Leadership is not a destination. Leadership is an odyssey. A voyage of discovery, marked by changes of fortune and circumstances, informed by successes and failures. Defined by how you behaved and who you have become.

The Upside of Being Myself and Other Leadership Stories is a unique opportunity to catch a breath, step back, and take a long, hard, reflective look at who you are as a leader and where your odyssey will take you. Powered by experience, informed by the reality of operating in today’s harsh realities, and leveraging the insights gained from many leadership victories and defeats, each essay creates an opportunity for reflection, introspection and personal growth.

The book spans almost every aspect of leadership, including the journey towards that mythical corner office, the agility and flexibility of styles required for sustained success, the art of crisp, concise communication and the need for an internal compass to guide you on your journey. Ian Russell draws on his 30 years of leadership experience from around the world, using his irreverent, light-hearted but thought-provoking prose to land key leadership messages. Further diverse and powerful leadership insights come from a number of contributing writers on politics, large corporate life and entrepreneurial start-ups.

The Upside of Being Myself and Other Leadership Stories is an investment of your time into your leadership odyssey. This is not an opportunity you can pass by. So pick up a copy, settle down and enjoy.

African leadership is in crisis. The legacy of colonialism has prevailed, while novel challenges such as the pandemic and its aftermath, substantial developmental setbacks, the scourge of corruption and troughs in growth have challenged the ‘Africa Rising’ narrative that once dominated. In a deeply fragmented and uncertain world, one might ask, what is the source of inspiration for leadership?

As leaders are faced with the seemingly insurmountable task of rebuilding Africa’s economies, structures and systems, there is an argument to be made that leadership approaches should be uniquely and distinctly African.

Letlhokwa George Mpedi draws inspiration from African culture and African approaches to challenge the prevailing systems. By exploring selected proverbs and sayings, Letlhokwa identifies the tenets of successful and effective leadership. Traversing the ages, sourcing from indigenous practices, drawing from different regions and exploring diverse cultures on the continent, he finds common threads to rethink the practice of leadership.

From the Baobab to the Mosquito emphasises the value of collaboration and collective decision-making, reflecting the communal values that are at the heart of many African cultures. It offers a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about individual achievement, but about building strong relationships, fostering a sense of community, and making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Through this collection of African concepts in a contemporary context, Letlhokwa George Mpedi sounds the call for authentic African leaders.

The vast majority of singers with a degree in performance are un- or under-employed in their field. Despite the fact that talented singers are discovered every day, there are far too few jobs in the field of classical music to accommodate all of them, a problem evidenced by regular reports of opera companies and symphony orchestras closing their doors. Young classical singers, particularly recent graduates of music programs, need not only artistic ability, but also intelligence and an acute business sense to navigate the world of professional singing. In The 21st-Century Singer: Bridging the Gap Between the University and the World, author Susan Mohini Kane has created a user-friendly guide for these recent graduates. Kane combines the benefits of an instructional manual with those of a self-reflective workbook to provide emerging classical singers with both practical and inspirational advice. She begins with a section on self-evaluation, allowing readers to define what motivates their desire to sing professionally and reflect on their passions, before moving on to career advice. In the sections that follow, Kane presents a variety of career paths, such as singing, teaching, and consulting-realistic alternatives to the rise to stardom as an "overnight sensation" that so few will experience-and provides the reader with the tools to develop a concrete plan for whichever path they decide to pursue. Other sections offer instruction on how to develop support systems, train oneself holistically, and take advantage of the newest technological resources available for professional self-promotion. With its dual emphasis on artistic motivation and modern-day business sense, The 21st-Century Singer will prove an essential text for anyone pursuing a professional singing career.

We’re living in a time of amazing technological innovation, but we’re not paying enough attention to one of the most important innovations of all – one that’s going to be a wellspring of progress for a long time to come.

This innovation is to the company itself – a new model is being pioneered by geeks who have instituted a radical new mindset that has shifted the paradigm entirely on what a business can – and should – be.

They do not follow the rules of the Industrial era, with their hierarchies and bureaucratic ways of thinking. They do not follow the principles preached in business schools since the dawn of time. They have all dedicated themselves to approaching business as a geek would – through trial and error, egalitarianism, evidence and stress-testing ideas in a group setting rather than relying on the boss’s instincts. McAfee's groundbreaking exploration of this emerging phenomenon gets to the heart of the tectonic shifts taking place all over the business world.

