Find Your Next Read: Our 10 Bestselling Books in August

Written by Shabnam Banerjee-McFarland | Sep 13, 2018 11:27:33 PM

As the summer winds down and we begin to settle into Fall, we're thrilled to see this healthy mix of new and classic titles making their way onto readers' bookshelves around the world, including the launch of a number of English-language editions sold in India by our partner Penguin Random House India. Read on for our bestselling titles in August.

1. Eat That Frog!

Brian Tracy's perennial bestseller Eat That Frog! tops our August sales, underlining the consistent demand for tools to help increase efficiency and productivity.

In Eat that Frog, Tracy explains how we often mistake working hard for working smart. He instead shows readers how working smart actually means getting more done in less time—by focusing on three key principles: decision, discipline, and determination.

Consistently recommended around the world as the go-to guide on time management, Eat That Frog! has sold over 2 million copies around the world in 46 languages.

Eat That Frog! is available in multiple interactive formats, including a card deck, workbook, video training, and audiobook.

2. Leadership and Self Deception and the Arbinger Suite

With the release of the third edition of the Arbinger Institute's global bestseller, Leadership and Self-Deception, we once again find all three Arbinger Institute books at the top of our sales in August. The first two editions of Leadership and Self-Deception have sold nearly 2 million copies in 33 languages worldwide. Amazon reviewers describe this book as "powerful," "life-changing," and an "amazing journey of reflection, introspection, and self-discovery.”

The Anatomy of Peace explores how we often misunderstand the causes of our conflicts and shows the paths to achieving true reconciliation. The Outward Mindset advocates for seeing beyond oneself as they key to performance, collaboration, and innovation.

All three books are available on Audible!

3. Humble Leadership & Humble Leadership Series

Humble Leadership has finally arrived! Ed Schein, known as the Father of Organizational Culture, and his son, management consultant Peter Schein, argue in Humble Leadership that today’s increasingly complex world requires us to discard the outdated and inflexible models of vertical hierarchy. Reviewers have called this work "compulsory reading" and "the only book on management that you will ever need."

This is the latest book in the Humble Leadership series, which also includes Humble Inquiry, and Humble Consulting. These books emphasize the need for humility to build all relationships. Snag the trio of books for the holistic and practical approaches, theories, and frameworks from the founder of the field!

4. The Introverted Leader

Introverted CEOs, like Mark Zuckerberg and Arianna Huffington, all have something in common - they incorporate and leverage their introversion into their leadership styles, and don't try to conform to what's expected of the extroverted leader.

In this expanded edition of The Introverted Leader, Jennifer Kahnweiler lays out a tested four-step strategy that introverts can use to build on their quiet strength as a source of great power. The book includes fresh information on the unique challenges faced by introverted women, how leaders can shape a more introvert-friendly workplace, customized hiring and coaching strategies for introverts, and the positive correlation between introverted leadership and company performance.

And don't just take it from us. New York Times bestselling author, Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B (with Sheryl Sandberg) says,

Right now, we’re in the midst of a renaissance of introverts in leadership roles. But too often, introverts still feel unprepared and uncertain about how to lead most effectively. Jennifer Kahnweiler has spent years working with introverted leaders, and this book is full of advice from the trenches.

5. Conversations Worth Having

Meaningful interactions with others unlike ourselves always present a challenge, but Conversations Worth Having shows why we can't shy away from having conversations—because they're a crucial part of everything we do. In order to make conversations with anyone—even people we agree with—more productive and powerful, the authors advocate for adopting the Appreciative Inquiry framework.

Conversations Worth Having shows how applying Appreciative Inquiry can dramatically improve the outcomes of our conversations and drive positive change. By focusing on what we want to happen instead of what we want to avoid, we expand creativity, improve productivity, and unleash real potential, at work and home.

6. On the Brink of Everything

Parker Palmer’s writings on teaching, education, leadership, and service have garnered a following of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

In his latest book, On the Brink of Everything, Palmer reflects on the trials and tribulations endured over eight decades of life as “a passage of discovery and engagement.” This profound work of honesty, poetry, and a transcendent view of what it means to navigate life with grace and gravity resonates with everyone regardless of profession, age, location, or outlook.

7. The Essentials of Theory U

Drawn from on the groundbreaking text Theory U, Otto Scharmer'sThe Essentials of Theory U condenses the key concepts from the highly regarded original to enable leaders to apply its concepts quickly and in real time.

Scharmer, a Senior Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Thousand Talents Program Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing, and co-founder of the Presencing Institute, argues that our capacity to pay attention coshapes the world. Our unawareness of the interior conditions from which our attentions and actions originate prevents us from attending to situations more effectively, Scharmer explains. He calls this lack of awareness our blind spot and offers hands-on methods to help change-makers overcome theirs through the process, principles, and practices of Theory U. Along with a framework for updating the “operating systems” of our institutions, economies, and democracies, this book enables leaders and organizations across all sectors to optimize awareness, access future possibilities, and co-shape the future.

8. The Serving Leader

As the servant leadership movement continues to grow, this month’s bestseller list welcomes Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert's The Serving Leader.

Using an engaging story, Jennings and Stahl-Wert show that people give their best when they are inspired to those heights by their leaders. The most effective leaders don’t just stand in front of their people, they stand behind them too. As one of the book’s characters notes, “You qualify to be first by putting other people first.” This second edition features a foreword by servant leadership pioneer Ken Blanchard who also holds the number ten spot on this list with his own book on servant leadership.

9. The Laws of Lifetime Growth

Another newcomer on our monthly bestseller list—but no stranger to stellar global sales—is The Laws of Lifetime Growth. This book guides readers through personal progress as a lifelong practice.

Distilled from Dan Sullivan’s decades of coaching successful people and paying attention to what motivates and unlocks the best in them, he and Catherine Nomura offer ten simple, elegant, and powerful laws that readers can use to keep a fresh, innovative perspective on their lives and the world around them. Each chapter explores one of the ten laws in detail and includes stories of people who exemplify the law in action, the common pitfalls they run into when trying to apply the law, and practical strategies for overcoming those obstacles.

10. Servant Leadership in Action

Ken Blanchard's Servant Leadership in Action comes in strong to round out August. This collection of reflections on servant leadership boasts original material by luminaries like Dave Ramsey, Stephen Covey, Brene Brown, Patrick Lencioni, Laurie Beth Jones , and several others. Released in March of this year, Servant Leadership in Action continues to make a profound impact on readers. Hailed by INC Magazine as "one of the most anticipated leadership books ever published," the book teaches readers how to cultivate a practice of servant leadership to build better relationships, achieve better results, and ultimately contribute to a better world.

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