100 books like Ask for It

By Linda Babcock, Sara Laschever,

Here are 100 books that Ask for It fans have personally recommended if you like Ask for It. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life

Deborah Shlian Author Of Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders

From my list on women leaders.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a physician with over 30 years as a healthcare executive recruiter and consultant. I have been responsible for launching the careers of future leaders—many are women who have defied the odds to become senior executives In every area of healthcare. Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders is actually the third iteration of a project that has followed the careers of women physician leaders over almost 3 decades. In the version, 33 women share the lessons they have learned along the way.

Deborah's book list on women leaders

Deborah Shlian Why did Deborah love this book?

Despite the fact that women make up more than half of workers in this country, they still are underrepresented in leadership roles. One of the reasons is gender bias that sees a good leader as having so-called “male” attributes. I like this book because after carefully studying the issue for 5 years, the authors describe a new model called Centered Leadership which is not only suited to women, but is positive for organizational health. I especially like the fact that the book is filled with anecdotes from women with strong leadership experience in a variety of disciplines.

By Joanna Barsh, Susie Cranston, Geoffrey Lewis

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How Remarkable Women Lead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Remarkable discoveries about what drives and sustains successful women leaders.

Based on five years of proprietary research, How Remarkable Women Lead speaks to you as no other book has, with its hopeful outlook and unique ideas about success. It's the new "right stuff" of leadership, raising provocative issues such as whether feminine leadership traits (for women and men) are better suited for our fast-changing, hyper-competitive, and increasingly complex world.

The authors, McKinsey & Company consultants Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston, establish the links between joy, happiness, and distinctive performance with the groundbreaking model of Centered Leadership.

The book's personal…


Book cover of Time's Now for Women Healthcare Leaders: A Guide for the Journey

Deborah Shlian Author Of Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders

From my list on women leaders.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a physician with over 30 years as a healthcare executive recruiter and consultant. I have been responsible for launching the careers of future leaders—many are women who have defied the odds to become senior executives In every area of healthcare. Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders is actually the third iteration of a project that has followed the careers of women physician leaders over almost 3 decades. In the version, 33 women share the lessons they have learned along the way.

Deborah's book list on women leaders

Deborah Shlian Why did Deborah love this book?

I have known Dr. Patricia Gabow for over 30 years and have had the opportunity to watch her personal leadership journey from practicing physician to CEO of Denver Hospital. I really like that in this book Patricia has interviewed healthcare leaders who share the various obstacles and challenges they have faced as they defied the odds (today less than 20% of women physicians become senior leaders in any area within the healthcare system). I think personal stories are always more compelling than data.

By Patricia A. Gabow,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Time's Now for Women Healthcare Leaders as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

TIME'S NOW for Women Healthcare Leaders: A Guide for the Journey

Women comprise over 80 percent of healthcare frontline employees, but they often hit the proverbial glass ceiling. Only 30 percent of healthcare C-suite Executives and less than 15% of CEOs are women. Moreover, while 51 percent of medical students are women, only 16 percent of the Department Chairs and Deans are women. Clearly, women are facing barriers to achieving their potential, limiting their ability to add their unique talents and skills to the tables of leadership. The author provides extensive detail on these barriers and approaches to their solutions.…


Book cover of Hardball for Women: Winning at the Game of Business

Deborah Shlian Author Of Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders

From my list on women leaders.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a physician with over 30 years as a healthcare executive recruiter and consultant. I have been responsible for launching the careers of future leaders—many are women who have defied the odds to become senior executives In every area of healthcare. Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders is actually the third iteration of a project that has followed the careers of women physician leaders over almost 3 decades. In the version, 33 women share the lessons they have learned along the way.

Deborah's book list on women leaders

Deborah Shlian Why did Deborah love this book?

While some of the ideas in this book may seem dated (e.g. women sometimes should let the boss believe that their ideas are his to get them implemented), I still like the overall advice to women who aspire to leadership roles. For example, despite old stereotypes, being assertive and showing confidence are every bit as acceptable traits in female as in male leaders. Just as with some of my other book recommendations, the authors use real-life examples to make their points which I think is very effective.

