Professional Development Books (By Women) That Would Make Great Last-Minute Gifts

Dec 22

Curated by Katie Johnson, WIN Staff

Every year WIN rounds up our favorite books. This year, we’ve scoured the internet to find the best titles for business, professional development, leadership, and negotiation - all written by women. These twenty-six titles will leave you inspired and ready to take on 2022. Whether you’re looking for a last-minute gift for a loved one or are wanting to find something new for yourself, below you’ll find our top picks.

Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly by Mori Taheripour

Contrary to conventional wisdom about what makes a good negotiator - namely, being aggressive and unemotional - in Bring Yourself, Taheripour offers a radically different perspective. In her own life, and in her more than 15 years of experience teaching negotiation, she's found that the best negotiators are empathetic, curious, and present. The essence of bargaining isn't the transaction, but the conversation and human connection. It is when we bring our whole, authentic selves to the table that we can advocate for ourselves fearlessly and find creative solutions that benefit everyone.

Negotiate Like YOU M.A.T.T.E.R.: The Sure Fire Method to Step Up and Win by Rebecca Zung Esq.

Every single person wants to feel seen, heard, understood and know they MATTER. This is true in any human interaction, but in negotiations the stakes are higher. The outcome of a negotiation becomes an outward measurement of our value, and if you haven't done your internal growth work, then at the deepest, darkest level, a "loss" in negotiations feels like YOU are less, not just that you RECEIVED less. That risk of vulnerability is often not worth the potential gain. Using her years of experience in litigating divorces for the world's most powerful people, attorney Rebecca Zung shares, through easy to understand language and humorous stories, the exact steps to the secret of how to get what you want. A totally innovative approach to negotiation, she blends the worlds of self-help, quantum physics, and body language with all the more traditional negotiation skills, strategies, tactics and techniques.

Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters by Kara Goldin

A Wall Street Journal Bestselling Business Book, Undaunted will inspire you to move past your fears and defy the doubters. It doesn’t matter whether you feel confident; it matters what you actually do. Author Kara Goldin combines real honest stories from her life with observations that might just change how you think about your own. Whether you want to get healthy, start a company, break an addiction, find a new career or just grow in life, Undaunted will inspire you to just go for it and help you find the courage to get there.

Ask for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything by Alexandra Carter

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Ask for More shows that by asking better questions, you get better answers—and better results from any negotiation.

Negotiation is not a zero-sum game. It’s an essential skill for your career that can also improve your closest relationships and your everyday life. Still, people often shy away from it, feeling defeated before they’ve even started. In this groundbreaking new book on negotiation, Alexandra Carter—Columbia law professor and mediation expert who has helped students, business professionals, the United Nations, and more—offers a straightforward accessible approach anyone can use to ask for and receive more.

Lead Like an Ally: A Journey Through Corporate America with Proven Strategies to Facilitate Inclusion by Julie Kratz

Leaders, now more than ever, are wrestling with how to attract and retain diverse talent and be inclusive leaders. Despite the best of intentions, very few organizations are reaching their equality goals, even those deeply committed to diversity and inclusion. Leaders have the biggest impact on culture, yet they need tools to do this. Lead Like an Ally provides proven strategies, teaching leaders how to be inclusive with its companion manager tool kit to facilitate sustained success.

Not Done Yet!: How Women Over 50 Regain Their Confidence and Claim Workplace Power by Bonnie Marcus

For women over fifty, this invaluable guide combines practical advice, and exercises, and no shortage of sass that will inspire readers to beat ageist limitations and own their careers. In this revelatory, inspiring, and savvy new book, Marcus is out to convince you that, in fact, you can do a whole lot. You can keep your job, advance your career, do the work you love and need to do―and defy all the ageist assumptions that suggest otherwise. In Not Done Yet! the realities of aging in the workplace are not sugar-coated. Straight-talking and savvy, Marcus tells it like it is, and doing so, empowers you to navigate the challenges. She begins by laying out the fears and assumptions that hold women back. Then she shares tips and exercises to stop staying small and stay in the game. Finally, she teaches you how to move from being a sadass to a badass, with practical advice about caring for yourself and fueling your confidence to flourish at work.

