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A practical leadership framework for the era beyond VUCA, built to help organizations build resilience when systems are brittle, anxiety is constant, and complexity defies explanation.
The BANI framework, developed by futurist Jamais Cascio and expanded here with leadership expert Bob Johansen and United Way Worldwide CEO Angela F. Williams, gives leaders a shared language for conditions that traditional strategic tools were never designed to handle. Where VUCA described volatility and uncertainty, BANI goes further, naming the deeper texture of today's disruption.
The book moves in two directions, first diagnosing each BANI condition with real-world examples, then offering a counterpart for each one:
Designed for executives, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and teams navigating sustained disruption, the book closes with 7 leadership strategies grounded in future scenarios and includes a discussion guide for group use.
If your organization is operating in conditions that no longer respond to standard playbooks, this is a structured starting point.
The BANI framework, developed by futurist Jamais Cascio and expanded here with leadership expert Bob Johansen and United Way Worldwide CEO Angela F. Williams, gives leaders a shared language for conditions that traditional strategic tools were never designed to handle. Where VUCA described volatility and uncertainty, BANI goes further, naming the deeper texture of today's disruption.
The book moves in two directions, first diagnosing each BANI condition with real-world examples, then offering a counterpart for each one:
- Brittle systems → build Bendable resilience
- Anxious environments → lead with Attentive empathy
- Nonlinear causality → develop Neuroflexible, improvisational thinking
- Incomprehensible complexity → respond with Interconnected, full-spectrum perspectives
Designed for executives, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and teams navigating sustained disruption, the book closes with 7 leadership strategies grounded in future scenarios and includes a discussion guide for group use.
If your organization is operating in conditions that no longer respond to standard playbooks, this is a structured starting point.
What Would It Be Like to Restore Sanity? What would it be like to work together again in creative and generous ways? What would it be like to be curious about who you're with rather than judging or fearing them? What would it be like to engage together in exploring possibilities rather than withdrawing in conflict or disagreement? What would it be like to be working well together?
From 50 years working with leaders globally, I state with full confidence that leadership has never been more difficult. And it's not our fault. We've been good and caring leaders, we've led people in empowering, engaging ways to create meaningful, productive work. But now we face external conditions far beyond our control to change, dynamics intensifying at shocking speed.
The perfect storm is here, created by the coalescence of climate and human-created catastrophes. As leaders dedicated to serving the causes and people we treasure, confronted by this unrelenting tsunami, what are we to do? I state my answer to this also with full confidence:
We need to restore sanity by awakening the human spirit. We can achieve this only if we undertake the most challenging and meaningful work of our leader lives: Creating Islands of Sanity.
An Island of Sanity is a gift of possibility and refuge created by people's commitment to form healthy community to do meaningful work. It requires sane leaders with unshakable faith in people's innate generosity, creativity, and kindness. It sets itself apart as an island to protect itself from the life-destroying dynamics, policies, and behaviors that oppress and deny the human spirit. No matter what is happening around us, we can discover practices that enliven our human spirits and produce meaningful contributions for this time.
From 50 years working with leaders globally, I state with full confidence that leadership has never been more difficult. And it's not our fault. We've been good and caring leaders, we've led people in empowering, engaging ways to create meaningful, productive work. But now we face external conditions far beyond our control to change, dynamics intensifying at shocking speed.
The perfect storm is here, created by the coalescence of climate and human-created catastrophes. As leaders dedicated to serving the causes and people we treasure, confronted by this unrelenting tsunami, what are we to do? I state my answer to this also with full confidence:
We need to restore sanity by awakening the human spirit. We can achieve this only if we undertake the most challenging and meaningful work of our leader lives: Creating Islands of Sanity.
An Island of Sanity is a gift of possibility and refuge created by people's commitment to form healthy community to do meaningful work. It requires sane leaders with unshakable faith in people's innate generosity, creativity, and kindness. It sets itself apart as an island to protect itself from the life-destroying dynamics, policies, and behaviors that oppress and deny the human spirit. No matter what is happening around us, we can discover practices that enliven our human spirits and produce meaningful contributions for this time.
The next evolution of DEI is here. Discover how to shape a workplace that puts everyone ahead through the groundbreaking FAIR framework.
Over 80 percent of Americans agree that the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are important in workplaces and society. Yet, research shows that a mere 20 percent feel they’ve directly benefited from workplace DEI programs. As traditional DEI efforts in the workplace face disengagement, backlash, and stagnation, it’s time to reimagine this work.
