The best 28 New Work books

1
The Heart of Transformation

The Heart of Transformation

Michael J. Leckie
Build the Human Capabilities That Change Organizations for Good

What's The Heart of Transformation about?

The Heart of Transformation (2021) is a how-to guide for changing an organization. It focuses on six specific capabilities that leaders can adopt to meet the demands of the twenty-first century.

Who should read The Heart of Transformation?

  • Anyone working in management or leadership
  • Entrepreneurs or small business owners 
  • Anyone curious about how to change a workplace for the better

2
How the Future Works

How the Future Works

Brian Elliott
Leading Flexible Teams To Do The Best Work of Their Lives

What's How the Future Works about?

How the Future Works (2022) provides a blueprint that company leaders can use to implement flexible work policies. It offers a step-by-step guide detailing how to manage this transition effectively so that organizations can benefit from this new way of working.

Who should read How the Future Works?

  • Leaders wanting to make flexible work strategies the norm
  • Executives who are skeptical about flexible working models
  • Managers who want their teams to transition successfully to flexible work arrangements

3
AI 2041

AI 2041

Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan
Ten Visions for Our Future
4.2 (442 ratings)

What's AI 2041 about?

AI 2041 (2021) is a provocative work of speculative fiction with analysis that explores the ways in which AI will shake up our world over the next twenty years. We’re just at the beginning of the technological revolution that AI will bring. By imagining what that future will look like, we can start preparing for the changes to come.

Who should read AI 2041?

  • Entrepreneurs wanting to learn about how AI will transform the world of work
  • Sci-fi lovers interested in exploring techno utopias and dystopias
  • People curious about how societies are affected by changing technologies

4
Trust and Inspire

Trust and Inspire

Stephen M.R. Covey
How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others
4.6 (69 ratings)

What's Trust and Inspire about?

Trust & Inspire (2022) provides a new leadership model. Instead of the traditional “Command and Control” approach, Covey proposes one that focuses on collaboration, trust and personal growth. It offers a new set of tools for inspiring and unlocking the massive potential of a modern workforce. 

Who should read Trust and Inspire?

  • CEOs and executives looking to create a better workplace environment
  • Managers and supervisors who want to be more hands-off
  • Parents and educators who want a more empowering approach to childcare

5
Simple Truths of Leadership

Simple Truths of Leadership

Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley
52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust
4.7 (289 ratings)

What's Simple Truths of Leadership about?

Simple Truths of Leadership (2022) explores simple principles that elevate leaders from good to great. It reveals the common mistakes that leaders make – and uncovers the behaviors that result in better team performance and closer working relationships. 

Who should read Simple Truths of Leadership?

  • New managers eager to build strong relationships with their teams
  • Seasoned leaders looking for a fresh perspective
  • Entrepreneurs hoping to brush up on their people skills

6
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

Timothy R. Clark
Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation
4.3 (246 ratings)

What's The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety about?

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety (2020) is a practical handbook for creating and maintaining psychological safety in the workplace. In order for employees to take risks, ask questions, challenge the status quo, and make mistakes – all while learning and growing – they have to feel included and safe. This book shows how leaders can reduce social friction while encouraging collaboration and innovation.

Who should read The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety?

  • Managers and CEOs trying to boost employee well-being and productivity
  • Leaders tired of dusty corporate hierarchies
  • Anyone interested in practical approaches to workplace inclusion

7
Learning Agile

Learning Agile

Andrew Stellman and Jennifer Greene
Understanding Scrum, XP, Lean, and Kanban
4.3 (281 ratings)

What's Learning Agile about?

Learning Agile (2015) is a no-nonsense guide to an often misunderstood concept – agile. The reason for that misunderstanding is simple: all too often, agile is bandied about as a one-size-fits-all solution to every conceivable organizational difficulty. Longtime agile practitioners Andrew Stellman and Jennifer Greene don’t see it that way. For them, agile is a great tool, but you have to know how – and when and why – to use it. And that starts with getting a grasp on agile’s underlying principles. 

Who should read Learning Agile?

