1. The Power Of Habit | Charles Duhigg
In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distil vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.
2. The Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers | Bill Conaty & Ram Charan
Bill Conaty, former senior VP for Human Resources at General Electric under the legendary leader and leadership developer Jack Welsh, and Ram Charan, prolific writer, educator, and coach to many leading companies, have teamed up to write this “Bible” on leadership talent development.
They present four integrated sections: describing what a talent master does (succession planning and leadership development); the special expertise of such masters (growing the pipeline and building capacity through experiences); becoming a talent master (setting the right values and behaviors, as well as getting the right talent management process in place); and, offering a toolkit of things to get the ball rolling.
3. Maverick | Ricardo Semlar
Unsurprisingly, this book has made it to our list. Reading this classic is a rite of passage (sort of) for any aspiring or present-day HR professional.
Maverick is about a successful company that built a progressive culture which empowered employees to apply the full gamut of their human potential. In today’s world where the Individual is king, this is a must read for HR to understand new ways of transforming talent.
4. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done | Lawrence Bossidy & Ram Charan
The book doesn’t waste any time and gets to the main subject directly, without any deviation. The book presents three parts: Why execution is needed; The building blocks of execution and; The three core processes of execution.
This is a must-read for not only HR professionals but also for High Potential talent who plan on becoming leaders in the immediate future.
5. The Outsiders | William N. Thorndike
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success (phew!) tells the stories of eight successful chief executives. The ideas and lessons of the book have resonated so powerfully among CEOs and investors that they apparently can in some ways bring them together.
So why must a true HR professional read this? Well, This is a great business book for anyone interested in management and leadership theory.