More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth

A New York Times Bestseller, part-manifesto, part-memoir, from the revolutionary editor who infused social consciousness into the pages of Teen Vogue, an exploration of what it means to come into your own—on your own terms. Elaine Welteroth moves beyond the headlines and highlight reels to share the profound lessons and struggles of being a barrier-breaker across so many intersections. As a young boss and often the only Black woman in the room, she’s had enough of the world telling her—and all women—they’re not enough. As she learns to rely on herself by looking both inward and upward, we’re ultimately reminded that we’re more than enough.

Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love by Kimberly B. Cummings

Kimberly B. Cummings leaves no stone unturned with this thorough, expert guide for professionals seeking to understand how to navigate the world of work, from beginning to end, starting with uncovering personal and professional values in an effort to align their expertise and skills to roles and companies that will finally change the trajectory of their career and set them up to be leaders in the workforce. As a former career development adviser in some of the nation's top universities and a diversity + inclusion professional in a Fortune 100 company, Cummings has recognized that people work for the sake of working without understanding how to leverage their unique gifts and position themselves for success. As a result, Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning into a Career You'll Love shares transformational lessons to ensure success and puts the ball back in your court.

Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World by Stephanie Schriock

From the president of EMILY's List, Run to Win is a playbook for women changing the world in politics, business, or any arena. Organized around the steps that EMILY's List coaches its candidates through (from deciding to run through celebrating victory), this book is full of essential lessons for any woman trying to succeed in a male-dominated field. Their arena is politics but their message is universal. And Stephanie Schriock is the most qualified person to share these lessons. Her message is uplifting and actionable, her voice is that of your best girlfriend walking you through what you need to consider as you make your plan, and her experience coaching the biggest female candidates in recent elections (including all of the female 2020 Democratic presidential candidates) makes her the de facto authority on the strategies women can employ to run, fight, and win, whatever their field or goal.

We're Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris: How to Use Your Voice, Be Assertive, and Own Your Story by Hitha Palepu

Kamala Harris is one of our country's most awe-inspiring political figures, dawning on a new age as the first—but not last—Black and Asian-American female Vice President. Having spent her entire career smashing glass ceilings and influencing the next generation of young women, Harris has completely redefined what it means to be a woman in politics. In We’re Speaking, Palepu connects illuminating stories from Harris’ unique biography with tactical advice that will teach you to how to own the power of your multitudes and act on and embrace your ambition. Best of all, We're Speaking will leave you feeling empowered to follow in Harris's footsteps — shattering glass ceilings of your own as you live the life of your dreams!

Understanding and Mental Models: Master Your Negotiation, Decision Making, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking Skills while Improving Your Life with Fast, Focused, Great Strategies and Tools By Kate Davis

Have you ever wondered what sets apart innovators from everyday people? It starts with their thought processes. This handy guide is designed to help you master negotiation, improve your decision-making, aid you in problem-solving as well as sharpen your critical thinking skills. With fast, focused, strategies and tools that will help you learn the basics of mental models and how they can change your life.

The Connector's Advantage: 7 Mindsets to Grow Your Influence and Impact by Michelle Tillis Lederman

With a record-breaking number of people either out of work or transitioning to remote work, connections―particularly diverse and inclusive connections―are more important than ever. Expanding your connections and being an inclusive Connector is critical to attaining faster, easier, and better results, especially when job hunting, reentering the workforce, or reimagining your current role in the wake of the pandemic. And even if you are already a Connector, this book will help you take it up a level. Michelle Tillis Lederman has curated connections and includes expert advice from over two dozen authors, coaches, and business owners including Marshall Goldsmith, Dorie Clark, Ivan Misner, Susan RoAnn and more. Regardless of your goal―a job, a promotion, new business, a referral―who you know and who knows you will lead to opportunities. It is the strength of your relationships that leads to your success.

Power Moves: How Women Can Pivot, Reboot, and Build a Career of Purpose by Lauren McGoodwin

From the founder of the influential website Career Contessa, an invaluable career resource for women feeling stuck or unfulfilled that combines actionable advice, learning tools to make impactful life changes, and an in-depth discussion of how to build a meaningful career on your terms. Drawing on the insights and lessons developed from Career Contessa, Power Moves is the essential handbook that helps professional women truly feel understood so they can bypass perfection and planning and head straight to evolving. McGoodwin addresses young professionals’ number-one concern: career transitions and growth.