  • Software developers
  • Team leaders 
  • Project managers

8
The Long-Distance Teammate

The Long-Distance Teammate

Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel
Stay Engaged and Connected While Working Anywhere
4.3 (101 ratings)

What's The Long-Distance Teammate about?

The Long-Distance Teammate: Stay Engaged and Connected While Working Anywhere (2021) is a guide to being a quality teammate while working remotely. It helps you navigate all the interpersonal issues that pop up when you’re no longer sharing an office with your coworkers, and gives advice on how to build connections with people you haven’t seen.

Who should read The Long-Distance Teammate?

  • Anyone working remotely
  • Workers unsure where they fit in
  • People seeking a better work-life balance

9
Leading from Anywhere

Leading from Anywhere

David Burkus
Unlock the Power and Performance of Remote Teams
4.4 (165 ratings)

What's Leading from Anywhere about?

Leading from Anywhere (2021) is a guide to leading a remote team, covering everything from building a company culture, managing performance, and running virtual meetings to providing feedback to team members. In addition to setting out the best way to manage a team remotely, it makes a strong case for remote work in general. 

Who should read Leading from Anywhere?

  • CEOs and team leaders
  • Remote workers in dysfunctional organizations
  • Anyone interested in setting up a remote business

10
Evidence-Informed Learning Design

Evidence-Informed Learning Design

Mirjam Neelen & Paul A. Kirschner
Creating Training to Improve Performance
4.3 (94 ratings)

What's Evidence-Informed Learning Design about?

Evidence-Informed Learning Design (2020) takes stock of where learning and development in the workplace is today. While many learning myths are still encountered in contemporary workplace learning, there’re effective ways for learning professionals to identify them – and stamp them out. Once this is done, there are a number of fantastic techniques learning professionals can utilize to help assist employee learning.

Who should read Evidence-Informed Learning Design?

  • learning professionals looking to up their game
  • employees looking to get ahead with their professional knowledge
  • students of any persuasion hoping to discover effective learning strategies

11
Design for How People Learn

Design for How People Learn

Julie Dirksen
Harness Key Principles of Learning to Enable Knowledge Retention
4.5 (112 ratings)

What's Design for How People Learn about?

Design for How People Learn (2015) is a practical guide for teachers, workshop leaders, and managers who want to create lessons that engage and inspire. It covers the science of how we learn and then shares the design principles that underpin successful lessons – no matter what’s being taught.

Who should read Design for How People Learn?

  • Teachers who want students to genuinely connect with their material
  • Managers who want to help their team members skill up
  • HR professionals who want to prioritize employee development

12
How to Thrive in the Virtual Workplace

How to Thrive in the Virtual Workplace

Robert Glazer with Mick Sloan
Simple and Effective Tips for Successful, Productive and Empowered Remote Work
4.2 (124 ratings)

What's How to Thrive in the Virtual Workplace about?

How to Thrive in the Virtual Workplace (2021) is a guide to working remotely. With tips for both organizations and individuals, it covers everything from the benefits of remote work to steps for implementing it successfully, and the tools and tricks that make it easy.

Who should read How to Thrive in the Virtual Workplace?

  • Organizational leaders interested in going remote
  • Employees who want a fulfilling remote experience
  • People who are curious about the future of work

13
The Loop Approach

The Loop Approach

Sebastian Klein
How to Transform Your Organization from the Inside Out
3.9 (72 ratings)

What's The Loop Approach about?

The Loop Approach (2019) presents a systematic approach to the transformation of organizations. Its toolkit of ideas and methods is designed to help even the largest organization change its bad habits, thus enabling it to adapt to the challenges of the future. 

Who should read The Loop Approach?

  • Business leaders looking for ways to update their company structures
  • Teams aiming to work more effectively as a group
  • Entrepreneurs wishing to establish organizations that are forward-looking

14
The New Corner Office

The New Corner Office

Laura Vanderkam
How the Most Successful People Work from Home
4.1 (248 ratings)

What's The New Corner Office about?

The New Corner Office (2020) is a practical guide to succeeding in the world of remote work. This timely tome is filled with sensible advice for remaining creative and productive while working from home.

Who should read The New Corner Office?

