In today’s fast-paced world, making time for improving ourselves and our careers can seem hard. However, the right resources can really help us find our way, giving us great ideas and motivation. Eva Shaw, a Steering Committee member, offered a list of specially chosen PODCASTS & BOOKS during a recent workshop on personal and career growth. These picks are meant to support, educate, and inspire us. Below, we’ve summed up Eva’s recommendations to enhance your mentoring journey.

PODCASTS

  • The Conscious Capitalists – Timothy Henry and Raj Sisoda
  • CISL Conversations – (Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)
  • The Better Boards Podcast Series – Dr. Sabine Dembkowski
  • The Green Room / The ESG Edit – both from Deloitte – cover some broad and interesting topics – good speakers and conversations
  • Inside Science – BBC do some great episodes on sustainability issues
  • Unconfuse Me with Bill Gates (simplifying complex stuff)
  • The Daily from the New York Times (how the left of the US is thinking!)
  • Empire (same people as TRIP and great history lessons to explain why the world is what it is!)
  • Leading (the interview series linked to TRIP)
  • Edgy Ideas by Simon Western (a bit of a coaching guru and maverick at the same time – some episodes very good)
  • Down These Mean Streets (I love the Christie/Conan Doyle mystery stuff and these are radio shows from the 50’s from the US about the best detective stories – Richard Diamond, Nero Wolfe, Philip Marlowe, Johnny Dollar.)
  • Sherlock & Co (modern take on Holmes and Watson from today with Watson as a podcaster. Very professional production sometimes overwhelms the content)
  • The Cycling Podcast (the original and best, even without Richard Moore RIP)
  • GTCC (The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club – irreverent, Welsh alternative to the Cycling Podcast)
  • How to Fail – Elizabeth Day
  • Diary of a CEO – Steven Bartlett
  • The Rest is Politics – Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell
  • Americast and Newscast – BBC
  • The News Agents and News Agents USA – Emily Maitlis, John Sopel, Lewis Goodall
  • Full Disclosure with James O’Brien
  • Good Bad Billionaire – Simon Jack and Zing Tsjing
  • RunPod with Jenny Falconer – can be listened to when you go for a run or walk or cycle or cooking 😊

BOOKS

Remember World of Books for good quality second-hand books: www.wob.com

  • Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘Unbreakable’ plus Netflix docuseries. Incredible insights into the world’s most talented sportsperson (IMHO)
  • Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart. Brilliant, idealistic, gossipy, intellectual, honest
  • Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott. Another great coach with a distinctive style
  • The Modern Maverick, by Ed Haddon. A really strong self-development book
  • Net Positive by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston. Quite a tough, dense read but good background to how big business can be a force for good
  • The Culture Map by Erin Meyer – great about how different cultures impact leaders
  • The Trusted Advisor – an old book by David Maister and others
  • The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO.
  • Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
  • Why has nobody told me this before?– Dr. Julie Smith
  • The Hearts Invisible Furies’ by John Boyne
  • New: Cookbooks by Rukmini Meyer – Veggie, Vegan, Meaty, International, Sweet
  • New: Small things like these by Claire Keegan
  • New: Prophet Song by Paul Lynch – the Booker Prize winner 2023

Whether you’re looking to shift your mindset, change your habits, or lead with more empathy and courage, these recommendations offer new perspectives. So, plug in those headphones or turn the page –  your next breakthrough might just be a podcast episode or a book chapter away.