Atomic Habits — James Clear
Clear offers a modern, highly practical framework for building habits through tiny, consistent improvements. His “four laws” of behaviour change (make it obvious, attractive, easy, satisfying) are simple to apply and suitable for both personal and organisational contexts.
Use this: Identify a single keystone habit that moves a measurable metric — for example, 30 minutes of focused writing weekly. Create a cue-based routine, record progress on a simple tracker and review after 30 days. Official site
Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman
This foundational work on human judgement exposes the predictable biases that shape decisions. Kahneman’s distinctions between intuitive and deliberate thinking help teams design decision processes that reduce error and improve judgement quality.
Use this: Introduce a decision checklist before major hires, purchases or feature launches — require a short “why” that forces the team to engage system 2 thinking. Publisher
Deep Work — Cal Newport
Newport’s thesis is straightforward: sustained, undistracted focus produces high-value outcomes in knowledge work. He provides tactical patterns for scheduling deep blocks, minimising shallow tasks and protecting cognitive energy.
Use this: Piloting a single daily deep block (60–90 minutes) for four weeks often yields measurable increases in output quality. Encourage team-wide “no-meeting” windows to support deep work. Author
Measure What Matters — John Doerr
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a practical approach to alignment and measurable progress. Doerr’s examples and case studies make it easier to adopt outcome-based management without turning alignment into busywork.
Use this: Choose one team to pilot OKRs this quarter. Define one objective and three measurable key results; review progress weekly and document learnings. OKR resources
The Lean Startup — Eric Ries
Ries frames product development as iterative experiments — build, measure, learn. For teams building products or services, the lean methodology reduces waste and accelerates learning at low cost.
Use this: Design one rapid experiment (MVP) for a product hypothesis, define a single success metric, and run the experiment within two weeks. Lean Startup
Radical Candor — Kim Scott
Scott’s approach to feedback combines personal care with directness. This method helps leaders create psychologically safe environments where honest feedback supports growth rather than defensiveness.
Use this: Introduce a “radical candor” check-in in weekly 1:1s and model both praise and constructive coaching language. Radical Candor