Negotiate Without Fear: Strategies and Tools to Maximize Your Outcomes by Victoria Medvec

With Negotiate Without Fear: Strategies and Tools to Maximize Your Outcomes, master negotiator, Kellogg professor, and accomplished CEO Victoria Medvec delivers an authoritative and practical resource for eliminating the fear that impedes success in negotiation. In this book, readers will discover unique and proprietary negotiation strategies honed over decades advising Fortune 500 clients on high-stakes, complex negotiations. Negotiate Without Fear provides readers at all levels of negotiation skill the ability to increase their negotiating confidence and maximize their negotiation success.

The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win by Maria Konikova

It's true that Maria Konnikova had never actually played poker before and didn't even know the rules when she approached Erik Seidel, Poker Hall of Fame inductee. He was intrigued by her pitch that she wasn't interested in making money so much as learning about life. Under Seidel's guidance, Konnikova did have many epiphanies about life that derived from her new pursuit, including how to better read, not just her opponents but far more importantly herself; how to identify what tilted her into an emotional state that got in the way of good decisions; and how to get to a place where she could accept luck for what it was, and what it wasn't. But she also began to win. And win.

The Conflict Resolution Grail: Awareness, Compassion and a Negotiator’s Toolbox by Meysa Maleki

Global conflict is one of the top challenges the world faces today. Our survival as the human race demands that we pay attention to our own role in conflict. Resolving conflict on a global scale requires change at the level of individuals. Lawyer and Mediator Meysa Maleki introduces the everyday person to the elements of conflict, the sub-conversations and the skills that are required to resolve conflict effectively. However, her solution to addressing human conflict goes beyond just the latest conflict resolution theory, negotiation techniques, and the interpersonal skills of a mediator. She draws on the strengths of human beings, their capacity for compassion and their immense potential to change their subconscious programming through awareness. Meysa Maleki provides a new paradigm, one that is based on awareness, compassion, and a negotiator’s toolbox.

Don't Leave Money On The Table: Negotiation Strategies for Women Leaders in Male-Dominated Industries by Jacqueline Twillie

Don’t Leave Money on The Table: Negotiation Strategies for Women Leaders in Male-Dominated Industries is the go-to book for women who lead. Inside the book, you’ll learn the LATTE Method which is a proven negotiation framework that is a foundational strategy for communicating effectively. The 5-point framework to develop a win/win negotiation for business deals and salary negotiations.

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez

Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates this shocking root cause of gender inequality in the award-winning, #1 international bestseller Invisible Women. Examining the home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more, Criado Perez unearths a dangerous pattern in data and its consequences on women’s lives. Product designers use a “one-size-fits-all” approach to everything from pianos to cell phones to voice recognition software, when in fact this approach is designed to fit men. Cities prioritize men’s needs when designing public transportation, roads, and even snow removal, neglecting to consider women’s safety or unique responsibilities and travel patterns. Built on hundreds of studies in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, highly readable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.

Bringing Up the Boss: Practical Lessons for New Managers by Rachel Pachecho

Managing is hard. Managing for the first time is even harder. Rachel Pacheco, an expert at helping start-ups solve their management and culture challenges. In Bringing Up the Boss: Practical Lessons for New Managers, you’ll learn how to give effective feedback, how to motivate your team members, and how to hire and fire well, among many other critical management skills. You’ll also learn what it means to manage yourself in this new role, and how to navigate the often awkward and sometimes challenging situations that arise in this new position. Pacheco shares what makes a manager great, along with anecdotes, research, tools, and how-to's that help overwhelmed employees become expert managers fast.

Networking, Negotiations, and the Power of No: The “N” Essentials for Building You and Your Business by Dr. Christine Kozachuk, Natalie Williams, and LaShanda Millner

Networking is an essential part of building wealth, whether you own a business or are commission-based. The tips and exercises provided will show you how to strategically network to build long-lasting business relationships. Women who can embrace their authentic capability and passionately operate from a place of authenticity are gifted in developing lasting relationships, which is the key objective in compromising for a winning solution. Being a business owner, you need to include NO in your business language. It is a professional and personal growth strategy. Learn the tips and strategies of saying NO that will keep you moving towards your mission, vision, and goals.