The future will be ‘geek’. By investigating contemporary research in psychology, economics and behavioural sciences, as well as first-hand accounts from the ‘geek’ leaders of today, McAfee shows us how this new age will transform everything we think we know about how business is done, now and into the future.

Beautifully packaged daily doses of Stoic wisdom, from the author of The Obstacle is the Way.

'No role is so well suited to philosophy as the one you happen to be in right now.' - Marcus Aurelius

The Stoics' unique blend of practicality and wisdom has been inspiring the most successful among us for centuries, from Roman Emperors to Barack Obama, and most recently via Ryan Holiday's bestselling The Obstacle is the Way. If that book introduced readers to the idea that what is in the way is the way, The Daily Stoic widens our view on the Stoic philosophy and shows that it can be applied to any problem.

From how to manage failure to getting what you want, the ideas of Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and others continue to be vitally relevant to today's doers and thinkers. Here, in bold new translations of the ancient classics, language is stripped down to reveal powerful aphorisms that cut straight to the heart of our day-to-day challenges.

Presented in a page-per-day format, this daily resource of Stoic inspiration combines quotations with calls to further reflection - and action. Arranged topically, this guide features twelve principles for overcoming obstacles and achieving greater satisfaction. It introduces readers to a new daily ritual and new orientation that will bring them balanced action, insight, effectiveness, and serenity.

The ultimate guide to mental toughness by James 'Iron Cowboy' Lawrence – the greatest endurance athlete in human history.

In 2015, Lawrence set his third Guinness World Record by completing fifty full-distance triathlons in fifty states in fifty consecutive days – a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles on a bike, then a 26.2-mile run, all in under seventeen hours each day. Pushing himself further, in 2021 at the age of forty-five he set out to complete 100 triathlons in 100 days - a challenge so difficult that he wondered if he would survive it. By persevering, he hoped to inspire people to do the same for whatever difficulties they may be going through.

Lawrence has subjected his body to exhaustive physical testing, to every genetic analysis known to science. The stunning discovery is that, physically, he is unspecial in every way. The secret to his bulletproof body is his bulletproof mentality.

In this life-changing book he reveals how to:

• Say yes to opportunities
• Develop confidence
• Overcome obstacles holding you back
• Forge an iron will by making and keeping small promises
• Foster hope and resilience

Page by page, point by point, Iron Hope shows you how to reach for your dreams, whatever they are, and accomplish big things.

The heart of Mike Saunders’ exciting new book is how to build a successful business in the Fourth Industrial Revolution while focusing on human stakeholders.

Never before have we had so much information so readily available at our fingertips and there is no doubt that acceleration of innovation and the velocity of disruption underpinning the Fourth Industrial Revolution are having a major impact on businesses. Is it realistic to be at the forefront of these disruptive forces? Is it even necessary? It most certainly is. Knowledge of these disruptive forces – notably mobile, social, the Internet of Things, data and blockchain – equips us to build our businesses in the change that is enveloping us, but we need a framework to help us understand how to operate in a new revolution, how to organise the chaos into success.

It is this framework to which Mike has been applying his mind for the last ten years and in this book he presents just such a model to help us to navigate the digital world and build value in a humancentric way. The four concepts of his model are explore, ideate, intersect and create and he unpacks each of them in detail and with crystal-clear clarity, while never losing sight of the human element so essential to ensuring success in an ever-evolving world.

With his wide experience both locally and internationally, and his success in running the highly respected DigitLab, as well as his passion for sharing knowledge, Mike is uniquely positioned to share a complete framework for human-centred digital transformation.

Many people believe that quitting your job and becoming an entrepreneur is a romantic notion, but being your own boss isn’t just about freedom. Nor is it about the status that comes your way when you innovate the product or service that no one knew, until now, they simply could not live without. And it’s not even about the amazing income you’ll be getting when your start-up hits the big time.

Entrepreneurship is none of these things. It’s about plain hard work which often garners little – if any – reward. It’s about keeping going even when you feel you have no more to give and remaining focused and consistent when all you want to do is walk away. It’s about searching through dustbins for business, leaving no stone unturned. Abed Tau knows this because he has walked the entrepreneurial road many times. Having started a number of businesses – some successful, others not – he knows what it’s like, and what it takes, to be an entrepreneur.

