I’m sure by now you realize how much I enjoy reading. I love a good novel, especially a mystery. I also read a lot as related to my career and future success.

A recent Business Insider article about how to keep up with the evolving business landscape noted that reading a lot will keep you open to change. The author wrote, “Leaders who read can get into continuous learning loops that allow them be more empathetic and collaborative, rather than commanding and controlling.”

Ron Friedman, an award-winning social psychologist who specializes in human motivation, said one of our psychological needs is to feel competent.

“When we are exposed to new ideas and fresh perspectives that is when we feel ourselves growing,” he said during a webinar with the Career Mastery™ Kickstart 2018 event.

One suggestion he had for doing this is to give each person on your team a reading budget to purchase a book once a month or quarter. I don’t have a budget to do this but I do share titles with my colleagues and others in my network. I also participate in an informal women and leadership reading group where I am exposed to new ideas or different ways of approaching a concept.

Here are four that are on my list:

Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith He examines the environmental and psychological triggers that can derail us at work and in life and shows how we can overcome the trigger points in our lives, and enact meaningful and lasting change.

Strategize to Win by Carla A. Harris She gives readers the tools they need to get started; get “unstuck” from bad situations; redirect momentum; and position themselves to manage their careers no matter the environment. Here’s a video of her on the topic.

7 Lenses by Linda Fisher Thornton She describes 7 dimensions of “ethical responsibility” that together give us the whole picture of ethical leadership in a global society and provides a powerful framework for ethical decision-making and action.

No Ego by Cy Wakeman Ego-driven behaviors are the #1 source of drama in workplaces today, and it’s costing organizations billions annually. She provides a modern leadership philosophy that provides simple tools and techniques to eliminate drama from our organizations, deliver up employees who say yes to what’s next, and cultivate accountability, not engagement, to drive big business results.

If you have read any of these, would you share your thoughts in the comment field? And if you have other suggestions, we’d love to hear them.