Drawing on historical case studies, deep research, and a decade of the author’s consulting experience with organizations of all sizes, this book reveals the four tenets that will shape the next evolution of workplace DEI:
The FAIR framework offers an alternative to both the performative practices of traditional DEI programs and the false promises of anti-DEI antagonists. With clarity, urgency, and no-nonsense practicality, Fixing Fairness charts a new path forward for those committed to creating better outcomes for all.
Over 80 percent of Americans agree that the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are important in workplaces and society. Yet, research shows that a mere 20 percent feel they’ve directly benefited from workplace DEI programs. As traditional DEI efforts in the workplace face disengagement, backlash, and stagnation, it’s time to reimagine this work.
Drawing on historical case studies, deep research, and a decade of the author’s consulting experience with organizations of all sizes, this book reveals the four tenets that will shape the next evolution of workplace DEI:
- Outcomes over Intentions: Don’t chase trends. Do what it takes to measurably achieve greater fairness, access, inclusion, and representation for all.
- Systems over Self-Help: Don’t fixate on individual biases. Solve the root causes of discrimination by shaping workplace norms, culture, processes, and practices.
- Coalitions over Cliques: Don’t just preach to the choir. Build bridges and movements that engage everyone as part of the solution.
- Win-Win over Zero-Sum: Don’t give in to “us versus them.” Create and relentlessly communicate a vision for a better status quo for everyone.
The FAIR framework offers an alternative to both the performative practices of traditional DEI programs and the false promises of anti-DEI antagonists. With clarity, urgency, and no-nonsense practicality, Fixing Fairness charts a new path forward for those committed to creating better outcomes for all.
“I have used his definitions of trust and distrust in every book I’ve written.”
—Brené Brown, bestselling author of Dare to Lead
Nearly 100,000 copies sold. A modern classic on building trust—now updated for today’s workplace.
Trust isn’t a feeling. It’s a skill.
In this fully updated third edition of The Thin Book of Trust, bestselling author Charles Feltman delivers a clear, practical framework for building, restoring, and sustaining trust in organizations—especially in a post-pandemic world where connection, accountability, and reliability matter more than ever.
Short, powerful, and immediately actionable, this book breaks trust down into learnable competencies. You’ll discover
Whether you’re a leader, coach, consultant, HR professional, or individual contributor, your ability to build trust directly impacts performance, culture, retention, and results.
This expanded third edition includes a new study guide and downloadable resources to help individuals and teams apply the framework in real time.
If you want stronger teams, clearer communication, and a culture where people actually deliver on their commitments, this is your playbook.
Become the kind of leader—and colleague—others trust without hesitation.
—Brené Brown, bestselling author of Dare to Lead
Nearly 100,000 copies sold. A modern classic on building trust—now updated for today’s workplace.
Trust isn’t a feeling. It’s a skill.
In this fully updated third edition of The Thin Book of Trust, bestselling author Charles Feltman delivers a clear, practical framework for building, restoring, and sustaining trust in organizations—especially in a post-pandemic world where connection, accountability, and reliability matter more than ever.
Short, powerful, and immediately actionable, this book breaks trust down into learnable competencies. You’ll discover
- the four distinct elements that create (or erode) trust;
- how to identify and repair broken trust quickly;
- practical language for high-stakes conversations; and
- tools to strengthen trust across teams, remote workplaces, and leadership levels.
Whether you’re a leader, coach, consultant, HR professional, or individual contributor, your ability to build trust directly impacts performance, culture, retention, and results.
This expanded third edition includes a new study guide and downloadable resources to help individuals and teams apply the framework in real time.
If you want stronger teams, clearer communication, and a culture where people actually deliver on their commitments, this is your playbook.
Become the kind of leader—and colleague—others trust without hesitation.
This powerful guide draws on strategies from Black resistance movements and merges historical wisdom with modern technology to combat the DEI backlash and build sustainable workplace equity in today’s hostile climate.
As the unprecedented backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion intensifies—with corporations dismantling initiatives, lawmakers passing anti-DEI legislation, and post–George Floyd promises abandoned—this tactical handbook arms advocates with revolutionary resistance strategies drawn from Black historical movements.
Dr. Janice Gassam Asare transforms centuries of Black resistance wisdom—from Underground Railroad networks to civil rights organizing tactics—into modern resistance plans, wielding ethical AI as a force multiplier to create sustainable change that outlasts corporate whims and political cycles.