Becoming Heroines: Unleashing Our Power for Revolution and Rebirth by Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin

You were born with massive reservoirs of strength, confidence, and creativity. But oppressive structures that keep you “in your place”—that is, silent, weak, and complacent—have cut you off you from your natural gifts and pitted women against one another. Following the timeless wisdom of the heroine's journey, Becoming Heroines invites you to recover your inner power and unleash it as a force for change in the world. For decades, Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin has been the go-to mentor for women who’ve wasted years playing by traditional rules. Now, she’ll show you how to break away from that which no longer serves you, starting by healing the painful memories that hold you back from living to your fullest capacity. You’ll learn how to confront any internalized bias contributing to systems of oppression. And joining with the growing revolution, you’ll be inspired to lend your voice to those repairing the wounds of history in order to build a future of freedom and justice for all. At once deeply heartfelt and galvanizing, Becoming Heroines is an empowering call to recover your rightful role as the heroine of your own life. For any woman ready to rise from the ashes of trauma and grief, live out her values more radically, and lead us all to a better world, the journey begins.

Optimal Outcomes: Free Yourself from Conflict at Work, at Home, and in Life by Jennifer Goldman-Welzer Ph.D.

An award-winning conflict consultant, Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler offers a new path to take when agreement and collaboration seem impossible, and teaches us that when conflict resolution fails, we can achieve freedom instead—even without others’ cooperation. This innovative method, based on Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler’s training at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, two decades as a consultant to Fortune 500 and high-growth CEOs and senior teams, grassroots work with Middle East leaders, US government-funded research on terrorism, and her popular course at Columbia University, Optimal Outcomes reveals eight groundbreaking practices proven to help people everywhere free themselves from conflict. With inspiring stories from clients, students, and Dr. Goldman-Wetzler’s own life lighting the way, you’ll learn to observe complex situations with clarity, access your shadow values (things you really care about but have been unwilling to admit), and take bold, simple, surprising action.

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington

As more and more people are coming to realize, there is far more to living a truly successful life than just earning a bigger salary and capturing a corner office. Our relentless pursuit of the two traditional metrics of success--money and power--has led to an epidemic of burnout and stress-related illnesses, and an erosion in the quality of our relationships, family life, and, ironically, our careers. In being connected to the world 24/7, we're losing our connection to what truly matters. Our current definition of success is, as Thrive shows, literally killing us. We need a new way forward. In this deeply personal book, Arianna talks candidly about her own challenges with managing time and prioritizing the demands of a career and raising two daughters--of juggling business deadlines and family crises, a harried dance that led to her collapse and to her "aha moment." Drawing on the latest groundbreaking research and scientific findings in the fields of psychology, sports, sleep, and physiology that show the profound and transformative effects of meditation, mindfulness, unplugging, and giving, Arianna shows us the way to a revolution in our culture, our thinking, our workplace, and our lives.

Minority Negotiations: How To Make A D.E.A.L Breaking Glass Ceilings by Loren Bass

It’s a common, yet unfortunate fact that most minorities do not negotiate a job offer. Money is usually the most sensitive issue in the hiring process. Discussing total compensation often causes anxiety for both the prospective employee and the employer. This book will help you, the job seeker, navigate a total negotiation package for a new job. It’s time to stop simply focusing on the salary and evaluate all the benefits and opportunities. Assess your job offer, learn the D.E.A.L. method, and confidently make your ask!

Ladies Get Paid: The Ultimate Guide to Breaking Barriers, Owning Your Worth, and Taking Command of Your Career by Claire Wasserman

Claire Wasserman has one goal for women: Rise up and get paid. As the founder of Ladies Get Paid, Claire has worked her entire adult life to promote gender equality in the workplace. If you’re looking to navigate a promotion or break the glass ceiling, Ladies Get Paid is your essential toolkit for achieving success. Filled with straightforward advice and inspiring stories, this book is a transformative “guide to succeeding in your field, even when you feel completely stuck” (Beth Comstock, author of Imagine It Forward), by encouraging self-advocacy and activism. Covering topics as crucial and varied as how to combat imposter syndrome, deal with office politics, and negotiate a raise, Ladies Get Paid is a reminder that you are valuable—both as an individual woman and as part of the female community. And ultimately, it’s about more than your wallet—it’s about your worth.

Negotiating at Home: Essential Steps for Reaching Agreement with Your Kids by Terri Kurtzberg and Mary Kern

Parents spend an awful lot of time negotiating with their kids―over everyday requests, rules and policies, and big decisions, and often end up derailed and frustrated. In Negotiating at Home, Kurtzberg and Kern offer parents a chance to look more closely at what they already do well (and why) and what can be done better. Grounded in decades of research on how to negotiate effectively, parents will learn about how to plan, recognize specific tactics, communicate and work in partnerships with other family members, address fairness, and handle conflict.