While entrepreneurship may ultimately be richly rewarding, it’s important to know some of the challenges upfront before you set off to chase your dream. In Searching Through Dustbins, Abed shares his experiences with candour and humour, painting an honest picture of the life of an entrepreneur. Essential reading for any would-be or start-up business owner, it’s a vital insight into what to expect and it also provides pragmatic advice for starting or building a business.

Searching Through Dustbins comes from the heart and speaks to the heart. It will inspire and motivate you, while ensuring that your entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations stay on track.

Are women really more polite than men? What is the best way to apologise? And when is it OK to swear?

Politeness rules our day-to-day lives, whether it's speaking to colleagues about issues at work, dealing with difficult family members or wondering if you should eat the last piece of pie. For years, Professor Louise Mullany has been examining the prevalence and power of politeness in our everyday speech and actions, and discovering what this says about us.

In Polite, Louise shows how the unseen science of politeness governs everything we do, from what we say to how we act, and reveals how a better understanding of the rules and norms of politeness can help us in all aspects of our work, leisure and home lives.

And, in doing so, she answers the age-old question... are politeness standards really declining?

The #1 New York Times Bestseller that shows why slowing down is the key to getting ahead 'Choose the focused inner stillness that Ryan champions' - Mark Manson #1 Bestselling author The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck 'Some authors give advice. Ryan Holiday distills wisdom. This book is a must read.' Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author, Digital Minimalism 'A life-changing idea: that in order to move forward, we must learn to be still.' - Sophia Amoruso, cofounder and CEO, Girlboss Throughout history, there has been one quality that great leaders, makers, artists and fighters have shared. The Zen Buddhists described it as inner peace, the Stoics called it ataraxia and Ryan Holiday calls it stillness: the ability to be steady, focused and calm in a constantly busy world. Drawing on a wide range of history's greatest thinkers, Holiday shows us how crucial stillness is, and how it can be cultivated in our own lives today. Just as Winston Churchill, Oprah Winfrey and baseball player Sadaharu Oh have done, we can all benefit from stillness to feed into our greater ambitions - whether building a business or simply finding happiness, peace and self-direction. Stillness is the key to the self-mastery, discipline and focus necessary to succeed in this competitive, noisy world.

Bonang Mohale is a highly respected South African businessman, who is known as much for his patriotism and his active role in seeking to advance his country’s interests as for the leading role he has played in companies like Otis Elevators, Shell South Africa and South African Airways, among others. Developed over 30 years of business experience, his insights have motivated change in organisations and individuals alike.

As CEO of Business Leadership South Africa, he frequently shares his insights through speeches and articles on the role of business in South Africa and the core tenets of leadership. Lift As You Rise is a compilation of some of his spoken and written words in which Mohale reveals the issues he is passionate about – among them transformation, people development, constructive collaboration and integrity – and how they came to define his career and his life. He looks into the ideas behind his words and offers fresh thoughts on the subjects they cover.

This well-balanced compilation is enhanced by contributions from others he has mentored or met on his journey which underscore who Mohale the man is – a fearless and energetic leader whose compassion, humanity and eternal optimism promote hope and encourage action.

There is value in this book for leaders in all walks of life, but it is Mohale’s hope that young people specifically, those rising through the ranks, will find his insights and experience inspiring – for they are the country’s future leaders.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath comes a revolutionary guide to fixing what’s not working – in work and in our daily lives.

Reset will help you get unstuck, shake off old habits, and overcome the inertia of the way things always work. Heath shares a framework, based on research in psychology and hundreds of interviews, to help you vault toward what really matters.

Crucially, you can make positive changes without the need for additional time or money (which, for most of us, is not forthcoming). The secret is to find leverage points: places where a little bit of effort can yield a disproportionate return.

In Reset, you’ll discover:

• Why the middle of a change effort is often the hardest
• How leaders can uncover and stop wasteful activities
• Why your team’s motivation is often squandered (and how to avoid that mistake)
• The paradox that inefficiency can sometimes accelerate progress

The book traces not only how people transform their work but how they decide what to work toward. Their aspirations couldn’t be more different. You’ll visit fast-food managers who’ve crafted a freakishly effective drive-thru line. You’ll meet a couples therapist who swears by a powerful, perception-shaping trick. And you’ll encounter a veterinarian who hatched a plan that ultimately saved the lives of five million cats.

