As 2020 grinds to a close, many of us are breathing a sigh of relief, ready to leave such a difficult year in the rearview mirror. At the same time, there’s also a feeling of excitement about new possibilities, and the promise of a much brighter 2021 right around the corner.
Whether it’s travel, new creative endeavors, or growing business and professional opportunities, this is the time to set goals, make resolutions, and chart a plan for 2021. And if you’re like us, the first step in those New Year’s plans might be a little research — maybe in the form of a good book!
If professional development is on your to-do list for the year ahead, we have good news: there are a TON of amazing marketing, communications, leadership, design, and branding books dropping in 2021.
Get an edge on the year to come and add a few of our most-anticipated marketing reads to your Amazon cart!
Leading from Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams
By David Burkus, Available Jan. 5, 2021
Top business thought leader David Burkus has mined the very best research on virtual teams and case studies of companies that have not just survived but thrived through remote work to provide managers with the field guide to leading remotely, packed with everyday examples and illuminating insights. Structured around the lifecycle of working on a team, Burkus tackles the key inflection points and challenges that managers face in this new landscape from taking the team remote and adding new members, to communicating effectively and quickly, managing performance, keeping the team engaged, and celebrating individual departures or adjourning the team as a whole.
8-Second PR: Energize Your Story For Ultimate Media Success!
By Liz H. Kelly, Available Jan. 5, 2021
With the average attention span of an adult being 8 seconds, this new public relations crash course can help you break through all the noise and get the immediate attention of reporters and fans for your business, product or book. 8-Second PR is a fun public relations for dummies guide with case study examples and publicity tips based on the author booking thousands of media interviews.
Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World
By Stephanie Schriock and Christina Reynolds, Available January 12, 2021
From the president of EMILY’s List, comes a playbook for women changing the world in politics, business, or any arena, with a foreword from Vice President Elect Kamala Harris. Run to Win is for all women who are looking to lead. Organized around the steps that EMILY’s List coaches its candidates through (from deciding to run through celebrating victory), this book is full of essential lessons for any woman trying to succeed in a male-dominated field. Their arena is politics but their message is universal.
High-Impact Tools for Teams: 5 Tools to Align Team Members, Build Trust, and Get Results Fast
By Alex Osterwalder, Available January 20, 2021
High-Impact Tools for Teams explains a simple, powerful visual management tool that helps team leaders and members align and get clarity on exactly who is responsible for each part of the team’s most important activities and projects. Complemented by 4 trust add-ons that help teams build trust and increase psychological safety, the tool ensures that every member can be confident in sharing ideas or concerns about obstacles the team may face. Co-author Alex Osterwalder is the international best-selling author who co-created the Business Model Canvas, a strategic management tool used by 1 million+ industry leaders globally.
Change Your World: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Difference
By John C. Maxwell, Available January 26, 2021
Two of today’s most respected world-changers, leadership expert John C. Maxwell and global development leader Rob Hoskins, share their real-world experiences helping to transform millions of lives, communities, and businesses around the world to show people how to be the change the world needs and help others do the same.
Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion
By Robert Cialdini, Available May 4, 2021
In the new edition of this highly acclaimed bestseller, Robert Cialdini—New York Times bestselling author of Pre-Suasion —explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings. Using memorable stories and relatable examples, Cialdini makes this crucially important subject surprisingly easy. You’ll learn Cialdini’s Universal Principles of Influence, including new research and new uses so you can become an even more skilled persuader—and just as importantly, you’ll learn how to defend yourself against unethical influence attempts.
Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy
By Andrea Scher, Available May 25, 2021
Modern life makes us busier than ever, but we are somehow feeling more distracted, overwhelmed, disconnected, and lonely. Wonder Seeker reminds us that no one is too busy (or too old) to experience daily gratitude and delight. Filled with 52 fun, easy, and incredibly creative prompts and activities, this guide to joy helps us to step out of our ordinary lives, even for just a moment or two each day, to witness the magic all around us. This book provides simple practices that bridge creativity and mindfulness and allow the imagination to play.
Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business
By Kindra Hall, Available June 21, 2021
You keep hearing how story is the latest-and-greatest business tool, and that storytelling can do everything—from helping leaders better communicate to motivating sales teams and winning customers away from competitors.But what stories do you need to tell? And how do you tell them? Stories That Stick reveals the four unique stories you can use to differentiate, captivate, and elevate. With case studies, company profiles, and anecdotes backed with original research, Hall presents storytelling as the underutilized talent that separates the good from the best in business.
