In their book, A CAREER CAROL: A Tale Of Professional Nightmares And How To Navigate Them, Helmut Schuster, PhD and David Oxley, DBA, veterans of leadership and management roles, provide relevant, entertaining, and practical business and life advice specifically designed for young professionals, though will resonate across generations. The book is an irreverent take on the Charles Dickens classic, graduation commencement speakers, and Gen Z expectations.

Drawn from the author’s own experiences and those they have helped to navigate career crises; the book contains practical tips on how to succeed. Drawing on the imagery of Dickens’ spirits, each visitation in the fable is focused on how progressing through the natural phases of human development can manifest in professional careers. The second part of the book takes each visitation in turn, explains the inspiration behind them, provides tools designed to help achieve self-recognition, and finishes with a real-life story from the authors.

Dr Helmut Schuster is a dual Austrian/British citizen who lives in London, UK. He is the former Group HR Director of BP PLC. Schuster is currently Chairman of the Board of Ivoclar Group, a world leader in aesthetic dentistry, an active entrepreneur, investor, and frequent contributor to leadership and AFS Intercultural Programs. He completed his PhD in Economics from the University of Vienna.

Dr David Oxley is a dual UK/US citizen based in Austin, Texas. He started his career as a management consultant before leading major people and corporate restructuring projects for BP PLC across Europe, USA, India, and the Middle East. Oxley worked closely with Reliance Industries in India, one of BP’s partners, as they embarked on their big corporate restructuring. He was awarded his doctorate in Organizational Change at Cranfield University and his MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

In A PLACE FOR T: Giving Voice To The Tortoise In Our Hare-Brained World, Lengel offers a reframing of the classic Aesop’s fable that pitted the fast and clever Hare against the slow and steady Tortoise. He presents a different slant, where the race is an internal competition between people’s Hare-brained heads and their Tortoise-inspired hearts. The outspoken Hare represents intellect, which feeds on information, rationality, and the practical; the soft-spoken Tortoise, ‘T’, represents the voice of humanity which feeds on emotion, relationships, and the impractical. In this light, the human-race reflects a competition between Hare-brained thinking honed in schools and reinforced in organizations and a desire to preserve and value the spirit of our humanity that reflects the ability to care, love, be compassionate and in general be civil, respectful and trusting of each other. Lengel poses that our Hare-brained thinking and its technological products are handicapping this race in a way that gives no voice to T, and the result is we are outrunning our humanity. We can’t talk to one another; there is increasing hate and violence in our culture; political polarization; failed change efforts in organizations; and the disappearance of leaders. This has implications for nations, businesses and organizations, and our personal lives.

Dr. Robert H. Lengel holds a BS and MS in aerospace engineering, an MBA, and a PhD that blended oceanography, environmental management, leadership and organizational dynamics in business. His career began designing jet and rocket propulsion systems, and meandered through fluid computer design and industrial sales, a stint on Wall Street, time in an environmental think tank, academics, consulting and now writing.

Identify the real problem. Don’t waste time and money solving the wrong problem.

Consistently create ideas. Make your business recession-proof and competition-proof.

Grow your business. Solve the tough problems holding you back.

Leading in today’s world is difficult, and it is not getting easier. To compete and be profitable in today’s marketplace, you need big, creative solutions and you need them now. Just as you follow a recipe to cook a great meal, there is a recipe to create great ideas. Create in a Flash is based on Dr. Roger Firestien’s 40 years helping companies unleash the innovation of their workforce. Roger’s clients include AT&T, SC Johnson, Disney, Hilton, NASA and over 600 other organizations big and small, including corporations, government, universities and churches.

Roger L. Firestien, PhD has trained more people to lead the creative process than anyone else in the world. He is Senior Faculty and Associate Professor at the Center for Applied Imagination at SUNY Buffalo State. As president of Innovation Resources, Inc., he consults, creates training programs, runs Breakthrough Labs, and has created a series of courses for Open Sesame. 

WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER 

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

 In a world characterized by constant change, individuals and organizations need to pivot to adapt. In EVERYTHING CONNECTS:  Cultivating Mindfulness, Creativity, And Innovation For Long-term Value. Entrepreneur, thought leader, and innovator Faisal Hoque shows how to thrive in the environment of change in which we live and work.

The book – a revision of the first edition of EVERYTHING CONNECTS – includes new material on changes due to the pandemic, mindfulness and resiliency, all designed to help leverage and thrive in the flickering environment of change. These additional topics add substance to the seminal focus of the original edition, and further the core message that everything has a relationship to everything else, resulting in a powerful synergy.

Part philosophy, part business, and part history, this book is a kaleidoscopic view of the way humans―by being able to think out of the box―have been able to achieve greatness for themselves, their organizations, and the world at large.

Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, senior executive, author, thought leader, public speaker, and advisor to management teams and BODs with more than 25 years of cross-industry success. He is the founder of SHADOKA, NextChapter, and other companies; they focus on enabling sustainable and transformational changes.

What distinguishes the merely great individuals from the truly exceptional? After years of profiling hundreds of fascinating people, business journalist Polina Marinova Pompliano realized that the highest performers use mental frameworks that fundamentally change the way they see the world. 

In HIDDEN GENIUS: The Secret Ways Of Thinking That Power The World’s Most Successful People, Pompliano exposes readers to the hidden genius of a wide variety of people whose journeys have taught them practical lessons that can be applied to everyday life. There is no perfect human being, but everyone can learn from each other’s most fulfilling successes – as well as their most devastating failures.

Polina Marinova Pompliano is the founder of The Profile, a new media company that features longform profiles of successful people and companies each week.

Previously, she spent five years at Fortune where she wrote more than 1,300 articles and earned the trust of prominent investors and entrepreneurs. As the author and editor of Term Sheet, Fortune’s industry-leading dealmaking newsletter, Polina interviewed the industry’s most influential dealmakers including Melinda Gates, Steve Case, Chamath Palihapitiya, Alexis Ohanian, and more.

Stress is an everyday occurrence in life, whether from work, personal relations, money, health, or a combination of factors. Anyone who experiences stress can relate to the heightened state of emotions which can often lead to irrational decision making.

The solution, according to physician Gary Sprouse, author of HIGHWAY TO YOUR HAPPY PLACE: A Roadmap To Less Stress, is to be mentally prepared so when stress does occur, one is able to manage it. Only then can people be in a position to take control over their lives and spend as much time living in their Happy Place as they can.

The book provides readers a roadmap to manage stress – worry, guilt, regret, boredom, low self-esteem, and the feeling of being overwhelmed – more effectively and efficiently.

Gary Sprouse, MD, is an internist who has seen patients out of his private practice in Chester, MD, since 1985. Prior to embarking on his career in internal medicine, Dr. Sprouse earned both his BS and MD from George Washington University, where he became a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class from the university’s medical school. Dr. Sprouse is often referred to as The Less Stress Doc.

#1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

Transformational leaders will leverage positive change

In a world of explosive change and transformation, leaders at all levels―from heads of state and global corporations to entrepreneurs and gig economists―will offer the best opportunity for leveraging change and transforming our lives for the better. This includes how we work, play, govern ourselves, and consider and plan for our collective futures.

This thought-provoking book invites you to explore the intersection of transformational leadership, systemic thinking, and experiential learning―all required to survive and thrive the tsunami of changes and disruptions caused by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and misinformation trends.

Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, senior executive, author, thought leader, public speaker, and advisor to management teams and BODs with more than 25 years of cross-industry success. He is the founder of SHADOKA, NextChapter, and other companies; they focus on enabling sustainable and transformational changes.

​In LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF DAY: How To Avoid The ‘Success Trap’, Strive To Be At Your Best, And Live A More Meaningful, Flourishing, And Prosperous Life, behavioral scientist David Penglase challenges readers to discover or rediscover what really matters in life, avoid getting caught in the success trap, and strive to be the best version of themselves.