Each chapter grounds modern workplace tactics in revolutionary approaches of more than twenty prominent Black historical figures, including the following:
Whether you’re a DEI practitioner navigating corporate pushback, an employee experiencing equity rollbacks, or a leader committed to sustainable inclusion, this handbook provides battle-tested strategies for preserving workplace equity—even in hostile environments.
This isn’t just about surviving the backlash. It’s about reimagining workplaces where everyone thrives.
As the unprecedented backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion intensifies—with corporations dismantling initiatives, lawmakers passing anti-DEI legislation, and post–George Floyd promises abandoned—this tactical handbook arms advocates with revolutionary resistance strategies drawn from Black historical movements.
Dr. Janice Gassam Asare transforms centuries of Black resistance wisdom—from Underground Railroad networks to civil rights organizing tactics—into modern resistance plans, wielding ethical AI as a force multiplier to create sustainable change that outlasts corporate whims and political cycles.
Each chapter grounds modern workplace tactics in revolutionary approaches of more than twenty prominent Black historical figures, including the following:
- Ida B. Wells—Documentation techniques for workplace injustice inspired by her work
- Ella Baker and Fred Hampton—Coalition-building methods from the American civil rights movement
- Toni Morrison and Angela Davis—Narrative control strategies drawn from their celebrated writing
Whether you’re a DEI practitioner navigating corporate pushback, an employee experiencing equity rollbacks, or a leader committed to sustainable inclusion, this handbook provides battle-tested strategies for preserving workplace equity—even in hostile environments.
This isn’t just about surviving the backlash. It’s about reimagining workplaces where everyone thrives.
In a world we cannot recognize, how do we find a way forward? In this world we do not understand, how do we know what to do? When so little is comprehensible, what is meaningful work? What is genuine contribution?
Bestselling author Margaret Wheatley has summoned us to be courageous leaders who strengthen community and rely on fully engaged people since her 1992 classic book, Leadership and the New Science, and eight subsequent books. In response to how quickly society is changing and the exponential increase in leadership challenges, this second edition of her latest bestseller is 80% new material.
How do we see clearly so that we can act wisely? Wheatley brings present reality into clear and troubling focus using multiple lenses of Western and Indigenous sciences, and the historic patterns of collapse in complex civilizations. With gentle but insistent guidance to face reality, she offers us the path and practices to be sane leaders who know how to evoke people's inherent generosity, creativity, and kindness.
Skillfully weaving science, history, exemplars, poetry, and quotes with stories and practices, Wheatley asks us to be Warriors for the Human Spirit, leaders and citizens who stay engaged, choose service over self, stand steadfast in the midst of crises, and offer our reliable presence of compassion and insight no matter what.
Bestselling author Margaret Wheatley has summoned us to be courageous leaders who strengthen community and rely on fully engaged people since her 1992 classic book, Leadership and the New Science, and eight subsequent books. In response to how quickly society is changing and the exponential increase in leadership challenges, this second edition of her latest bestseller is 80% new material.
How do we see clearly so that we can act wisely? Wheatley brings present reality into clear and troubling focus using multiple lenses of Western and Indigenous sciences, and the historic patterns of collapse in complex civilizations. With gentle but insistent guidance to face reality, she offers us the path and practices to be sane leaders who know how to evoke people's inherent generosity, creativity, and kindness.
Skillfully weaving science, history, exemplars, poetry, and quotes with stories and practices, Wheatley asks us to be Warriors for the Human Spirit, leaders and citizens who stay engaged, choose service over self, stand steadfast in the midst of crises, and offer our reliable presence of compassion and insight no matter what.
Winner of the 2025 North American Book Award Bronze Medal for Leadership and Management, selected by Porchlight Book Company as one of the Best Business Books of 2025, and recipient of the 2026 Literary Titan Gold Book Award for Nonfiction. Winner of the 2026 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award Winter Competition for Nonfiction Business/Finance.
“What’s wrong with nice?!” A simple and powerful question. It demands we interrogate the unspoken rules that shape our lives, often without our realizing it.
“It costs nothing to be nice!” What a travesty of logic. Niceness is not free—it comes at a steep price. It’s a velvet glove over an iron fist, stifling dissent, prioritizing comfort over progress, and conditioning us to accept the status quo. Niceness is one of the most insidious social constructs, keeping us compliant, silent, and complicit in inequity. If we don’t question it, we stay exactly where power wants us—agreeable, easy to manage, and stuck.
