“The clearest evidence that justice is the most important of all the virtues comes from what happens when you remove it. It’s remarkably stark: The presence of injustice instantly renders any act of virtue—courage, discipline, wisdom—any skill, any achievement, worthless…or worse.”

The relentless overload that’s wearing us down is generated by a belief that “good” work requires increasing busyness—faster responses to email and chats, more meetings, more tasks, more hours.

Companies are often faced with a predicament about whether to play it safe and maximize their resources (known as exploitation) or look to new products, areas, or partnerships for growth (known as exploration).

Perhaps the most accurate term for happiness, then, is the one Aristotle used: eudaimonia, which translates not directly to “happiness” but to “human flourishing.”

They subtly reflected shifts in other people’s moods and attitudes.

Whether wicked or well-intentioned, language is a way to get members of a community on the same ideological page. To help them feel like they belong to something big

‘The paradox,’ he says, ‘is that, though every organization thinks they have unique problems, many change issues are centred on one thing. The ability – or inability – to convert vision into action.’

The commonsense rules of the “real world” are a fragile collection of socially reinforced illusions.

And when we make mistakes—when we fail to lead—our identity; our sense of self; our self-esteem; our deeply held beliefs about what it will take to feel loved and safe and that we belong, as well as that most the basic ability to provide for ourselves and our loved ones, seems to implode.

Being different conditions you toward cautiousness, even as it demands that you be bold.

Discipline isn’t just endurance and strength. It’s also finding the best, most economical way of doing something. It’s the commitment to evolving and improving so that the tasks get more efficient as you go.

“Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits. That’s it in a nutshell.” - Twyla Tharp

Mistakes Were Made looks at crucial moments in both past and present to understand the cognitive dissonance that plays a part in our inability to admit when we’ve made a mistake and why we double-down on being wrong.

An interesting look into how humanity’s view of women has resulted in data bias around the world.

A great book about mindset, attitude, and why money is power for women.

This book is about leadership but also winning. Winning implies a zero-sum game, which I strongly disagree with as our world changes.

The premise of Four Thousand Weeks is that an average person lives for only four thousand weeks. What will you do with that time? All of human history has taken approximately 310,000 weeks. We are but a blip, and knowing this, Burkeman asks the reader, how will you get everything done?

Starting a Book Club at work is comes with both benefits and challenges. I’m a big fan of them, but you may find that choosing a book to read with your coworkers is no easy feat. Here’s a quick and easy list for you to save and refer to anytime you find yourself stumped when suggesting books.

Many executives want to start book clubs to encourage emerging and existing leaders to learn from others’ mistakes, think differently, and apply knowledge from multiple industries to their daily roles.

So, how do you start a book club at work – and keep it going?

Having read a fair few books on companies, teams, and organizational culture, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I appreciate the punchiness of the book. Too many books on team culture highlight tired stories of achievement in the 1950s or focus on one particular success story that is unlikely to be repeatable at another company.