21 Vital Books for HR Leaders in 2022

1. 21 Vital Books for HR Leaders in 2022

2. Crying in H Mart
By:Michelle Zauner
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: A memoir of growing up Korean-American by musician, author and rising star Michelle Zauner.
Why we love it: A book full of truth about life,love,family and identity. It covers the author’s bereavement
and her mother’s illness, but never loses its sparkle of humor and compassion.
You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism
By:Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: From the creator of“The Amber Ruffin Show”, a humorous yet incisive set of anecdotes from two
Black sisters experiencing two very different sides of America.
Why we love it: Amber and Lacey could be living in different decades when it comes to their experiences of
racism. Lacey’s hilarious-yet-horrible travails in rural Nevada neatly illustrate how far we still have to go
when it comes to anti-racist education and awareness.
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
By:Anissa Gray
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: An intense and moving novel about family, community, mental health and the US justice system.
Why we love it: It may not be a light read, but Anissa Gray’s talent illuminates the power of connection,
compassion and empathy, both on a personal and a societal scale.
Think Again
By:Adam Grant
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Psychologist Adam Grant invites us to lean in to moments when we’re wrong in this refreshing
guide to reconsidering our dearly-held opinions.
Why we love it: Re-evaluating our personal beliefs is a type of metacognition – thinking about thinking –
that’s as liberating as it is counterintuitive. Adam Grant’s writing is accessible and inspiring.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
By:Caroline Criado Pérez
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Data underlies just about every important decision we now make, from national policies to
business strategies. But what if the assumptions behind our data default to male perspectives, leaving
half the population as an afterthought?
Why we love it: In staggering depth and detail, this book chronicles the pervasive and often shocking
ramifications of gender data inequality. You’ll never look at the world in quite the same way after
reading this tour de force.

3. Stop Fixing Women: Why Building Fairer Workplaces is Everybody’s Business
By:Catherine Fox
Format: Book
Synopsis: Australian feminist thought-leader Catherine Fox examines how the gender pay gap, a lack of
female leaders and other corporate inequalities are chalked up to female shortcomings, and why this fallacy
still persists.
Why we love it: A shrewd take-down of the popular assumption that women’s success, or lack of it,lies
solely in their own hands, and a clarion call for leaders to locate and destroy systemic inequality in their
organizations – complete with clear and actionable suggestions.
White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
By:Dr.Robin DiAngelo
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: This New York Times Bestseller and seminal anti-racist work unpacks the concept of white
fragility and examines its many manifestations, laying bare how defensive reactions can shut down
discussion and perpetuate inequality.
Why we love it: Robin DiAngelo has studied, taught and practiced anti-racism for many years, and that
level of commitment shows in the depth and breadth of her knowledge and empathy for people at both
ends of the racial power imbalance.
Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less
By:Leidy Klotz
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: This research-backed book explains how we default to adding more and more to our lives,
and how reversing the trend sometimes can benefit us all.
Why we love it: It’s one of those beautifully simple ideas: What if the key to improving your life wasn’t
finding the right additions, but removing things instead? We love how Leidy Klotz applies the idea to
everything from quotidian details to major life decisions.
Redefining HR: Transforming People and Teams to Drive Business Performance
By: Lars Schmidt
Format:Book
Synopsis: So much has changed. Published at the height of the pandemic, this book offers an in-depth
guide to the latest evolutionary phase in HR theory and practice.
Why we love it: This is a comprehensive, up-to-date primer on a wide range of topics, including DEI, people
analytics and of course, employee experience.
Excellence in People Analytics: How to Use Workforce Data to Create Business Value
By: Jonathan Ferrar,David Green
Format: Book
Synopsis: A guide to people data written by two passionate experts, covering everything from
developing a data-driven culture in your organization to turning insights into profit.
Why we love it: There are some excellent best practice case studies and actionable advice around
specific goals such as improving retention, boosting productivity and creating better employee
experiences for your people.