The Price of Nice is about breaking free. Amira Barger deconstructs our cultural obsession with niceness, exposes its hidden costs, and offers a practical framework for real change. With sharp analysis and personal insight, she helps readers disrupt the narratives that keep them stuck and reclaim their power.
Guided by four dimensions rooted in social psychology—think, feel, do, revisit—this book offers immediate, adaptable practices for creating change. Because breaking free isn’t only what you know—it’s what you do next.
If you're tired of “good enough,” this book will challenge you, change you, and call you to more.
“What’s wrong with nice?!” A simple and powerful question. It demands we interrogate the unspoken rules that shape our lives, often without our realizing it.
“It costs nothing to be nice!” What a travesty of logic. Niceness is not free—it comes at a steep price. It’s a velvet glove over an iron fist, stifling dissent, prioritizing comfort over progress, and conditioning us to accept the status quo. Niceness is one of the most insidious social constructs, keeping us compliant, silent, and complicit in inequity. If we don’t question it, we stay exactly where power wants us—agreeable, easy to manage, and stuck.
The Price of Nice is about breaking free. Amira Barger deconstructs our cultural obsession with niceness, exposes its hidden costs, and offers a practical framework for real change. With sharp analysis and personal insight, she helps readers disrupt the narratives that keep them stuck and reclaim their power.
Guided by four dimensions rooted in social psychology—think, feel, do, revisit—this book offers immediate, adaptable practices for creating change. Because breaking free isn’t only what you know—it’s what you do next.
If you're tired of “good enough,” this book will challenge you, change you, and call you to more.
For coaches who want to transform lives, this updated bestselling guide reveals how reflective inquiry, paired with the coach's emotional and mental state, creates breakthrough moments that AI cannot replicate.
Masterful coaching is simpler than you think. When you apply the five essential practices outlined in the book, along with the three mental habits that create the co-regulation needed to open your client's mind to be coached deeply, you will experience more breakthrough moments that expand perceptions and choices.
Drawing from recent research in neuroscience and psychology and decades of coaching experience, this second edition provides new and more developed techniques for transformational conversations. There is 33 percent new content, with updates on nearly every page, including fresh research and methods for coaching at the identity level, new coaching examples and case studies, guidance on differentiating human coaching from AI, and the pathway to creating collective wisdom beyond what clients imagined.
The worldwide acclaim for the first edition of Coach the Person, Not the Problem demonstrates the cross-cultural application of these concepts. Coaches and leaders around the world continue to share gratitude for how the book deepens awareness-based coaching and impact. Reading the chapters, examples, and exercises, you will more adeptly become your clients’ trusted thinking partner, helping them achieve desired outcomes, make critical choices, and improve business results.
Masterful coaching is simpler than you think. When you apply the five essential practices outlined in the book, along with the three mental habits that create the co-regulation needed to open your client's mind to be coached deeply, you will experience more breakthrough moments that expand perceptions and choices.
Drawing from recent research in neuroscience and psychology and decades of coaching experience, this second edition provides new and more developed techniques for transformational conversations. There is 33 percent new content, with updates on nearly every page, including fresh research and methods for coaching at the identity level, new coaching examples and case studies, guidance on differentiating human coaching from AI, and the pathway to creating collective wisdom beyond what clients imagined.
The worldwide acclaim for the first edition of Coach the Person, Not the Problem demonstrates the cross-cultural application of these concepts. Coaches and leaders around the world continue to share gratitude for how the book deepens awareness-based coaching and impact. Reading the chapters, examples, and exercises, you will more adeptly become your clients’ trusted thinking partner, helping them achieve desired outcomes, make critical choices, and improve business results.
This updated bestseller shows leaders how to transform fragmentation into authentic community with new workplace applications and proven strategies for today’s divided world.
With increasing violence, widening ideological divides, and growing economic inequality, a deeper sense of community is desperately needed. Yet typical ways of engaging people civically and organizationally remain unchanged. In Community, Peter Block explores how authentic community can emerge from fragmentation and offers practical steps to foster transformation.
This updated third edition draws on decades of implementing Block’s ideas and includes the following:
From neighborhood councils transforming local engagement to organizations shifting from competitive to cooperative cultures, Block demonstrates how simple positive change can be once we decide it’s essential. Whether readers are community leaders, organizational consultants, or concerned citizens, this book provides the framework and tools to move from fragmentation to connection, from isolation to belonging.