Their aspirations differ, but their resolve is the same: to escape the stifling gravity of entrenched systems. To unlock forward momentum – making steady progress toward our highest goals – without the need for more resources. The same people, the same assets, but dramatically better results.

Yesterday, we were stuck. Today, we reset.

From a genre-defining podcaster and mindfulness expert, a bracingly fresh, intensively research-based tool kit for taking charge of your life.

Do you feel that you aren't living up to your full potential―or, even worse, know that you aren't? Do you sense you're drifting―and still believe your life could be bigger and better?

If the answer is yes, chances are you've already tried a lot of ways to create positive change in your life. And chances are you aren't any closer to what you want.

This book will give you the lift you need to make that leap.

Your guide on the journey is Cory Allen, author, influencer, and host of the podcast And Then It Hit Me. To write Brave New You, Cory tapped into insight from his massive community to discover what people most desire to know, where they most want support, and the best way to give them what they need. He's distilled what he's learned into a radically fresh, yet profoundly intuitive roadmap for taking charge of your life.

With Cory as your guide, you’ll follow a highly intentional, vividly engaging path of proven teachings to make your goals into reality. Your toolbox will include:

· The importance and power of mindset
· How to release habits of negative thinking
· Ways to look at your life with fresh eyes
· Smart strategies to infuse your life with meaning and purpose
· A simple yet radical mindset shift that will change your definition of what's possible

Along the way, you'll develop a deep trust in your own intuition, find unshakable confidence to face whatever comes your way, and discover how extraordinary your life―and you―can be.

FIVE VISUALISATION TECHNIQUES TO MASTER YOUR MIND, BUILD CONFIDENCE AND ENHANCE PERFORMANCE

We all have habits and behaviours that hold us back from reaching our fullest potential. In VISUALISE, the very first book of its kind on visualisation, Maya Raichoora shows you how to harness the power of visualisation and retrain your brain so you can take control of the way you think, feel and perform, once and for all.

Drawing on the latest neuroscience, theory, Maya's personal experience and compelling case studies, VISUALISE presents five tangible and easy-to-implement visualisation techniques that will help you boost your productivity, achieve your goals and create the best version of yourself. The five techniques are:

1. Outcome visualisation
2. Process visualisation
3. Creative visualisation
4. Negative visualisation
5. Explorative visualisation

STOP TELLING STORIES. START SELLING THEM!

The world is rightly obsessed with the incredible power of a good story. Unfortunately too many of us take that to mean that it is our own story that’s important. It’s not. The magic happens not when we tell our customers the story of our past, but when we sell them a new story of their future. One in which we play a part.

As a salesperson (and make no mistake, you are a salesperson) you have two jobs. Job No. 2 of the storyseller is to help your clients and customers slay their dragon. Job No. 1 of the storyseller is to help them see their dragon.

You are in the dragon hunting business, but dragon hunting ain’t easy – there’s work to be done. In this short and highly practical book, renowned speaker Richard Mulholland shares with you how to use powerful stories to change minds, drive sales, and solve problems.

Here Be Dragons isn’t just a how-to book, it is far more a why-to, and mostly a what-to-do book.

What does ‘success’ mean to you?

If you’re an entrepreneur, this probably feels like a straightforward question with a simple answer: you want your business to thrive. You want to make a profit; stand out; be noticed. But then what? Are you done? Are you fulfilled? Are you happy?

For Adii Pienaar, selling two multimillion-dollar businesses wasn’t enough. He was an entrepreneur because he wanted freedom; and yet, instead, he was stuck in a destructive cycle, almost losing everything by his constant search for more. That’s when he changed his mindset, his expectations, and his life.

In Life Profitability, Adii provides you with a new perspective for becoming self-aware, recognising your values, and understanding your impact. An enriched life and successful business are not mutually exclusive. In fact, this book will provide you with the first steps in building a business that is more sustainable with increased options for you, your employees, and your community. Learn how to give yourself some space, measure meaningful output, and live with intention so that you can maximise profit that truly counts.

Adii prides himself on the commercial and life profitability of his businesses. His personal journey enabled him to discover a rich, fulfilling life that coincides with a sustainable strategy for success in the workplace, and his concept of ‘life profitability’ is gaining momentum in the business world.

Winners find a way to win.