  • Remote workers seeking new success strategies 
  • Managers skeptical about the benefits of remote work
  • Anyone looking to stay productive while working from home

15
The 4 Day Week

The 4 Day Week

Andrew Barnes with Stephanie Jones
How the flexible work revolution can increase productivity, profitability, and wellbeing, and help create a sustainable future
3.9 (175 ratings)

What's The 4 Day Week about?

The 4 Day Week shows us a better way of working – one in which employees are able to maintain flexibility, preserve their well-being, and increase productivity. By avoiding all the pitfalls of the precarious gig economy and relieving the stresses that we’re inflicting on the planet, the four-day week is the future of work. 

Who should read The 4 Day Week?

  • Business owners who want to maximize productivity
  • Campaigners for workers’ rights
  • Anyone with an interest in well-being at work

16
The Adaptation Advantage

The Adaptation Advantage

Heather E. McGowan and Chris Shipley
Let Go, Learn Fast, and Thrive in the Future of Work
4.4 (254 ratings)

What's The Adaptation Advantage about?

The Adaptation Advantage (2020) explores how to navigate the future of work – without worrying about the robots taking over. It provides actionable insights on how to tap into uniquely human attributes like adaptation to excel.

Who should read The Adaptation Advantage?

  • Workers worried about the rise of the machines
  • Managers and business owners seeking new perspectives
  • Futurologists fascinated by what’s coming next

17
Out of Office

Out of Office

Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Peterson
The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home
4.4 (431 ratings)

What's Out of Office about?

Out of Office (2021) is about working from home, and the bigger, more fundamental questions about contemporary work culture that remote work illuminates. How can we reimagine work to make our lives more meaningful?

Who should read Out of Office?

  • Workers curious about fleeing the office
  • Managers looking to rethink working practices
  • Anyone interested in the future of work

18
Learning at Speed

Learning at Speed

Nelson Sivalingam
How to Upskill and Reskill Your Workforce at Pace to Drive Business Performance
3.9 (201 ratings)

What's Learning at Speed about?

Learning at Speed (2022) is your guide to professional learning and development in the modern world. By adopting a lean methodology inspired by startups, L&D can help businesses thrive.

Who should read Learning at Speed?

  • Learning and development professionals in search of new ideas
  • Managers looking to upskill their staff
  • Business professionals seeking to understand modern L&D

19
Workplace Learning

Workplace Learning

Nigel Paine
How to Build a Culture of Continuous Employee Development
4.5 (211 ratings)

What's Workplace Learning about?

Workplace Learning (2019) argues that learning and development professionals have to offer more than the usual array of courses and seminars. If you want to help your company compete in today’s fast-moving world, Nigel Paine believes, you have to start building the right kind of organizational culture. That culture rests on two pillars: open communication and knowledge sharing. For Paine, these are the foundation for the kind of constant, day-to-day learning organizations need. 

Who should read Workplace Learning?

  • Team leaders and managers 
  • HR professionals 
  • Anyone who wants to improve their workplace

20
The Learning and Development Handbook

The Learning and Development Handbook

Michelle Parry-Slater
A Learning Practitioner's Toolkit
4.2 (189 ratings)

What's The Learning and Development Handbook about?

The Learning and Development Handbook (2022) is a practical guide for human resources experts who want to upgrade how people learn in their organization without slavishly following new fads. So what’s their best bet? Michelle Parry-Slater thinks companies’ can benefit from the digital revolution, but only if they embed professional development in wider cultures of learning. That means one thing above all: working with the grain of human psychology, collective as well as individual. 

Who should read The Learning and Development Handbook?

  • Human resource managers 
  • Coaches and educationalists
  • Psychologists interested in learning

21
Workstyle

Workstyle

Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst
A revolution for wellbeing, productivity and society
4.0 (159 ratings)

What's Workstyle about?

Workstyle: A revolution for wellbeing, productivity and society (2022) introduces the concept of workstyle: the freedom to choose when and where we work. By examining the outdated history of the standard 9 to 5 working week in the light of the modern digital age, the authors lay the foundation for an individualized and autonomous way of working. 

Who should read Workstyle?