With increasing violence, widening ideological divides, and growing economic inequality, a deeper sense of community is desperately needed. Yet typical ways of engaging people civically and organizationally remain unchanged. In Community, Peter Block explores how authentic community can emerge from fragmentation and offers practical steps to foster transformation.
This updated third edition draws on decades of implementing Block’s ideas and includes the following:
- New stories and examples demonstrating community building as a more powerful approach to social problems than traditional policies and programs
- Expanded resources and a discussion guide designed for classroom and training program use
- A new closing chapter covering broader implications of the book’s ideas for organizational transformation
- Fresh content exploring the creative economy’s relationship to belonging and social capital’s role in authentic engagement
- Updated examples showing how community principles apply to today’s workplace and virtual world challenges
From neighborhood councils transforming local engagement to organizations shifting from competitive to cooperative cultures, Block demonstrates how simple positive change can be once we decide it’s essential. Whether readers are community leaders, organizational consultants, or concerned citizens, this book provides the framework and tools to move from fragmentation to connection, from isolation to belonging.
A proven 7-principle framework for building communities where people genuinely belong, used by leaders at Google, Airbnb, the US Army, and beyond.
Now in a fully updated second edition with 25 percent new content, this Nautilus Award–winning guide gives leaders a practical and historically grounded system for creating communities that last, whether they're in person, virtual, or somewhere in between.
Drawing on three thousand years of human tradition and the author's own work across tech, nonprofit, government, and religious organizations, The Art of Community maps the 7 structural principles every thriving community shares:
This edition includes a brand-new chapter on virtual community building, making it as relevant for remote teams and online groups as for in-person organizations.
Ideal for managers, community builders, HR leaders, pastors, and nonprofit directors who want to move beyond surface-level engagement and create a culture where people genuinely support one another.
Now in a fully updated second edition with 25 percent new content, this Nautilus Award–winning guide gives leaders a practical and historically grounded system for creating communities that last, whether they're in person, virtual, or somewhere in between.
Drawing on three thousand years of human tradition and the author's own work across tech, nonprofit, government, and religious organizations, The Art of Community maps the 7 structural principles every thriving community shares:
- Boundary — who belongs and what that means
- Initiation — how new members are welcomed and integrated
- Rituals — the repeated practices that build shared meaning
- Temple — physical or virtual spaces that anchor community identity
- Stories — how shared narratives reinforce values
- Symbols — the objects and images that signal belonging
- Inner Rings — how members grow and deepen their participation over time
This edition includes a brand-new chapter on virtual community building, making it as relevant for remote teams and online groups as for in-person organizations.
Ideal for managers, community builders, HR leaders, pastors, and nonprofit directors who want to move beyond surface-level engagement and create a culture where people genuinely support one another.
Seven practical habits for people ready to stop observing broken systems and start changing them, whether at the neighborhood level or the global stage.
Adam Kahane, bestselling author of Collaborating with the Enemy and a veteran facilitator who has worked with presidents, executives, and community organizers across dozens of countries, distills decades of real-world experience into a clear, actionable framework for everyday changemakers.
This book is built for people working on problems that feel too big or too entrenched to move, including climate advocates, healthcare reformers, nonprofit leaders, local activists, and organizational managers who want their work to have lasting impact.
Inside, you will find
Rather than offering inspiration without instruction, Kahane gives readers concrete behaviors they can practice in their existing roles and communities.
If you work within systems that feel resistant to change, this is a grounded, experience-backed guide to making progress anyway.
Adam Kahane, bestselling author of Collaborating with the Enemy and a veteran facilitator who has worked with presidents, executives, and community organizers across dozens of countries, distills decades of real-world experience into a clear, actionable framework for everyday changemakers.
This book is built for people working on problems that feel too big or too entrenched to move, including climate advocates, healthcare reformers, nonprofit leaders, local activists, and organizational managers who want their work to have lasting impact.
Inside, you will find
- the 7 habits that help ordinary people become effective agents of systemic change,
- strategies for collaborating across deep political and organizational divides,
- methods for identifying leverage points that others overlook,
- real examples from peacebuilding and community transformation, and
- guidance for sustaining momentum through setbacks.
Rather than offering inspiration without instruction, Kahane gives readers concrete behaviors they can practice in their existing roles and communities.
If you work within systems that feel resistant to change, this is a grounded, experience-backed guide to making progress anyway.
In a world of chaos, how can generative AI help leaders lead?
