Business / Management / Leadership
The Culture Map ✨
Erin Meyer
"Effective cross-cultural communication requires understanding that what feels polite in one culture may feel evasive in another." — This changed how I design feedback across China, UK, and South Asia teams.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team ✨
Patrick Lencioni
Trust isn't built in offsites. It's built in small moments when people can be honest without being punished for it.
Influence Without Authority ✨
Allan R. Cohen & David L. Bradford
The best HR work often happens when you have impact without the org chart on your side. Influence is a practice, not a title.
Multipliers ✨
Liz Wiseman
"Multipliers amplify intelligence in others; Diminishers shut it down." — I still ask myself: am I making people around me smarter?
Leaders Eat Last
Simon Sinek
"Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." — A reminder that culture starts with how leaders show up.
Dare to Lead
Brene Brown
Vulnerability isn't weakness at work — it's often the beginning of trust, especially in cultures where "being professional" means hiding doubt.
HR Disrupted ✨
Lucy Adams
HR doesn't need more process for its own sake. It needs the courage to challenge how organizations actually work — and to stay human while doing it.
Playing Big
Tara Mohr
Fear of being seen often keeps talented people quieter than they need to be. Naming that inner critic is the first step to playing bigger.
The Pause Principle
Kevin Cashman
A two-second pause before responding can change the entire tone of a difficult conversation. Still one of my most-used habits as an HRBP.
Psychology & Interpersonal Dynamics
Cues
Vanessa Van Edwards
People decide whether to trust you before you finish your first sentence. Micro-signals matter as much as your slide deck.
Give and Take
Adam Grant
Givers can succeed — but only when they set boundaries. Generosity without limits eventually burns out the people who care most.
How to Know a Person ✨
David Brooks
To really know someone, listen for the story they're trying to tell — not just the facts they present in a performance review.
The Source
Tara Swart
Your brain follows where you focus. Resilience isn't only mindset — it's partly a trained habit of attention and recovery.
The Genius of Athletes
Noel Brick & Scott Douglas
High performance isn't always about pushing harder. Often it's about recovering smarter — a lesson that applies far beyond sport.
Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone ✨
Amy Gallo
Working with difficult colleagues isn't about winning. It's about staying effective without losing yourself in the process.
关键冲突 (Crucial Confrontations) ✨
Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, & Al Switzler
The conversation you avoid today becomes the conflict you manage tomorrow — usually at a much higher cost.
The Next Conversation
Jefferson Fisher
Clear, calm language in conflict is a skill — not a personality trait. It can be practiced like any other HR capability.
Personal Development / Self-Help
The Road Less Traveled
M. Scott Peck
"Life is difficult." — Accepting that truth is the beginning of discipline, maturity, and real growth.
Tuesdays with Morrie
Mitch Albom
The big questions about living well don't wait for retirement. They show up in ordinary Tuesdays if you're paying attention.
The Get Things Done Book
Mikael Krogerus & Roman Tschappeler
Simple frameworks beat complex systems when you actually need to decide and move. I still reach for this when I'm overthinking.
6分钟日记的魔法 (The 6-Minute Diary)
Dominik Spenst
Six minutes of reflection each day compounds into clearer priorities. Small rituals can reshape how you show up at work.
The Let Them Theory
Mel Robbins
You can't control others. You can choose how much energy you give away trying. A useful reset when work gets emotionally noisy.
Sociology / Social Sciences / Non-fiction
置身事内
兰小欢
理解地方政府如何运作，才能更清楚地读懂中国的商业决策。做 HR 也需要看见组织背后的结构。
生育制度
费孝通
社会结构藏在日常制度里。读懂制度，才能读懂人 — 这对理解不同文化背景下的团队行为尤其重要。
泥潭
刘楚昕
有的选择没有标准答案，只有你必须承担的后果。读完后会更谨慎地看待"正确决定"这件事。
我在北京送快递
胡安焉
工作的尊严不取决于 office 还是 warehouse。作为 HR，这本书提醒我去看见每一个岗位背后的人。
Fiction (Novels & Literature)
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
Curiosity and friendship can solve problems that hierarchy can't. A gentle reminder that teams need warmth, not just process.
The Devil Wears Prada
Lauren Weisberger
The cost of ambition isn't always visible until you're already paying it. Culture can glamorize sacrifice long before it names the price.
The Call of the Wild
Jack London
Instinct and adaptability matter when the environment changes faster than the rules. Still relevant in every restructuring I've seen.
咸的玩笑
刘震云
幽默是一层包装，底下是对权力和命运的冷静观察。读小说也会训练你看组织里那些"说不出口"的部分。