7 Books to Read in 2022
We have all learned a great deal about ourselves and our communities throughout the past two years. I continue to find support and inspiration through books in my role as a spouse, parent, educator, and school leader.
As Stephen Covey noted: “There’s no better way to inform and expand your mind on a regular basis than to get into the habit of reading good literature — you can get into the best minds that are now or have ever been in the world.”
I had the opportunity to read a variety of outstanding books in 2021. I recommend 7 books that you should plan to read in the coming year. Each of these books offers insight into how we should approach our day-to-day challenges and opportunities personally and professionally.
Simon Sinek explains the importance of understanding the difference between finite and infinite games. Those working in education know that there is no “finish line” or clearly defined end to the “game” of schooling. To persevere in this game, we have to be resilient. The past two years have further demonstrated the need for educators to develop this skill. Great leaders and educators alike look beyond the short term and want to set up others for success long after they depart the school or organization. Playing an infinite game is not about the next semester or next year, but rather the next generation. We need to constantly seek better practices instead of best practices to accomplish this goal. Better practices mean we are still evolving and improving; we have not arrived at a finish line. Lastly, parenting with an infinite mindset means helping our children discover their talents, passions and encouraging them along the way. It means teaching the value of service and helping them understand their learning will continue long after graduating from school.
Adam Grant challenges the reader to reconsider their thoughts and beliefs. He notes throughout the book that today’s world requires the ability to unlearn and rethink. As school leaders, we have faced many challenges for the past two years, and too many of us are relying on past solutions. Grant suggests thinking again, or rethinking allows us to generate new solutions to old problems and revisit old solutions to new problems. We should anchor ourselves in flexibility instead of consistency and let go of knowledge or opinions that no longer serve us. Grant shares this quotation from George Bernard Shaw, “Progress is not possible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Grant goes on to say, if knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom. And a hallmark of wisdom is knowing when to let go of your most cherished tools and most cherished parts of your identity. This is something that schools often struggle with year after year. If we want to be successful as school leaders, we need the humility to reconsider our past commitments, decisions, and beliefs.
Elena Aguilar shares an excellent playbook for coaching and leading teams that I cannot recommend enough. Beyond all of the insight she shares in personal anecdotes and reflections, she also includes surveys, organizational charts, agendas, etc., that you can implement right away. She reminds the reader of the importance of building “organizations of learning” for the adults in your school. These can only exist if you build trusting relationships. In developing these relationships, every leader has to understand their level of emotional intelligence. The leader’s emotions are contagious, and the team will take on the leader’s emotional intelligence. She shares this vital reminder from Haim Ginott, “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather.” Aguilar’s closing resonates more than ever, “Building resilient teams may be the greatest challenge we face in school transformation efforts because it entails attending to our emotions, developing ourselves as transformational leaders, prioritizing time, slowing things down, listening to each other, and speaking skillfully. Where to start? Lao Tzu reminds us, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Kate Murphy reminds us throughout her book that “Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.” (Epictetus). As school leaders, we must listen to all of our constituents. Murphy argues that we have lost the art of listening and replaced it with the capacity to shut everyone out, especially those who disagree or take too long to get to the point. The ability to listen requires effort, which can be strengthened or weakened depending on our practice. One of the secrets to listening is to be curious, and the other is to accept that the conversation is not about you; it is about the person who is speaking. We have to show empathy when we listen because you cannot develop respect for another person’s vulnerability without knowing what it’s like to be vulnerable. Listening is more than just a courtesy; it is a sign of respect. Henry David Thoreau said, “the greatest compliment that was ever paid to me was when one asked me what I thought and attended to my answer.” Murphy’s book will dramatically affect your relationships at home and work.
Edith Egar sets the stage for her powerful book in the introduction: “What happened can never be forgotten and never be changed. But over time, I learned I can choose how to respond to the past. I can be miserable or I can be hopeful — I can be depressed or I can be happy. We always have that choice, that opportunity for control. I’m here, this is now, I have learned to tell myself over and over until the panicky feeling begins to ease.” She intertwines stories of her experience during WWII and concentration camps with her life afterward. In the moments when she shares conversations with clients, Edith states that everyone is hungry for the freedom to embrace life. Our freedom can be impacted by past or current events. We cannot choose a life free of pain, but we can choose to be free from the past and embrace what is possible. We need to remind ourselves that no one can take away what we put in our minds, and we should not allow others to put ideas in our minds that we do not want. We can all take a lesson from Edith’s ballet teacher, “All your ecstasy in life will come from the inside.”
James Clear helps you create a path for making changes in your life based on building systems through habits. As a leader, people look to you for more than just decision-making; they seek guidance, support, and strength. To provide this, you must bring your best self every day, which requires you to rethink, upgrade, and expand your identity. If you clearly define your values and principles, they will drive your habits, and you will soon become your habits. Every action is a vote for who you wish to be, and those votes build up over time. It is essential to build in time for reflection because we make excuses and rationalize bad habits without it. A lack of self-awareness is poison, and reflection is the antidote. Build a plan for when you fall off the path because the first mistake is never the one that ruins you; it is the spiral of repeated mistakes. Missing once is an accident; twice is the start of a new habit. Your actions reveal how badly you want to change. In the end, you have to remember that success is not a goal or a finish line; it is a system towards improvement.
Drew Dudley’s TedTalk on Everyday leadership from 2010 has been viewed over 5 million times. It is incredibly impactful, and I was pleasantly surprised to receive Drew’s book as a gift in 2021. Drew’s storytelling helps leaders recognize that everyday leadership is not about the big things but the consistency with which we act. Leadership is not demonstrated in the goals we achieve but in our behavior while pursuing goals. He states, “Good leaders live their values every time an opportunity presents itself. Great leaders create opportunities to live their values.” Furthermore, leadership isn’t treating people like they deserve to be treated; it’s being able to treat people better than they deserve to be treated. This is based on the ability to respond to a situation instead of reacting to a situation. A leader’s success is determined by using the gap between the stimulus and response. Drew’s advice is timeless, “Treat every day like it’s Day One. Doing so will help you forgive yourself for missteps, avoid becoming too full of yourself when you’ve got momentum and ensure that every day you do the foundational things necessary for long-term success.”
We have no idea what 2022 will bring us, and with that in mind, I wanted to close on a comment shared by former United States General James Mattis about why we should read:
“Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn’t give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead.”
Each of the books I shared will provide you with support and guidance in the year ahead. We cannot predict the future, but we can prepare ourselves for the unknown. We can learn from those who came before us and those who have different life experiences than we do. I hope you set aside time in 2022 to read, learn, and grow.