Over the next decade, all leaders will be augmented with some form of generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI. For the best leaders, this will mean dramatic improvement. For mediocre leaders, this will mean persistent confusion, distraction, and pretense. With futureback thinking-looking ten years ahead, then planning backward from future to next to now-this third edition of Leaders Make the Future shows how people can improve their leadership skills while expanding their human perspective.
Now 75 percent revised and expanded with resources from the Institute for the Future, this new edition is organized around ten future leadership skills:
• Augmented futureback curiosity
• Augmented clarity
• Augmented dilemma flipping
• Augmented bio-engaging
• Augmented immersive learning
• Augmented depolarizing
• Augmented commons creating
• Augmented smart mob swarming
• Augmented strength with humility
• Human calming
AI-augmented leadership will be key for any organization to tackle the uncertainty of the future. And by incorporating practical methodologies, ethical guidelines, and innovative leadership practices, this book will help leaders develop their clarity and moderate their certainty.
Over the next decade, all leaders will be augmented with some form of generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI. For the best leaders, this will mean dramatic improvement. For mediocre leaders, this will mean persistent confusion, distraction, and pretense. With futureback thinking-looking ten years ahead, then planning backward from future to next to now-this third edition of Leaders Make the Future shows how people can improve their leadership skills while expanding their human perspective.
Now 75 percent revised and expanded with resources from the Institute for the Future, this new edition is organized around ten future leadership skills:
• Augmented futureback curiosity
• Augmented clarity
• Augmented dilemma flipping
• Augmented bio-engaging
• Augmented immersive learning
• Augmented depolarizing
• Augmented commons creating
• Augmented smart mob swarming
• Augmented strength with humility
• Human calming
AI-augmented leadership will be key for any organization to tackle the uncertainty of the future. And by incorporating practical methodologies, ethical guidelines, and innovative leadership practices, this book will help leaders develop their clarity and moderate their certainty.
We are collectively creating results nobody wants, and most change efforts address the symptoms rather than the source.
Presencing offers a different approach—one that bridges inner development with outer systems change through 7 concrete practices built for this moment.
From Otto Scharmer, MIT senior lecturer and creator of Theory U, and Katrin Kaufer, MIT researcher, cofounder of the Presencing Institute, and author of Just Money (MIT Press), this field guide draws on more than twenty years of global work with the Theory U framework, now used by thousands of organizations across climate, finance, education, and social innovation.
Inside this book:
Readers new to Theory U will find a self-contained entry point, and those already familiar will find significant new depth and updated methods.
Presencing offers a different approach—one that bridges inner development with outer systems change through 7 concrete practices built for this moment.
From Otto Scharmer, MIT senior lecturer and creator of Theory U, and Katrin Kaufer, MIT researcher, cofounder of the Presencing Institute, and author of Just Money (MIT Press), this field guide draws on more than twenty years of global work with the Theory U framework, now used by thousands of organizations across climate, finance, education, and social innovation.
Inside this book:
- The Wheel of Deep Change — a framework mapping 7 societal sectors and specific leverage points where transformation takes hold
- Social Fields theory — a deeper layer of systems thinking that accounts for the quality of consciousness from which collective action emerges
- Seven step-by-step practices covering generative listening, dialogue, co-sensing, presencing, co-imagining, co-creating, and ecosystem governance
- Real-world stories of “islands of coherence”—communities already demonstrating regenerative ways of working together across the globe
- Reflection questions and dialogue prompts for individual readers, leadership teams, and classroom or workshop settings
Readers new to Theory U will find a self-contained entry point, and those already familiar will find significant new depth and updated methods.
What if better questions could change everything?
The questions you ask yourself shape every decision, relationship, and result. This international bestseller—over 500,000 copies sold—gives leaders, coaches, and professionals a proven system called Question Thinking to shift from reactive, stuck thinking to curiosity, clarity, and breakthrough outcomes.
Through an engaging business fable, Dr. Marilee Adams shows exactly how—and why—it works.
The landmark fifth edition includes the following:
Used by Fortune 500 leaders, executive coaches, educators, and therapists worldwide.
With a foreword by #1 New York Times bestselling author and world's #1 executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith.
The questions you ask yourself shape every decision, relationship, and result. This international bestseller—over 500,000 copies sold—gives leaders, coaches, and professionals a proven system called Question Thinking to shift from reactive, stuck thinking to curiosity, clarity, and breakthrough outcomes.