Success traps in workplace settings cause people to avoid acknowledging unfair or unethical behavior as well as creating toxic work cultures. Success traps in personal relationships can lead to lies and deceit.

Penglase provides an evidence-based blueprint to approach success through a less complex, more practical, and accessible way. With proven tips and strategies, he enables readers to discover why and how their intentions impact almost every measure of success in life and business, and how forming trust-based relationships is the foundation to a more balanced, meaningful, flourishing, and prosperous life.

David Penglase, B.Bus (HRD), MBA, MProfEthics, MScAPP, is a behavioral scientist with degrees in business and the psychology of adult learning, an MBA, a master’s degree in Professional Ethics, and a Master of Science degree in Applied Positive Psychology. He is the author of Intentionomics – The Impact Of Your Intentions On Living A Happy, Flourishing, And Prosperous Life and The Art & Science Of Building Customer Trust – How To Fast-Track Trust And Earn New, Repeat And Referral Business.

He is an award-winning international conference speaker and corporate educator, working with top-tier corporations, helping leaders and their teams achieve success by applying evidence-based strategies and tips from the fields of applied positive psychology, professional ethics, and the science of intentional trust.

Leadership and conflict resolution expert Penny Tremblay has created a playful yet highly effective approach to conflict resolution in her new book, SANDBOX STRATEGIES FOR THE NEW WORKPLACE: Conflict Resolution From The Inside Out. Filled with vivid examples from workplace relationships, Tremblay presents a system that resolves conflict, builds leadership capacity, facilitates an inclusive planning strategy, and expands accountability.

The book highlights the new reality of workplace conflict, including the hybrid circumstances where many in-person relationships have transitioned to online, and people have more time to reflect on their behaviors and relationships. Working in remote or hybrid situations and digital collaboration spaces increases miscommunications, worsens misunderstandings, and leads to more workplace conflict. “The solution is recognizing that conflict resolution is an inside job. We must get comfortable being uncomfortable, move through challenging conversations and learn to have healthy debates. It’s about not settling for the status quo. We are all destined to be great,” says Tremblay.

Penny Tremblay is an international speaker, trainer, and mediator. Founder of the Tremblay Leadership Center and the Sandbox System™, Tremblay teaches people how to “play nice” in the sandbox at work, and when they don’t, she helps them fix disconnected relationships.

Tremblay enjoys a spiritually connected life, and strong relationships with her children and partner in North Bay, Ontario, and Riverside, Rhode Island. Her “Joy” is a yellow lab and the great outdoors, which balance the hours spent serving clients both in person and virtually.

Entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and business owners must prepare for a future in which subject matter expertise will no longer suffice. To remain relevant – and to prepare for the next inevitable crisis – they must learn essential skills, understand themselves, and shift their mindsets accordingly. As strategy consultant Alex Brueckmann says in SECRETS OF NEXT-LEVEL ENTREPRENEURS: 11 Powerful Lessons To Thrive In Business And Lead A Balanced Life, the time is now to grow beyond existing limits – personally and professionally.

The book discusses three mission-critical pillars that contribute to building future-proof businesses: strategy, leadership, and self-care. “It’s essential to strategically re-adjust a business for success, consciously shape leadership and culture, and practice self-care as we humbly accept our limitations as entrepreneurs and leaders,” says Brueckmann.

A singular and powerful collection of resources for entrepreneurs, founders, managers, executives, board members, and other business leaders, this book is essential reading for the future of businesses worldwide.

Alex Brueckmann is a strategy facilitator, speaker, and author. He talks about the power of strategy and identity, transformation leadership, purpose, impact, and legacy. Alex has impacted thousands of business leaders across the world, from multinationals to start-ups.

 He is an alumnus of EBS European Business School (Germany), and holds certificates in change management, leadership, finance, organizational development, and strategy from INSEAD (France), and Harvard Business School (USA)