Books on leadership, strategy and technology

The thinking in these came out of three decades in all three seats: executive, board member and founder.

A Distinct Advantage

This book reveals why traditional sources of competitive edge are no longer effective, and shows leaders how to integrate modern leadership, strategy and technology into a repeatable approach that helps you generate and sustain a modern competitive advantage.

A Distinct Advantage shows how real advantage is built today and how it is applied to your unique environment.

- Scott F.

The So… Now What? Series

Two relatively short companion books on what artificial intelligence is actually doing to organizations and to the people inside them. Either can be read first.

A Timely Lens on the AI Shift

The So… Now What? series offers a clear, thought-provoking look at how both people and organizations are responding to an AI-driven world. Concise and highly accessible, each book helps readers recognize where they are today before deciding what comes next.

- Antonio A.

So… Now What? Recognizing Four Organizational States in an AI-Driven World

Finally, a book on AI written for people who have to justify the budget rather than sell the dream. I finished it in one sitting and forwarded it to two people before I’d even closed it.

- Benny H.

So… Now What? Recognizing Six Human Responses to an AI-Driven World

The 6 personas approach is a brilliant, relatable framework that works for anyone to identify exactly where you stand and find clear, actionable outcomes.

- Kealan M.

achieving what’s possible

Short books on the distance between how an organization is performing and how well its conditions now allow it to perform. Each one starts from the same uncomfortable premise: that the organizations most at risk are not the ones struggling, but the ones performing well enough that nobody thinks to look.

A Recurring Look at What Organizations Could Be Achieving

The Achieving What’s Possible collection aims to challenge leaders to look beyond whether their organizations are performing well and ask whether they are performing as well as today’s conditions make possible. Concise, practical, and grounded in recognizable organizational realities, each book provides a different lens for identifying the assumptions, decisions, and performance gaps that may be holding organizations back.

- Ryan T.

Falling Behind? An Organizational Diagnostic for Board Members, Executives, and Founders

Love the way this is laid out - specific advice for each of the three audiences which is helpful to get to the ROI quickly. I can’t think of anyone in business who doesn’t feel like they are perpetually falling behind, and this feels particularly relevant today.

- Dallas P.

A Reality Check Revisiting the Decisions That No Longer Reflect How Organizations Operate Today

What I appreciated about A Reality Check is how quickly it made me reconsider decisions that most organizations simply take for granted. It’s a short read, but the questions it raises about how we structure roles, use travel, and think about AI stayed with me well after I finished it.

- Brenda M.

The Contemporary Leader Series

This series is a deeper dive into the leadership dimension of modern competitive advantage, offering the mindset, skills and tools today’s leaders need to align with strategy and technology in real time.

Required Reading for the Modern Leader

This series offers a clear, skills-based perspective for navigating today’s dynamic marketplace. Whether you’re a seasoned executive, board member, entrepreneur, or emerging leader, this book series offers a practical lens to evolve your leadership.

- Rachel J.

The Contemporary Leader

Given the pace of technological change in today’s business environment, this book is an absolutely must in order to be able to adapt to environments that evolve much more rapidly than I’d ever thought possible.

- Liam M.

The Contemporary Board Member

This book is a must-read for today’s Directors, offering guidance on leading with deliberation, fluency, range and confidence.

- Barbara B.

The Contemporary Entrepreneur

The Contemporary Entrepreneur is a compelling guide for building leadership into the rhythm of entrepreneurial life.

- Ken M.

The Contemporary Executive

This is a hands-on guide to staying adaptive and effective as complexity accelerates. A true leadership playbook for today’s executive landscape.

- Kyle H.

The AI Revolution

Thriving Within Civilization’s Next Big Disruption

Check out my chapter in The AI Revolution: Thriving Within Civilization’s Next Big Disruption, where I explore how leaders must leverage AI in the modern landscape.

The most comprehensive AI book I’ve read!

- Shelley P.