4. Culture Renovation: 18 Leadership Actions to Build an Unshakeable Company
By:Kevin Oakes
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: For many leaders, culture is recognized as an asset, but poorly understood as something that
can be built and shaped. Instead of re-inventing from the ground up, leaders should understand and
evaluate the culture,then nurture what works and reduce what doesn’t.
Why we love it: Changing your culture isn’t like rebranding your products – it’s a human process that
requires a human approach, and Kevin Oakes communicates this perfectly.
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and
the Landscape of Human Experience
By:Brené Brown
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: A compendium of human emotions and experiences from every walk of life,along with skills for
connection and empathy in whichever situation we find ourselves..
Why we love it: Brené Brown’s contribution to connection, communication and experience in modern life
is unique and precious. Her blend of rational clarity and warm-hearted narrative feels like a heart-to-heart
with a wise friend.
The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy,
Engagement and Creativity at Work
By: Tessa Amabile, Steven Kramer
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Through an ambitious diary study with a large population of employees,the authors dig deep
into what truly gives people meaning and enjoyment in their working lives, and present a model for activat-
ing progress and performance.
Why we love it: A portrait of true employee engagement,and an instructive primer for leaders looking to
create and nurture it through action.
Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a
Life of Well-being, Wisdom and Wonder
By: Arianna Huffington
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Beyond wealth and power, we need a third metric for success, says entrepreneurial phenome-
non Arianna Huffington.This book is dedicated to that third metric, which is equal parts self-care, self-devel-
opment and giving to others.
Why we love it: It’s an engaging blend of personal experience,professional wisdom and universal truths we
all need to hear. If anyone is in a position to redefine success, it’sArianna Huffington.
The Power of Full Engagement
By: Jim Loehr,Tony Schwartz
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: This enduring self-improvement classic hinges on managing your energy,rather than your time.
As athletes hone their physical capacity, we can hone our energy across 4 energy domains, physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Why we love it: Championing engagement from an individual perspective, it’s as relevant now as when it
was first published nearly 20 years ago.

5. The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It
By:Jennifer Moss
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Burnout is a growing problem, and Jennifer Moss believes it’s a systemic, rather than personal
issue. From that perspective, she offers leaders ways to mitigate burnout risk and foster a healthier and
more resilient culture.
Why we love it: Moss puts the burnout problem into leaders’ hands in a way that’s empowering and
inspiring rather than finger-pointing. She explains why self-care only goes so far,and real collective change
is what’s required.
Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas
By:Alexi Pappas
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Olympian, actor, author… Alexi Pappas dares to dream big. This memoir focuses on aspiration,
grit, the search for meaning and the ultimate goal of self-actualization.
Why we love it: It’s witty,touching and wise, and leading by example,inspires us to pursue big dreams too.
No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work
By: Liz Fosslien, Mollie West Duffy
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: We don’t switch our emotional selves off in the workplace, although we might sometimes want
to. The authors shine a light on a way forward that balances personal authenticity and professionalism in a
way that strengthens productivity and connection.
Why we love it: It’s an innovative, entertaining and highly useful guide to emotional intelligence for the
professional who’d love to be bulletproof,but remains fully, imperfectly and brilliantly human.
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness
By: Kristen Radtke
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Loneliness is on the rise, but it remains an uncomfortable topic for most of us.. This book
explores how loneliness manifests in America, and how it interacts with our culture and politics as we strive
to connect with one another.
Why we love it: We can’t talk about connection without talking about its opposite – loneliness. It’s a
universal human experience that can teach us a lot, if we can push past our discomfort around it.

6. Effortless: Make it Easier to Do What Matters Most
By:Greg McKeown
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: Just because something is important doesn’t mean it has to push you to the brink of burnout.
This is an inspiring and comforting guide to managing your energy and working smarter, not harder.
Why we love it: This book challenges the assumption so many of us have that hard work is all you need to
succeed. It will inspire you to think strategically and apply your precious effort where it’s most effective.
Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home
By:Charlie Warzel,Anne Helen Petersen
Format: Book, Audiobook
Synopsis: The pandemic has challenged everyone’s assumptions about working remotely. But with
the old norms shaken up, we need to define a new way of working that serves both employers and
employees.This book aims to kick-start that process of discovery.
Why we love it: We’re at an exciting moment in history.Work has changed forever,but we’re not quite
sure what happens next. Reading this book will help you focus on what you want for the next chapter
in your professional life.
Happy Reading