LBM November December 2026 Pages Alternative Digital 208 | Page 34

34 Book Reviews

Unlocking skills for the next generation

This book addresses how to stay ahead in what is described as a world of work being re-shaped by three competing forces: ineffective legacy leadership practices: increasingly volatile operating environments; and changing expectations from Gen Z and Millennials. These changes are happening so quickly that many organisations are struggling to keep up.
Co-ordinated action
The thesis is that as AI commoditises information, data and knowledge, it’ s now human capabilities like creativity, judgement and sensemaking that offer a competitive advantage – rather than outdated traits like stability and hierarchy.
Author Justin Pennington explains that the leaders of tomorrow will only succeed by thinking and acting like intrapreneurs – those that create change from within organisations, start building without having authority, and turn complexity into co-ordinated action.
Capabilities
Combining behavioural science frameworks and the need for digital literacy, this new leadership template features eight capabilities(‘ prompts’) and 27 practical tools(‘ plays’). Along with QR codes linking to exclusive video content, and a supporting pocket app for easy reference, the book goes beyond theory and is designed for real-world application.
The author draws on his own story of social mobility and an abundance of lived experience across many industries, roles and blue-chip firms. Pennington learned to read systems, adapt and build influence without authority or access, which helped build his global career across more than 35 countries and three continents.
Empowering
Relevant for emerging or senior leaders, The Intrapreneur Leader is a guide to unlocking the skills needed for next-generation leadership, empowering leaders to move from waiting for permission to creating change from within.
The Intrapreneur Leader: a playbook for next generation human leadership Author: Justin Pennington Published by Candy Jar Group

Strengthening cyber defence from inside out

Organisations invest millions in firewalls, encryption, security systems and compliance frameworks, yet still leave themselves vulnerable to cyberattacks.
According to former military CISO and security advisor Tobias Ander, the problem isn ' t necessarily a lack of technology or information. It is the human behaviour and organisational culture surrounding cybersecurity.
Human action
A large number of cyber incidents still involve human action, social engineering or error, highlighting the limitations
of relying on technical controls alone. Yet many organisations
continue to approach the human side of security through annual awareness training, compliance checklists and policies that employees are expected to follow but quickly forget.
Roadmap In this book, Tobias Ander argues that whilst technology can be upgraded and systems can be patched, culture is something that must be deliberately designed.
Ander provides a practical roadmap for creating a resilient, human-centric security culture that makes security part of everyday organisational behaviour. The book explores
how organisations can move beyond compliance and awareness alone towards behavioural change, make security a leadership responsibility, turn mistakes into intelligence and align culture with regulation.
Information Security Culture gives organisations the strategic insight and practical tools they need to design, measure and sustain a security culture that strengthens cyber defence from the inside out.
Information Security Culture – the missing layer of cyber defence Author: Tobias Ander Published by Pug Förlag

Being your‘ best self’

This book promises lessons on stress from the boardroom to the battlefield and is certainly timely as early November
includes Stress Awareness Week. The premise of this book is simple: we can’ t eliminate stress but we can get much better at responding and recovering from it.
Rather than encouraging drastic lifestyle overhauls, the authors present interventions that are deliberately small and usable – for the middle of a working day, between meetings, after a difficult interaction or when we get home exhausted.
Triggers
Whilst we cannot remove external triggers entirely, we can learn to respond to them more
strategically and recover more intentionally, enabling us to grow from the daily discomfort we experience. When we master this, we have a much greater opportunity to show up as our‘ best self’, more often.
Whether leading a team, raising a family, building a business or simply navigating an increasingly fast-paced world, the goal isn’ t a life without stress. It’ s building the capacity to meet pressure, recover deliberately and return to your‘ best self’ more often.
Practical techniques
Authors Kevin Kachin and Nick Propper share strategies rooted in neuroscience and
psychophysiology, developed and applied with more than 150,000 people across Fortune 500 companies and high-stakes military settings.
The book offers practical techniques for breathing, movement, emotional regulation, energy, sleep and recovery that can be deployed in minutes.
Stressed Self to Best Self: the science-backed system for performing under pressure Authors: Kevin Kachin and Nick Propper Published by Impact Human Performance www. impacthumanperformance. com