15 Books to Help You Improve Your Relationships at Work
As I sat at her kitchen table, my friend Sam told me how much she had been learning from R.T. Kendall’s book Total Forgiveness. I had heard that book mentioned before, but where? It turns out it was in our Flourishing Leaders research. In her final thoughts on what it meant to be a healthy Christian leader in the marketplace, Michelle, a CEO in the professional training and consulting industry, told me that she went back to that book by R.T. Kendall time and again–not only to learn about forgiving others but to remember to forgive herself. Maybe, I thought to myself, I should read it too.
So I purchased it and started reading it. I fought the temptation to underline almost every word because the points were compelling and convicting. I could see how learning to embody the profound principles in this short book could transform me and my relationships.
I asked our De Pree Center team what books have helped them deal with relational challenges at work, and here’s our list of recommendations. Note that many of these books approach relational challenges by encouraging us to attend to our inner work, which we’re big fans of around here!
- Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, and Emily Gregory
- Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Change by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linksy
- Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
- Total Forgiveness by R. T. Kendall
- Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Henri Nouwen, Donald P. McNeill, and Douglas A. Morrison
- Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown
- Fighting for Our Friendships: The Science and Art of Conflict and Connection in Women’s Relationships by Danielle Bayard Jackson
- Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual by Luvvie Ajayi Jones
- The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
- Perfectly Yourself: Discovering God’s Dream for You by Matthew Kelly
- A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards
- The Malady of the Christian Body: A Theological Exposition of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, Volume 1 by Brian Brock and Bernd Wannenwetsch
- The Therapy of the Christian Body: A Theological Exposition of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, Volume 2 by Brian Brock and Bernd Wannenwetsch
- How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
- Loved Walked Among Us: Learning to Love Like Jesus by Paul E. Miller
What books would you recommend? Let us know in the comments.
Meryl Herr
Director of Research and Resources
Dr. Meryl Herr is the Director of Research and Resources at the Max De Pree Center for Leadership where she designs and conducts research studies that add to the understanding of what helps marketplace leaders flourish. She also oversees the team’s efforts to convert research findings into r...