By Pat Heim, Tammy Hughes, Susan K. Golant

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hardball for Women as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The bestselling guide fully updated for the post-Lean In era

For nearly two decades, Hardball for Women has shown women how to get ahead in the business world. Whether the arena is a law firm, a medical group, a tech company, or any other work environment, Hardball for Women decodes male business culture and shows women how to break patterns of behavior that put them at a disadvantage. It explains how to get results when you "lean in" without being thrown off balance. Illustrated with real-life examples Hardball for Women teaches women how to:
Successfully navigate middle management to become…


Book cover of 7 Rules of Power: Surprising--But True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career

Deborah Shlian Author Of Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders

From my list on women leaders.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a physician with over 30 years as a healthcare executive recruiter and consultant. I have been responsible for launching the careers of future leaders—many are women who have defied the odds to become senior executives In every area of healthcare. Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Physician Leaders is actually the third iteration of a project that has followed the careers of women physician leaders over almost 3 decades. In the version, 33 women share the lessons they have learned along the way.

Deborah's book list on women leaders

Deborah Shlian Why did Deborah love this book?

I like this book because it provides proven strategies that have helped individuals advance their careers within various organizations. The examples the authors use are good guides for readers who need to learn how to leverage their power to accomplish career goals. I think this is a good book not only for entry-level workers, but seasoned executives as well.

By Jeffrey Pfeffer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 7 Rules of Power as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you want to 'change lives, change organizations, change the world,' the Stanford business school's motto, you need power.

Is power the last dirty secret or the secret to success? Both. While power carries some negative connotations, power is a tool that can be used for good or evil. Don't blame the tool for how some people used it.

Rooted firmly in social science research, Pfeffer's 7 rules provide a manual for increasing your ability to get things done, including increasing the positive effects of your job performance.

With 7 Rules of Power, you'll learn, through both numerous examples as…


Book cover of Doing Comparable Worth: Gender, Class, and Pay Equity

Jennifer L. Pierce Author Of Racing for Innocence: Whiteness, Gender, and the Backlash Against Affirmative Action

From my list on women’s rights in the American workplace.

Why am I passionate about this?

Women’s rights in the workplace have been my passion for thirty years. As a sociologist who does fieldwork and oral histories, I am interested in understanding work through workers’ perspectives. The most important thing I’ve learned is that employers can be notoriously reluctant to enact change and that the most effective route to workplace justice is through collective action. I keep writing because I want more of us to imagine workplaces that value workers by compensating everyone fairly and giving workers greater control over their office’s rhythm and structure. 

Jennifer's book list on women’s rights in the American workplace

Jennifer L. Pierce Why did Jennifer love this book?

How can we remedy the fact that wages in predominantly female jobs (e.g., secretaries) have been devalued historically?

For comparable worth advocates, women should be paid a wage equivalent to men who work in a different job with similar skills and experience. But how do we evaluate and rank skills in different occupations to create equivalence? Sociologist Joan Acker takes us through two 1980s comparable worth evaluation processes to answer this question.

Her thought-provoking research demonstrates that the evaluation process itself was laden with gendered assumptions about the value of different skills. It also helps us understand how we can evade this problem in the future and create procedures with more equitable outcomes.  

By Joan Acker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Doing Comparable Worth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Doing Comparable Worth" is the first empirical study of the actual process of attempting to translate into reality the idea of equal pay for work of equal value. This political ethnography documents a large project undertaken by the state of Oregon to evaluate 35,000 jobs of state employees, identify gender-based pay inequities, and remedy these inequities. The book details both the technical and political processes, showing how the technical was always political, how management manipulated and unions resisted wage redistribution, and how initial defeat was turned into partial victory for pay equity by labor union women and women's movement activists.…


Book cover of The Janitor: How an Unexpected Friendship Transformed a CEO and His Company

Mónica Ramírez Chimal Author Of Make life Yours!: Based on real facts

From my list on live life fully.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a person like you who has lived difficult situations, has had losses, made mistakes, and deals with bad days wondering about my existence and purpose in life. I have a gift, and it's writing; I began sending reflective messages to the people at my office and that’s when I noticed that people loved them. Years later, after reading several books and accumulating more experience, I realized that there are several experiences that are common to all, but few questioned. Therefore, I decided to share my insight and thoughts in my second book, hoping to help people be a better version of themselves and live their lives to their fullest.

Mónica's book list on live life fully

Mónica Ramírez Chimal Why did Mónica love this book?

I enjoyed reading this book because it’s written as a story. All the learning is through the janitor, on his advice to the CEO, to see life in a different way.

It opened my eyes because, at that moment, I was doing what the CEO does in the book: I was very stressed, not having time for something else, and wrongly thinking that I needed to do more in the same way. The message of the book was compelling for me: I needed to change the way I lived my life because this book made me reflect on how I would leave my legacy.