Through an engaging business fable, Dr. Marilee Adams shows exactly how—and why—it works.
The landmark fifth edition includes the following:
- 14 Question Thinking tools, including 2 brand-new tools built from reader feedback
- The Choice Map, a visual framework for recognizing where your thinking is headed
- Q-Storming, a collaborative approach that generates better questions, not just answers
- New chapter on thriving through AI and technological change
- Step-by-step practices for leadership, coaching, team development, and personal growth
Used by Fortune 500 leaders, executive coaches, educators, and therapists worldwide.
With a foreword by #1 New York Times bestselling author and world's #1 executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith.
WINNER OF THE 2025 BEST BOOK AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY
This candid business biography reveals how bestselling author, speaker, and business consultant Ken Blanchard revolutionized management by leading with love and service.
Ken Blanchard transformed modern leadership theory through unlikely means-by catching people doing things right. Written like a novel with warmth and humor, this authorized biography reveals how a mediocre student who was told he "couldn't write" became a bestselling author and a globally renowned management expert.
Through extensive access to personal papers, letters, and interviews spanning six decades, Martha Lawrence paints an intimate portrait of the man behind The One Minute Manager and dozens of other influential books. From his early days coaching Cub Scouts to building a worldwide training organization, Blanchard demonstrated that nice guys can finish first by focusing on serving rather than being served.
During pivotal moments-his sister's tragic death, losing his home to wildfire, economic downturns threatening his company-Blanchard's optimistic leadership philosophy was tested. Yet his unwavering commitment to bringing out the best in others while leading with love created a lasting legacy that continues to influence organizations globally.
More than just a business biography, this book shows an American success story of someone who achieved greatness not through ruthless ambition but by genuinely caring about people and helping them reach their full potential. Blanchard's story offers an inspiring road map for anyone seeking to lead with both results and relationships in mind.
This candid business biography reveals how bestselling author, speaker, and business consultant Ken Blanchard revolutionized management by leading with love and service.
Ken Blanchard transformed modern leadership theory through unlikely means-by catching people doing things right. Written like a novel with warmth and humor, this authorized biography reveals how a mediocre student who was told he "couldn't write" became a bestselling author and a globally renowned management expert.
Through extensive access to personal papers, letters, and interviews spanning six decades, Martha Lawrence paints an intimate portrait of the man behind The One Minute Manager and dozens of other influential books. From his early days coaching Cub Scouts to building a worldwide training organization, Blanchard demonstrated that nice guys can finish first by focusing on serving rather than being served.
During pivotal moments-his sister's tragic death, losing his home to wildfire, economic downturns threatening his company-Blanchard's optimistic leadership philosophy was tested. Yet his unwavering commitment to bringing out the best in others while leading with love created a lasting legacy that continues to influence organizations globally.
More than just a business biography, this book shows an American success story of someone who achieved greatness not through ruthless ambition but by genuinely caring about people and helping them reach their full potential. Blanchard's story offers an inspiring road map for anyone seeking to lead with both results and relationships in mind.
Burnout rising. Systems cracking. Talent leaving.
The solution: design for human dignity and full-person diversity—with this award-winning guide.
The Canary Code reorganizes work for thriving—starting with those first impacted by faulty systems, like canaries first sensing toxic air in coal mines. Neurodivergent talent (members of ADHD, autism, Tourette’s syndrome, and learning-differences communities, and others who think and experience life differently) offer unique skills and exceptional work ethics, yet face employment barriers. Their unique abilities and perspectives are excluded, and their canary warnings about bullying, broken workflows, or ethical drift are ignored.
This practical guide helps CEOs, managers, HR leaders, and changemakers improve work for all. Drawing on science and lived experience, 2025 Thinkers50 Talent Award winner and internationally renowned management expert Ludmila Praslova shows how embracing neurodiversity creates healthier, more innovative systems. A neurodivergent organizational psychologist with over twenty-five years of global practice and research on inclusive organizations, she offers the following:
The solution: design for human dignity and full-person diversity—with this award-winning guide.
The Canary Code reorganizes work for thriving—starting with those first impacted by faulty systems, like canaries first sensing toxic air in coal mines. Neurodivergent talent (members of ADHD, autism, Tourette’s syndrome, and learning-differences communities, and others who think and experience life differently) offer unique skills and exceptional work ethics, yet face employment barriers. Their unique abilities and perspectives are excluded, and their canary warnings about bullying, broken workflows, or ethical drift are ignored.
