Beyond the Burrow

A handbook helping to transform situations of discomfort into valuable learning opportunities and ultimately constructive outcomes. An accessible practice that trumps good intentions!

A classic of professional development, “Think Again” by psychologist Adam Grant, guides individuals in reassessing entrenched opinions and unlearning assumptions. A handpicked recommendation to get started, the advice is clear: “define your identity in terms of values, not opinions”.

A manifest for social justice that doesn’t incriminate, a political manifesto that doesn’t take sides, The Metamorphosis of the World describes the evolution of the governance of our world on the verge of collapse, and the need for non-linear thinking. Worth a slithly arduous read.

Serving as both a skillset and a mindset, systems thinking has proven essential to tackling global challenges, such as sustainability. The Systems Thinking Playbook is an invaluable resource for starting this journey, offering a collection of 30 games to help the group explore complex concepts. It’s truly a facilitator’s best friend!

In this seminal book, former US Special Operations Commander Stanley McChrystal describes how ‘shared consciousness’ across teams enables decentralised decision-making, reinforces trust within organisations, and boosts outcomes.

This book is for daring and caring leaders, who wish to tap into their visionary and instinctual potential to provide meaning. It’s also a good reminder of the power of storytelling to awaken leadership.

As Séverine Autesserre advocates for a rebalancing of peace building practices in favor of community-led initiatives, some will be inspired by change agents across the world, and others will derive meaningful lessons to fine-tune their management practices at home.

The book ‘Wild Rituals’ by Caitlin O’Connell took us on a journey. By observing how rituals are practiced by wild animals, she offers a unique, surprising, and at times humourous perspective that illuminates our understanding and pushes us to reflect.

This book is profoundly shaping, locating emotions as the core of our consciousness. The author uses metaphysics to develop a theory around what makes us conscious, thereby completely flipping our previous approach to what makes humans human, while being fully supported by biological evidence.

Uncertainty can create anxiety and inhibit our leadership impetus. When doubtful, we don’t hesitate to flip through ‘Pioneering the Possible’ by Dr Scilla Elworthy. This book is both a bible and a manual for everyday activists and awakened leaders.