The recent workplace upheaval brought on by the pandemic creates a pause for leaders at any stage in their careers to take stock and evaluate where they’ve been – and where they’re going. It’s a time for self-reflection and process improvement for their organizations.

To that end, Forbes.jobs presents a collection of summer “required reading” for executive leaders. Some are on the leading edge of modern thinking, others are business school stalwarts. Enjoy!

Adrift: America in 100 Charts
By Scott Galloway
The New York University Stern School of Business professor and popular lecturer delves into a post-pandemic America, where misinformation, workplace attitudes and a push-back from recent business and societal norms threatens to upend the nation’s leadership position across the globe. Prof. Galloway charts the nation’s post-World War II path to present day through visually insightful illustrations and essays that all executives can learn a lesson from. 320 pages.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t
By Jim Collins
There is no denying the painstaking research and findings of Collins’ Stanford University team, which spent more than a decade parsing the data collected of thousands of companies to identify those that stood head-and-shoulders above their peers for greatness, including Coca-Cola, Merck, Intel and General Electric, based on stock market performance. The discipline and focus of leadership truly stands out among the great firms. In 2017, Forbes named Collins one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. 400 pages.

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
By James Clear
A New York Times best-selling phenomenon for months, James Clear’s Atomic Habits uses the principles of biology, neuroscience and psychology to explain how small process changes to everyday thinking and behaviors leads to a more satisfying version of ourselves and the organizations we lead. Real-life anecdotes by professional athletes and industry leaders illustrate the behavioral science first-hand and provides healthy affirmation for improvement. 250 pages.

Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary
By Ozan Varol
When someone is called a “maverick,” “one of a kind,” “a genius,” many of use think it is reserved for actual geniuses like Albert Einstein or Marie Curie. Well, Varol, a best-selling author and rocket scientist, contends that each of us can cultivate the inner mental spark that elevates our work and stature to another level. Varol shows readers how to escape preconceived ideas and intellectual prisons to explore each of our unique thoughts and talents. 285 pages.

2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything
By Mauro Guillen
Traditional workplace rules are over, says the author. By 2030, there will be more robots than live people doing tasks; more grandparents than grandchildren; the global economy will be advanced by non-Western consumers; there will be more currencies than countries; the list goes on. The big question is: How will leaders respond? Bury their heads in the sand? Guillen suggests we think “laterally,” using “peripheral vision” to approach problems. 285 pages.

Other highly anticipated books:
• Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
• The Deadly Rise of Anti-science: A Scientist’s Warning by Peter Hotez, MD, PhD
• Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work by Bill Schaninger

Photo illustration by Forbes.jobs