  • Career-optimizers who feel that our current way of working is inefficient or unnecessary.
  • People with disabilities or challenges which exclude them from the regular 9 to 5.
  • Visionaries who dare to dream of a better world.

22
Remote

Remote

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Office Not Required
3.9 (64 ratings)

What's Remote about?

In Remote, you are given an inside look at a new kind of work relationship made possible by modern technology, called “remote work.” The book details companies’ common fears about allowing employees to work remotely and in contrast, outlines the many benefits of remote work. Importantly, it offers practical advice to managers who employ remote workers or are considering introducing remote work options for their company.

Who should read Remote?

  • Managers who need to find solutions for employees
  • Anyone who is considering trying out remote work at their company
  • Anyone looking for a better way to organize their workforce

23
Brave New Work

Brave New Work

Aaron Dignan
Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization?
4.6 (114 ratings)

What's Brave New Work about?

Brave New Work (2019) is an unusual guide to organizational change. Rather than prescribing techniques for corporate change, it offers suggestions and case studies. The real work of transformation is left up to you.

Who should read Brave New Work?

  • Start-up leaders looking to transform their organizations
  • Managers and human resources professionals
  • Those interested in the workplaces of the future

24
Holacracy

Holacracy

Brian J. Robertson
The New Management System that Redefines Management
4.4 (37 ratings)

What's Holacracy about?

Holacracy (2015) describes a revolutionary new management system championed by some of today’s most forward-thinking companies, like Zappos and Medium. These blinks explain how authority and responsibility are defined and distributed within a Holacracy – and why this system leads to a more effective and dynamic organization.

Who should read Holacracy?

  • Founders, CEOs, managers and HR professionals
  • Employees who feel undervalued within a hierarchical organization
  • Anyone who wishes their company were more flexible, dynamic and responsive

25
The Business of Belonging

The Business of Belonging

David Spinks
How to Build Communities that Grow the Bottom Line
4.5 (79 ratings)

What's The Business of Belonging about?

The Business of Belonging (2021) explores how businesses can harness the power of online communities for the benefit of both themselves and their customers.

Who should read The Business of Belonging?

  • Community professionals seeking to hone their craft
  • Businesspeople who’d like to tap into the power of community
  • Marketeers on the lookout for new approaches

26
The Next Rules of Work

The Next Rules of Work

Gary A. Bolles
The Mindset, Skillset, and Toolset to Lead Your Organization through Uncertainty
3.9 (147 ratings)

What's The Next Rules of Work about?

The Next Rules of Work (2021) is a kind of cookbook – or “landscape of ideas” – on what’s here now and what comes next in the world of work. It offers a new mindset, skillset, and toolset that’ll equip you to succeed today and in the future. 

Who should read The Next Rules of Work?

  • Leaders looking to futureproof their organizations
  • Workers seeking the right skills and mindset to thrive today and tomorrow
  • People who don’t want to be left behind in the face of automation

27
Map It

Map It

Cathy Moore
The Hands-On Guide to Strategic Training Design
4.3 (26 ratings)

What's Map It about?

Map it! The Action Mapping Book (2017) is a practical, hands-on guide for those in the business world that design training for fellow professionals. This revolutionary guide refocuses on solving problems in business and achieving measurable results. So if you’re longing to dump those ineffective webinars and boring slide stacks look no further—Map it! Will help you focus on what the problems are, how they got that way, and what everyone can do about it for provable results. 

Who should read Map It?

  • Business trainers looking for targeted, measurable results 
  • Problem solvers wanting a reliable path to better outcomes
  • Anyone who wants to ditch that boring training course, but make better on-the-job choices

28
Flexible Working

Flexible Working

Gemma Dale
How to Implement Flexibility in the Workplace to Improve Employee and Business Performance
4.3 (80 ratings)

What's Flexible Working about?

Flexible Working (2021) is a practical guide to organizing work outside the standard nine-to-five. This helpful handbook explores the diverse array of working arrangements possible in the contemporary world.

Who should read Flexible Working?

  • Businesses looking for more agile work arrangements
  • Workers wanting to see life outside the nine-to-five
  • Anyone curious about the future of work

Related Topics