Your Spring Break Reading List

Your college years and week-long spring break days may be behind you, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of the awesome weather to grab a good book to enjoy outside. Spring is a great time to get a jump start on your professional development reading and make sure your skills aren’t getting rusty as we head into summer. So we put together a reading list of some of the most thought-provoking professional development and leadership books for this week’s DorobekINSIDER post. Grab your sunglasses and one of these great reads and head outside to enjoy the weather and expand your professional potential.

1. Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy

We all have those moments—you leave a critical conversation or challenging situation and all you can think about is all of the things we could have said differently and how much we wish we could have a do over. Cuddy’s book teaches the reader how to access your personal power during these moments so you can stop worrying about the impression you are making on others and instead adjust the impression you’ve been making on yourself and learn to flourish in stressful moments.

2. Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within by Carmen Medina and Lois Kelly

Making change at work is hard. Especially when you work in the public sector. However, if you are ready to challenge the conventional thinking in your office, Medina and Kelly’s book could be for you. The authors provide concrete ideas and techniques on how you can refine your thinking and improve your approach to spearheading change at work.

3. If We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Thing Done in Government by William Eggers and John O’Leary

Eggers is a must read for all public servants. In this book, he and co-author O’Leary offer an optimistic assessment of the power of the federal government. It can be easy for public servants to get down about the bureaucracy that surrounds them at work every day. This book reminds us that if we understand and avoid the common pitfalls that trip up public sector employees and leadership, civil servants can accomplish anything they put their minds to.

4. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, Cain’s book offers valuable insight into how to embrace being and introvert and to celebrate the introverts in your life. In this book, Cain argues that society undervalues introverts and explains what we lose by doing so. This is a great read in order to better understand how to work with the introverts in your office.

5. The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman and Paul White

This easy but powerful read applies the concept of love languages to the workplace to empower managers to effectively communicate their appreciation and encouragement to their employees. This can lead to higher levels of job satisfaction and healthier relationships across teams in the public sector. Use the tips in this book to start improving morale at your office today.

Did we miss a spring must read that helped you kick start your professional development? Be sure to let us know in the comments!