The Extraordinary Business Book Club

'The writing is joyful, more or less. It's painful, but it's also joyful. The marketing of it is much harder.' Dr Lucy Ryan's book Revolting Women touched a nerve worldwide: many women can relate all too well to the perfect storm of challenges facing midlife women at work, and everyone has an opinion on it. Which took a bit of getting used to. In this week's conversation, part of my series talking to this year's Business Book Awards winners, Lucy talks frankly about the learning curve when a doctoral research project becomes an award-winning, conversation-sparking business book, and how she learned to love (or at least manage) the work of promoting it. From being squeezed down to seconds in her first radio interview to talking sex, drugs and rock and roll with Mariella Frostrup, her experience and hard-won lessons are pure gold to anyone setting out to write - and promote - a business book that makes an impact.

'The TLDR, the too-long-didn't-read of the whole thing, is that everybody's skimming. So we need to write in a way that makes it easy for skimmers if we want to achieve our goals as writers.' Todd Rogers has been using behavioural science for good for many years, from strengthening democracy to increasing student attendance, so his kids were somewhat underwhelmed when he turned his research to writing. But think for a moment what the world would be like if everyone wrote clearly and effectively in a world where readers have little time and patience. Imagine the time not wasted, the offence not taken, the goodwill not squandered, the ideas not lost in translation. Todd argues, and I agree with him, that better communication can lead to a kinder, more efficient world, and it starts with us. Whether it's an email, a business report, or a book, here are practical ideas for writing that's simply easier to read.

'Ruthlessness exists on a continuum, caring exists on a continuum, and it's about being in the sweet spots of both of those, not overplaying either one, or underplaying either one.' Amy Walters Cohen is the author of Ruthlessly Caring: And Other Paradoxical Mindsets Leaders Need to Be Future Fit, which was named overall Business Book of the Year in 2024. It's based on years of research, which revealed that the key skill for effective leadership in a complex world is the ability to hold in tension five seemingly paradoxical mindsets. As well as talking me through these, Amy told me about the challenges and rewards of translating her research into a book, including the amount of fidgeting, procrastination and coffee-fetching involved in the early stages. She also introduced me to the 'pub test', which I am shamelessly stealing for all future writing...

Laura Hamill, an organizational psychologist and co-founder of LimeAid, shares her insights on the real impact of organizational culture. She discusses how leaders must look beyond formal values to understand true employee experiences, emphasizing the challenges of cultural betrayal. Laura reveals her journey of writing, highlighting the importance of vulnerability and authenticity. She also stresses the power of storytelling in crafting meaningful workplace narratives and offers practical advice for leaders to foster a healthier culture.

Kathryn Jacob, co-author of "A Year of Creativity," emphasizes the vital role of human creativity in a landscape increasingly dominated by AI. She challenges the misconception that only certain people are creative, advocating for its inclusion in every workplace. The discussion highlights the irreplaceable human touch in writing, the emotional weight of books, and the dangers of relying too heavily on AI for storytelling. Thought leaders also explore how nurturing creativity can enhance individual and organizational success.

'They think the goal is to have the book, but no, the goal is to become the person it takes to write your book.' Dan Kieran is a publishing legend: as a co-founder of Unbound he revolutionizing the industry by empowering authors and readers. He learned a lot about himself and about setting up a business along the way, and he brought all that together in Do Start, winner of the Startup Book of the Year at the Business Book Awards. But he also firmly believes that writing isn't just, or even primarily, about the final product; it's the process itself, the way you understand and articulate your journey, both professionally and personally. Which is why turning to AI to generate your writing outputs for you is such a dangerous, self-defeating habit for anyone who cares about ideas. Or as Dan put it: 'Why would anyone want to read something that you couldn't be bothered to write?'

'I think we are living in a renaissance of the book... AI is changing how we are looking at trusted knowledge.' getAbstract is one of the leading corporate learning platforms, and it's based on books. The founders met with a lot of resistance from publishers in the early days, but their vision of making the knowledge in books discoverable and actionable quickly became reality. One reason was the brilliance of the team of abstracters creating summaries of the books, and in this episode we talk about how AI is changing the landscape and what that might mean for this most human of industries. I talk to getAbstract cofounder Thomas Bergan, VP and global Head of Rights Arnhild Walz-Rasilier, and Practical Inspiration author Julie Smith, who took home the Readers' Choice gong. But it quickly becomes clear I'm never going to make it as a roving reporter....

Tiffany Gaskell, Co-CEO of Performance Consultants and co-author of the latest edition of Coaching for Performance, dives into the transformative world of coaching. She shares her journey from banking to coaching and the legacy of her late co-founder, John Whitmore. The evolution of coaching as a crucial organizational tool is explored, alongside its connection to writing and personal growth. Tiffany emphasizes self-reflection and insightful questioning as key to unlocking potential, making a powerful case for coaching in both leadership and creative expression.

'Nice is about telling people what they want to hear. Kind is about telling people what they need to hear.' Graham Allcott's back on the podcast and all is well with the world once again. This time he's talking about the transformative power of kindness in the workplace. Many assume that leaders need to belong to Team Screw-Them-All-And-Be-Evil to come out on top, but Graham demonstrates that being kind (which is NOT the same as being 'nice') is is a smart move if you want to be successful too. There's a deeply personal story behind this which particularly resonated with me: Graham's own experience of the way his son's additional needs create a 'vessel for kindness' all around him. We talk about salted caramel, 'badass' kindness, how leading a course leads to writing a book, why two authors means twice the work, and how this is definitely the last book he'll write.* We also talk about what writing does for us - we write what we need to read - and why delegating it to AI is a poor strategy. Writers write. This is a conversation that will make you think, and which I hope will inspire you to be a little kinder, in life and work. *I for one do not believe this.

'The majority of people think their life would be better if they were more creative, but they don't know how.' There are lots of books on creativity out there, but surprisingly few at its intersection with everyday business, what Sue Unerman and Kathryn Jacob call 'pragmatic creativity'. So they developed a series of practical techniques and structured approaches for fostering creativity in every business situation, organized metaphorically by the seasons of the year. This is the third book they've written together, so I ask them about the secret of a happy, productive 'writing marriage', and also the role of their agent, Clare, as encourager, giver of advice and accountabliity partner. It's a fascinating insight into the role of collaboration in creativity, and the interplay between structure and adaptability. If you're committed to fostering innovation and inclusivity in your own professional and creative life, this one's for you.