Top books and podcasts to start off 2023
With the end of 2022 fast approaching, we find ourselves reflecting on a year of abundance and growth. We are grateful for each of our partners and thankful for each opportunity we’ve been provided to serve you. Our work is informed by our experience, our work with you and our passion for advancing great leadership.
As we look forward to 2023, we wanted to share our favorite books, podcasts and shows that inspire us in our work. Some are directly related to the fields of advancement and development while others encourage in different ways. We hope you enjoy!
“You spend a quarter of your life at work. You should enjoy it!” says Emili Bennett, Bryant Group Vice President of Leadership Development. She recommends the podcast, Worklife with Adam Grant (presented by TED). Organizational psychologist Adam Grant examines and benchmarks best practices of organizational culture and leadership development to discover the keys to better, healthier and more successful teams and cultures.
Emili also recommends the book, Love + Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life, by Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham has the readers ask themselves, “When was the last time you lost track of time? Do you looked forward to going to work?” He helps the reader understand that you need to find “the love in what you do,” intentionally connecting patterns of flow with our work to become more resilient, more engaged, and less burnt out.
Chris Bingley, Bryant Group Senior Vice President, thoroughly enjoyed, When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved by Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBride. Following his early read of the book, Chris says, “This is a refreshing and accessible book for an important time in our work, communities, organizations, churches, government and homes. And it’s not about leadership as we traditionally and unfortunately think of it. The toughest challenges often get ignored or played down because they are difficult. When addressed they raise the heat, are risky and require that we all practice leadership. This is an excellent read and resource for anyone who knows that leadership is an action not a position. I’m looking forward to referring to and using what I’ve learned in my work and community engagement efforts.”
Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni is always a favorite of Sally Bryant, Bryant Group President and CEO. This book highlights the “how-to” and the strength in leaders working as a team, rather than as the head of their various units. Bryant Group provides individualized workshops for leadership teams based on the concepts in this book and a related assessment.
Another favorite of Sally’s is Leadership & Self-Deception, by The Arbinger Institute. This book is a story about how to see things from another’s point of view and how to understand and live in a way that frees others because you believe they truly have the best intentions.
Bryant Group Consulting Vice President Michael Duran recommends What Color Is Your Parachute, by Richard Bolles. Michael finds that this relates to the consulting work he does for Bryant Group in multiple ways: it gives career guidance in a unique and engaging way, it gives one confidence that they are on the right path to deciding what career field to pursue and it sheds light on the delicate balance between what one thinks they want and what skills are best suited for a particular career.
Kia Croom's The Black Fundraisers' Podcast was recommended by Bryant Group Talent Associate KatyBelle Edwards. KatyBelle talks of the ongoing conversations in development around the need for increased diversity in fundraising to grow the talent pipeline and better serve organizations, saying “Croom's podcast (featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy in 2021) provides a platform for black development professionals to share their valuable perspectives and experiences in fundraising. Croom shares critical insight to the ways in which we can better support candidates and continue to bring diverse pools of talent to our clients.”
Bryant Group is passionate about changing lives through great leadership. The road to being a great leader includes committing to the building blocks within oneself in order to expand your leadership lid. Senior Executive Recruiter Krystal Floyd recommends The Necessary Confinement: The Defining, by Charles Wes Graves. Krystal reflects on how “Wes discusses the role that inner growth and development have on one’s overall ability to lead others and be successful in doing so. It provides real-life examples, words of wisdom and witty anecdotes to illustrate that there is not one universal model for leadership. Everyone can define it within themselves.”
At a time when so many things in life seem out of control, Bryant Group Senior Executive Recruiter Tracy Frederick recommends Clayton M. Christensen’s book, HBR's 10 Must Reads On Managing Yourself, for advice and support. “The book helps bring focus on meaning, that life is not as out of control as it may seem because it is MY life. It is not a collection of articles that suggests I work harder to succeed, but it is a series of articles that reminds me to draw on my own fundamental values and capabilities. These articles remind me to rely on what I can control - and that is who I am,” says Tracy.
The podcast Beyond the Grid is recommended by Bryant Group Senior Executive Recruiter Sarah Hempen for a sports-focused look at leadership and team building. “The most successful organizations run like teams, they don't just say they are teams. I enjoy the behind-the-scenes commentary from figures in the sport on how the team success is generated or why they're stumbling. It's never one thing done on one day by one individual but a collective effort by many people with the same goals, coming together in a unified manner to achieve success,” says Sarah.
Bryant Group Consulting Vice President Kirk Jewell recommends Today I Begin a New Life by Dave Blanchard. “This is an excellent read in helping all of us on our self-discovery journey called Life. Whether your interest is personal peace or career success, Today I Begin a New Life will open new perspectives for you and give you actionable insights and direction,” says Kirk.
“I highly recommend Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell,” says Bryant Group Talent Associate Brandy Shillings. “In Bryant Group’s recruiting efforts, I'm mostly talking to strangers when I pick up the phone. I found Gladwell's analysis of perceptions and assumptions to be fascinating. Perhaps our clients might find Gladwell’s approach to talking with strangers will improve their discovery visits with new donors,” says Brandy.
Bryant Group Vice President John Toolan recommends the podcast The Development Debrief with Kathryn Van Sickle. Kathryn interviews leaders across all areas of advancement. “It is a valuable resource for people in all aspects of advancement,” says John.
The TV show BattleBots is a fun recommendation from Bryant Group Vice President of Client Relations Lee Williams-Lopapa. The show is a robot fighting competition open to teams all around the world. To Lee, “It mirrors a person or a company’s drive, the drive for excellence, to constantly improve, to face worthy competitors, and it mirrors that belief in yourself. I think this resonates both with individuals and with companies. The most impactful, lasting impression I take from watching this show and relating it to our industry is the ‘never give up’ attitude that I see many robots exhibit. Even when their robot’s weapon is not effective, their heart remains constant,” says Lee.
Bryant Group Project Coordinator, Wendy Wright, recommends a book she read as a young girl, Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell. Based on a true story, it’s about a teenage girl being left behind and stranded on her ancestral island after her entire tribe left with missionaries on a ship. She survives alone for 18 years before she is rescued by sea otter hunters. “I loved this book as a kid and have reread it several times over the years. I find Won-a-pa-lei’s strength and desire to never give up very inspirational. I have been challenged in my life at times when I just wanted to stop and quit, but I think back to that lonely young woman who found a way to survive and I know that I can too,” says Wendy.
