Greetings,

As we celebrate the 4th anniversary of our newsletter, we're revisiting some oldies but goodies. We hope you enjoy this one from our July 2019 edition (with a couple of updates we could not resist):

Have you noticed how easy it is as successful professionals to get comfortable with what we already know and how things are already done? This trap persists (and tempts) even though we know that to stay relevant and interesting to our clients, employers, and even ourselves, we need fresh ideas and perspective. My go-to for nurturing ideas and learning new things amidst increasing professional and personal demands is reading.

Reading allows us to easily and effectively gather new ideas from a wide range of sources and to explore things outside of our own industries and geographies. Each summer, I compile a list of books I plan to read and share with those around me. This year, I find myself gravitating to perennial favorites that help me refocus and recharge. I also find myself consuming more information via podcasts and articles, so I'll share a few of those as well. I encourage you to find pieces that resonate and to cultivate a learning list as part of your professional development.

My Summer Learning List

Books:

• Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection - which I find insightful professionally and as a parent
• David Allen's Getting Things Done - which I revisit each year to ensure I'm spending my time as thoughtfully as I can
• Greg McKeown's Essentialism - the spiritual cousin to the first two, which is a great starting place for evaluating your priorities

Podcasts:

• HBR Presents: Coaching Real Leaders with Muriel Wilkins - real-life coaching sessions with leaders working to overcome professional challenges
• How I Built This with Guy Raz - deep dive discussions with entrepreneurs on their journey to building successful companies

Articles:

• Managing Oneself - a roadmap for thoughtful career (and life) planning
• Three Steps Every Company Should Take To Combat Systemic Racism
• Dealing With Imposter Syndrome When You're Treated As An Imposter

I'd love to hear about how you gather new ideas and what's on your reading/learning list. Reply to this email, and let's chat.