There are few books that I’ve read that made me cry, this one did. It touched my heart, and hopefully, I touch other lives. 

By Todd Hopkins, Ray Hilbert,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Janitor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Do you ever find yourself losing sight of the important things in life-work and stress can become overwhelming at times. Such is the situation where CEO Roger Kimbrough finds himself in this business parable.

The Janitor was inspired by Todd Hopkins's personal experiences of interviewing overqualified retired businessmen for evening shift janitorial positions. Todd's applicants consistently would say they simply needed something to do. In this fable, janitor Bob Tidwell helps Roger to reevaluate how he is leading his business and his life. Bob's counsel is based upon six principles that Todd and coauthor Ray Hilbert discovered have the most…


Book cover of One True Mate

Heather Hildenbrand Author Of Wolf Cursed

From my list on young adult shifter romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always been a bookworm. From the Boxcar Children and The Hobbit as a kid to Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, and even Stuart Woods as an adult. None of those genres hold such a special place in my heart as Young Adult. Self-discovery, overcoming pain and trauma of childhood, making deliberate choices about love, and life, and who we’re going to be in this world—young adulthood is fraught with the elements necessary for unforgettable stories. Since I began publishing 10 years ago, my books have sold thousands of copies worldwide and won numerous book awards, but the thing that keeps me writing is being a reader first.

Heather's book list on young adult shifter romance

Heather Hildenbrand Why did Heather love this book?

For me, one of the best parts of a shifter romance story is a character who finds his/her “fated mate.” The idea of a fated mate is kind of like a prince charming, one true love, and soul mate all rolled into one. It’s the ultimate love story. The idea that there’s that perfect person for you out there and oh, look, destiny just brought you to their doorstep. I am a sucker for that storyline and I know, if you love shifters and romance, you are too. One True Mate has the fated mates theme perfected. It also has a storyline with secrets, friendship, family, overcoming a painful past, and a main character who has to find a way to heal herself enough to love someone else. Basically, this one has it all. 

By Julie Trettel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One True Mate as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kelsey Adams is alone, and has been since childhood. Running away is all she knows and necessary to preserve her deepest, darkest secret. She can not afford for anyone to get close, or know about the monster within. But when she lands a lucrative job as an administrative assistant to Kyle Westin, CEO of the Westin Foundation, her life changes and everything's at stake. Can she conceal her growing feelings and her true self from this enigmatic, strong willed man, or will her world fall apart? Kyle Westin, an alpha male who always gets what he wants, has watched and…


Book cover of Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others

Michael J. Marquardt and Bob Tiede Author Of Leading with Questions: How Leaders Discover Powerful Answers by Knowing How and What to Ask

From my list on asking questions that will change you and the world.

Why are we passionate about this?

Michael Marquardt is Professor Emeritus of Human and Organizational Learning at George Washington University, where he directed the Global Certificate and Executive Leadership Programs. He's a Co-founder and first President of the World Institute for Action Learning. Dr. Marquardt has authored 27 books and his publications has sold over a million copies. Bob Tiede is on the U.S. Leadership Development Team at Cru, an interdenominational Christian parachurch organization. His blog, LeadingWithQuestions.com is in its 11th year and followed by Leaders in over 190 countries. Bob is the author of Great Leaders ASK Questions, Little Book of Big Leading With Questions Quotes, and 262 Questions Paul the Apostle of Christ Asked.

Michael's book list on asking questions that will change you and the world

Michael J. Marquardt and Bob Tiede Why did Michael love this book?

Reading a list of great questions by themselves, most often, does not motivate me to ask any of them.

But reading stories, sharing how a great question was discovered or how asking it has changed the person asked or changed a relationship or resulted in a successful outcome, instantly motivates me to find someone I can ask! Power Questions shares 30-plus stories that will instantly have you wanting to find someone to ask that same question!

By Andrew Sobel, Jerold Panas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Power Questions as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An arsenal of powerful questions that will transform every conversation

Skillfully redefine problems. Make an immediate connection with anyone. Rapidly determine if a client is ready to buy. Access the deepest dreams of others. Power Questions sets out a series of strategic questions that will help you win new business and dramatically deepen your professional and personal relationships. The book showcases thirty-five riveting, real conversations with CEOs, billionaires, clients, colleagues, and friends. Each story illustrates the extraordinary power and impact of a thought-provoking, incisive power question. To help readers navigate a variety of professional challenges, over 200 additional, thought-provoking questions…


Book cover of Inside Coca-Cola: A CEO's Life Story of Building the World's Most Popular Brand

James Espey Author Of 365 Quotes to Accelerate your Career and Find Balance in Life

From my list on dynamic personal and business tips to build long-term successful brands.

