New Business Books from The Basic Books Group
Explore 5 new books offering fresh perspectives on leadership, management, workplace culture, technology, and the future of business.
Today, every leader must be ready to lead through a crisis. In You’re It, the faculty from the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University draws on their expansive field research to prepare leaders to respond to crisis events of all kinds. It features real-life stories of leaders facing national and global emergencies, including terrorist attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic, and operational crises such as product recalls and media controversies. The case studies demonstrate how leaders rose to the challenge—and ready you to do the same when a “You’re It” moment emerges for you.
This updated edition includes new material on the importance of character in effective crisis leadership.
You’re It is your reference and companion for leading through today’s turbulent times.
“An essential guide for building an AI future that drives business value and expands human potential.”—Marc Benioff, chair, CEO, and cofounder of Salesforce
From Salesforce’s chief ethical and humane officer, a prescriptive guide for how to integrate AI into the workplace effectivelyAI technology has rapidly advanced from automation to generative tools to autonomous agents. Business leaders are increasingly excited about the potential of AI but also worried about the risks. At a time when AI can both radically increase productivity and set off a PR nightmare, where can professionals turn for tactical advice that cuts through the hype?
Manage the Machine is a practical guide to effectively and responsibly integrating AI into work, in business domains ranging from sales to corporate strategy to HR. Paula Goldman, chief ethical and humane use officer at Salesforce, shows how to get the best from AI and people working together, with examples from leading companies like Walmart, SharkNinja, and Nike. She provides clear guidance for determining which tasks can be safely delegated to AI and where humans should take the lead—for example, by articulating when customers welcome AI, and when they find it inappropriate. Goldman also lays out the guardrails necessary to keep AI—or the humans using it—from going astray.
As humans increasingly work side by side with AI, Manage the Machine provides the road map for organizations to take their next steps with confidence, putting people at the center of the transformation.
From two experts on leadership, a no-nonsense guide for ambitious leaders to build great teams by embracing toughness—without sacrificing humanity.
Some of today’s most successful companies are also infamous for their domineering leaders and toxic working environments. But you don’t have to compromise yourself or your people to drive your team to greatness. In Tough Enough, leadership coaches John Baird and Matt Hunter argue that building a high-performing team requires a new form of toughness—not based on bullying and bravado, but rather pushing for exceptional results in a way that is firm, fair, and respectful.Drawing on decades of coaching top CEOs, elite founders, and ambitious leaders, Baird and Hunter break down seven specific habits that define the strongest, most effective leaders, from being clear about the company culture to strategically unleashing emotional thunder. They set the record straight on when to prioritize understanding and empathy, when it’s time to be direct—and, most importantly, how to do both at the same time. Their no-nonsense approach gives readers the tools to calibrate their toughness and compassion in a way that maximizes performance without sacrificing humanity.
With real-world stories, timeless principles, and scientific insight, Tough Enough is the practical playbook for building the next generation of great companies.
Workplace hierarchies often evoke fear, anger, and envy in employees who feel caught in competition with coworkers and under relentless pressure from dominant bosses. The ensuing uncertainty and instability harm employee well-being and undermine organizational performance. Stanford social influence expert Nir Halevy argues that this is because we’re doing hierarchy wrong. When done right, hierarchies can be beneficial, and not just for whoever is at the top.
In Level Up, Halevy explains how you can diagnose a broken hierarchy and help fix it, using a framework and concrete solutions that apply to employees across ranks and roles. Drawing on scientific evidence, interviews, and real-world stories from boardrooms to breakrooms, Halevy shows how functional hierarchies create the structure people need to receive mentorship and developmental support, to understand what it takes to move up the career ladder, and to coordinate effectively with one another.
Rather than cynically teaching readers how to navigate the dysfunctional labyrinth of a broken hierarchy, Level Up offers a pathway for keeping many of hierarchy’s benefits without bearing its costs. This book is essential reading for people at any level of the org chart.
“Honest, practical, and deeply empowering. It will change how you work and how you lead.” —Gino Wickman, author of Traction and Shine
For entrepreneurs with ADHD, some traits, such as creativity, hyper-focus, and risk-taking—are rocket fuel for launching a new venture. Others, such as trouble with attention to detail and time management, can make running a business feel impossibly overwhelming. Traditional business advice, designed for neurotypical brains, doesn’t help—it can even intensify stress and self-doubt, leading to burnout.
That’s why serial entrepreneur and ADHDer Amanda Perry wrote Brain First Business: a groundbreaking guide that rewrites the rules of entrepreneurship for neurodivergent minds. With her Brain First method, she blends lived experience and neuroscience to help founders with ADHD reach their goals without compromising their sanity. By redesigning their approach and adopting proven techniques that work with their brains and not against them, they’ll unlock a sustainable path to building a productive and profitable business.