This practical guide helps CEOs, managers, HR leaders, and changemakers improve work for all. Drawing on science and lived experience, 2025 Thinkers50 Talent Award winner and internationally renowned management expert Ludmila Praslova shows how embracing neurodiversity creates healthier, more innovative systems. A neurodivergent organizational psychologist with over twenty-five years of global practice and research on inclusive organizations, she offers the following:
- A holistic framework of human differences (social, cognitive, emotional, physical)
- An intersectional, whole-person approach to neuroinclusion
- Dignity-based talent practices, from hiring to leadership development
- Global perspectives celebrating diverse neurodivergent voices
- Actionable strategies for change at any organizational level
The productivity classic—now updated with powerful new tools.
You know that task you keep avoiding? The one that would actually move the needle—but somehow never gets done?
Legendary success coach Brian Tracy has the answer: Eat your frogs first.
Your “frog” is your most important, most challenging task. Tackle it first thing each morning, and everything else becomes easier. Procrastination loses its grip. Momentum builds.
Tracy's 21 battle-tested principles show you how to wake up knowing exactly what matters, break intimidating projects into action, eliminate what's holding you back, and build unstoppable momentum.
New in the fourth edition:
Decision. Discipline. Determination. These three essentials have transformed millions of lives.
Your most important work is waiting. Eat that frog.
You know that task you keep avoiding? The one that would actually move the needle—but somehow never gets done?
Legendary success coach Brian Tracy has the answer: Eat your frogs first.
Your “frog” is your most important, most challenging task. Tackle it first thing each morning, and everything else becomes easier. Procrastination loses its grip. Momentum builds.
Tracy's 21 battle-tested principles show you how to wake up knowing exactly what matters, break intimidating projects into action, eliminate what's holding you back, and build unstoppable momentum.
New in the fourth edition:
- New chapter: “Form New Habits, Become a New Person”—lasting productivity isn't willpower; it's rewiring your defaults
- Four accelerator systems for calendar organization, productivity, self-discipline, and task completion
- Discussion and action guide for immediate results
Decision. Discipline. Determination. These three essentials have transformed millions of lives.
Your most important work is waiting. Eat that frog.
In a world where 82 percent of managers struggle to lead effectively, this international bestseller reveals the one secret that separates great leaders from the rest.
“What do I need to do to be a great leader?” Every person in authority wonders this question sooner or later. Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold over 25 million copies, and Mark Miller, who rose from line worker to Chick-fil-A vice president, uncover the secret great leaders already know in this international bestseller.
Using a classic business fable, newly promoted executive Debbie Brewster asks her mentor the crucial question: “What is the secret of great leaders?” His reply-“Great leaders serve”-confuses her, but he reveals five fundamental ways leaders succeed through service. Debbie discovers why great leaders focus on the future, how teams determine success or failure, what three arenas need continuous improvement, why leadership success has two essential components, and how to strengthen-or destroy-credibility.
This fourth edition includes the proven SERVE model plus breakthrough content on leadership's most critical element-a leader's heart. Discover these new features:
• Revised chapters
• New chapter with five HEART habits that form the foundation for great leadership
• Comprehensive facilitator's guide for groups and teams
• Expanded resources for teams and organizations
Translated into twenty-nine languages with over 700,000 copies sold, The Secret delivers proven wisdom in an unforgettable story that anyone can understand and apply immediately.
“What do I need to do to be a great leader?” Every person in authority wonders this question sooner or later. Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold over 25 million copies, and Mark Miller, who rose from line worker to Chick-fil-A vice president, uncover the secret great leaders already know in this international bestseller.
Using a classic business fable, newly promoted executive Debbie Brewster asks her mentor the crucial question: “What is the secret of great leaders?” His reply-“Great leaders serve”-confuses her, but he reveals five fundamental ways leaders succeed through service. Debbie discovers why great leaders focus on the future, how teams determine success or failure, what three arenas need continuous improvement, why leadership success has two essential components, and how to strengthen-or destroy-credibility.
This fourth edition includes the proven SERVE model plus breakthrough content on leadership's most critical element-a leader's heart. Discover these new features:
• Revised chapters
• New chapter with five HEART habits that form the foundation for great leadership
• Comprehensive facilitator's guide for groups and teams
• Expanded resources for teams and organizations
Translated into twenty-nine languages with over 700,000 copies sold, The Secret delivers proven wisdom in an unforgettable story that anyone can understand and apply immediately.