Who better to learn from, on how to be successful, than those who’ve reached the top of their game and stayed there. Using sport as a prism, this book is for people who want to make changes in their personal and professional lives in order to beat the opposition and take home the gold.

Competitive Edge is a book about competition, struggle and hard work, but, ultimately, it is about success and the routes you can take to get to your own promised land. Jam-packed with lessons, observations and tips taken from the very best sportspeople around the globe, on how they found ways to win in their various disciplines, discover how you can be successful too.

Business is, by its very nature, competitive and the world is a tough place right now. There is a lot to be learnt from those who’ve triumphed in the ultra-competitive realm of professional sports, and their lessons are distilled in this book; a resource for individuals and business people who are looking to reach the next level.

Competitive Edge will serve as a guide to determine where you need to improve in the different aspects of your life, or business. It will give you an insight into how the very best adapted in order to rise to another level, and it will teach you how to get ahead and have sustained success in whatever endeavour you face.

Competitive Edge is a winner’s guide to success and how anyone can achieve that gold medal, and also stay ahead of the chasing pack.

The time for "different" is now. Tap into the insights of our leading business minds and thought leaders and equip your business for a successful new way of doing business.

The world of business is tough, especially today. We know that now is the time for exponential acceleration, adaptability, agility and adjusting; a time for resilience, perseverance and courage; where the frames of reference that so many of us have held onto for so long are simply no longer relevant. But you may be stuck. You may be frozen and fearful, and feeling panicked. You may be worried, and feel weary. Your vision may be blurred, and you may feel unsure of yourself, yet you have a business to run, and staff to look after. If you are feeling some, or perhaps all of these things, take a deep breath – help is at hand. With over forty chapters of wisdom, insights, experience, suggestions and advice from some of South Africa’s leading business minds and thought leaders, you will find pure gems of information, ideas and solutions on each page of The Book Every Business Owner Must Read.

Adapt, respond, and define your new ways of thinking to help you succeed. Get your pen and notebook ready, start reading and make notes and lists of what you can do, today, to not only survive, but thrive as a business.

Discover the life guide that has developed world champions, empowered athletes to become world #1, and most importantly, transformed their hearts and minds. This step-by-step training manual from one of the world's top mental skills coaches will teach you how to train your mind like the very best.

Whether you’re an athlete or entrepreneur, single mother or father of five, you’ll find exercises, techniques and tools in this book that will improve every area of your life. Your life will take on new meaning as you move beyond the pursuit of happiness to a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Jim Murphy's complete program of proven mental techniques is based on the powerful principles of love, wisdom, and courage, that came from over six years of full-time research and writing (after his masters degree in Coaching Science).

Inner Excellence will show you how to:

• DEVELOP SELF-MASTERY—and let go of what you can’t control
• OVERCOME ANXIETY—and build powerful mental habits
• REMOVE MENTAL BLOCKS—and get out of your own way
• TRAIN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND—and release limiting beliefs

As a professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization, Jim’s sense of worth and identity revolved around his performance. He was obsessed with fame but also afraid of failure, and that fear made him struggle under the pressure to perform.

When he started coaching professional and Olympic athletes, he saw the same pattern over and over again: athletes had lost their joy and passion for life as the fear of failure engulfed their lives. This book will share with you how some of the best athletes in the world transformed their careers through Inner Excellence.

You'll learn how Inner Excellence propelled them to extraordinary performance even when they were filled with doubt and uncertainty, and how you can excel in the same way in your life.

It's true that life holds many challenges, but oftentimes the biggest obstacle to our own success and happiness comes from within. In fact, we are experts at self-sabotage. If we could just get out of our own way, imagine what we could accomplish! That's exactly what bestselling author John Mason is going to help you do in this book. Honing in on areas of life where you might be standing in your own way, Mason will help you conquer - negative self-talk - fear - lack of focus - regret - indecision - trust issues - distraction - perfectionism - anxiety - overwhelm - and so much more With his enthusiastic help, you'll discover how you can set and achieve your goals, maintain a positive attitude, and face each day with a spirit of gratitude and possibility.

A successful motivational management speaker offers an innovative approach to building collaborative relationships, both professional and personal. The author is a former judge for the California state agency that oversaw dispute resolution and collective bargaining for state employees. He has successfully mediated almost 2,000 disputes.