Why am I passionate about this?

Well, all my life, I have been passionately involved in Marketing. I was an intrapreneur in the organisation, challenging the system and trying to build brands for the future. I always took an extremely long-term view, and when I was fired for launching Chivas Regal 18, which is now No. 1 in the world in its category, I became an entrepreneur. I backed start-ups, including my own company. The most successful brand I was ever involved with was called Mimecast, which is an anti-virus company, that sold not too long ago for $5.6 billion.

James' book list on dynamic personal and business tips to build long-term successful brands

James Espey Why did James love this book?

Neville Isdell, who retired as Chairman of Coca-Cola in 2009, whilst born in Ireland, grew up in Zambia, as I did, and by coincidence, we were both at Cape Town University, and we worked together at Coca-Cola in Johannesburg for a year in 1969.

Neville is very direct and cannot stand sycophantic behaviour, which I respect. He lived and worked in 11 countries on 5 continents in his 43 years at Coca-Cola, and he placed a great deal of importance on understanding and respecting local culture. He believed much of his success came from selecting strong people who focused on the importance of positive action over words. He also states that the majority of views often mean that something has happened, but more importantly, it is the minority view and ideas where breakthrough growth and success lie.

Between 2004 and 2009, when he took over as the CEO of Coca-Cola…

By Neville Isdell, David Beasley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Inside Coca-Cola as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first a Coca-Cola CEO tells the remarkable story of the company€™s revivalNeville Isdell was a key player at Coca-Cola for more than 30 years, retiring in 2009 as CEO after regilding the tarnished brand image of the world€™s leading soft-drink company. This first a Coca-Cola CEO tells an extraordinary personal and professional world-wide story, ranging from Northern Ireland to South Africa to Australia, the Philippines, Russia, Germany, India, South Africa and Turkey. Isdell helped put out huge public relations fires (India and Turkey), opened markets(Russia, Eastern Europe, Philippines and Africa), championed Muhtar Kent, the current Turkish-American CEO, all while…


Book cover of The Edge: How Ten CEOs Learned to Lead--And the Lessons for Us All

Ruchira Chaudhary Author Of Coaching: The Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership

From my list on uncommon/exceptional leadership.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an executive coach, adjunct faculty at several top-tier business schools, and run a boutique firm consulting firm focused on organizational strategy solutions. My diverse and eclectic background in mergers & acquisitions, organization effectiveness, and strategy execution, coupled with two decades of experience in emerging markets in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, helps me grasp challenging people issues. I'm passionate about the topic of leaders as coaches having written several papers and columns. My research, and writing led Penguin to commission my book Coaching: The Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership that, released globally in late 2021 to much acclaim, is recommended by several academics as an essential read for aspiring and experienced managers. 

Ruchira's book list on uncommon/exceptional leadership

Ruchira Chaudhary Why did Ruchira love this book?

Prof Useem, who teaches leadership at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, sent me a signed copy of this book through my spouse (a Wharton alum) and I cannot recommend it enough.

He eloquently equates a leader’s job to standing on the cliff edge, getting a grip on unfamiliar landscapes, and acquiring the skills to lead organizations in this constantly evolving, ever-changing business landscape.

I think this book is more relevant than ever given our turbulent times – Prof Useem draws on the experiences of ten bold CEOS to show us how, in a world characterized by unprecedented challenges of global pandemic and economic disruption, leaders need to find the edge for leaping across and breaking new ground on the other side.

An engaging and practical guide to being the ambidextrous leader who constantly propels the organization forward, without letting go of its core.

By Michael Useem,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Edge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A leader's job-in a radically changing world-is standing on the cliff edge, getting a grip on unfamiliar landscapes, and acquiring the skills for leading the enterprise into new territory. In a world facing the unprecedented challenges of global pandemic and economic distruption, every leader needs to find the edge for leaping across the breach and breaking new ground on the other side.

Michael Useem provides rare insight into how ten leaders confronted hard realities. He looked close-in at the lide and work of people such as Bill McNabb of Vanguard, Jeffrey Lurie of the Philadelphia Eagles, Alex Gorsky of Johnson…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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