova

An easy-to-read story with a punch. 

[Many executives can't articulate their core values](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/core-values), according to Robert Glazer.

Yet core values work as "guideposts or swim lanes, he says.

When identified correctly, your core values describe who you are and likely who you have always been.

Finding your values is a process of [discovery](https://preprod.thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/how-to-discover-your-values). Try these question prompts from Robert Glazer’s book:  

·        In what non-work environments have you been highly engaged, and why?

·        In what professional roles have you done your best work, and why?

·        What help, advice, or qualities do people come to you for?

·        When were you disengaged or demotivated in a personal or professional setting, and why?

·        What qualities in other people do you especially struggle with?

·        What would you want said about you in your eulogy?

"The Compass Within" - Robert Glazer

Ahead of [LeaderSHIFT 2026](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/a02RG00000J6bpyYAB/overview?campaign_id=701RG0000136gYiYAI&promo=Blog&type=Affiliate), our landmark annual leadership event, we also recommend Susan David's _"_[_Emotional Agility_](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/what-is-emotional-agility)_: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life."_

Susan explains that _how_ we label our emotions matters more than we think. Broad, vague terms like "I'm stressed" or "I'm upset," skips important information about what's really going on.  

More nuanced labels help us to:

*   Identify what we truly care about. The difference between "I'm anxious" and "I'm disappointed because this outcome doesn't reflect the standard I value" points us to our values.
*   Respond more effectively. When you can distinguish between feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or discouraged, you're better positioned to choose a response that better addresses the issue.

Bonus book: "Emotional Agility" - Susan David Ph.D 

If you're serious about enhancing your team's performance, we invite you to [join the Growth Faculty](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/?campaign_id=701RG000006BNNhYAO&promo=BlogGF).

[Membership](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/?campaign_id=701RG000006BNNhYAO&promo=BlogGF) offers access to the world's brilliant thinkers, their tools and resources, and fresh insights to help you build a culture of clarity and execution excellence.

Photo by [Tom Hermans](https://unsplash.com/@tomhermans?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/book-lot-on-table-9BoqXzEeQqM?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)

10 of the best business books to take you into 2026

AI, inclusion, communication, trust, and growth are themes of our top picks

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

10 of the best business books to take you into 2026

AI, inclusion, communication, trust, and growth are themes of our top picks

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired