My Picks

Continuous learning, development and improvement are non-negotiables for leaders and experts alike. The world is moving too quickly for our knowledge to remain current without active commitment to updating it. Below you will find some of the material I have found particularly stimulating of late.

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My Bookshelf

We all learn differently, but if reading is for you, take a moment to consider the following books. My favourite ideas to read about are those which fuel my introspection, challenge my beliefs (for better or worse), and spark curiosity.

Free Will, Sam Harris

I can all but guarantee you will fall into an existential crisis on first parse once you learn irrevocably why your free will does not exist. However, once you move on from that slight inconvenience (assuming you have the constitution to withstand a little nihilistic despair), the results of the mental stretch are deeply fascinating. Personally, I found it increased my capacity for compassion and understanding, both for others and for myself.

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The Road Less Travelled, Scott Peck

This isn't one I read recently, but it is deserving of a special mention for being so formative to my personal development. It was pivotal in calcifying my understanding of self awareness and accountability. Further, it taught me how to truly grieve all aspects of a decision before making it, with a view to preventing ever needing to after the fact.

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The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

I loved this book so much that I wanted to learn Portuguese just to read the story in its original form. Joy and whimsy aside, this book is a powerful tool for reminding me of the categories of people I inevitably encounter along the way when pursuing an unconventional path. The narrative also serves as a timely reminder of the importance of trusting my intuition and fortitude, as well as how to leverage these into positive self-fulfilling prophesies.

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Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand

Way back when, this book was my introduction to objectivism (and subsequently, libertarianism) and its contributing role towards a robust sense of self. While I tend to love most dystopian narratives as a means to contemplating navigating life in different operating environments, the sheer adamance of unwavering commitment to one's self interest (especially in pursuit of excellence) truly stuck with me. Another highlight was the portrayal of the world's most needed and brilliant leaders being those most unjustly persecuted by the follies of the incompetent.

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The Millennial Leader, Vivek Iyyani

While this book mainly addresses Millennials in executive and management roles, the arguments for our value-add in leadership are also applicable to governance settings. I particularly enjoy the astute observations insofar as the differences between the working environments each generation has led respectively. Uniquely, it articulates well the challenges of leading both up and down the corporate ladder.

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The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, Richard P. Feynman

Feynman has such an eloquent way of distilling large, complex ideas down into simple, understandable concepts. This book is an intellectual indulgence for those who understand the deep satisfaction of learning and discovery. Being a compilation, in-built circuit breakers (so to speak) provide great opportunity for the ideas to digest and really marinate.

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The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle

Arguably one of the more practical Greek philosophers, this book explores 'Virtue Ethics', posed as a framework to live the life of a moral character. It contemplates the extent to which each virtue can be deficient or excessive ("all things in moderation"). As a values-led leader myself, I often mentally reference this system, especially in instances requiring careful consideration to nuance and specificities of circumstance.

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Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant

I actually hate this book. I am diametrically opposed to the 'Categorical Imperative'. However, my copy has a thoroughly broken spine. Not only is frequently revisiting ideas I disagree with a great exercise in strengthening my resolve (dismantling the ideas by formulating counterarguments as I go), but given that even the most disagreeable ideas can have validity under the right conditions, it would be remiss to disregard them entirely.

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Tools I use

Check out some of my favourite tools and resources that I use on a regular basis, in order of time and financial investment. What are you using? Get in touch, teach me all about them.

Task/To-Do List Management: TickTick

As someone with both ADHD and never-ending deliverables from different directions (board members/portfolio holders get it), it takes consistent, deliberate effort to keep on top of my deadlines. I have recently started using TickTick to consolidate my outstanding tasks into the one spot, and it comes with a handy time-blocking feature to ensure the tasks are accounted for in line with their due dates. It is accessible across both desktop and mobile devices. My next challenge is to find some sort of overlay to consolidate all my separate email accounts (personal, work, study, board roles, etc.) and create somewhat of a 'master calendar' - if you know of anything do let me know. Otherwise, this app is helping immensely in the meantime:

Available here

Graphic-Designed Templates: Canva

My fellow Millennials will probably roll their eyes at this recommendation (since we all use it already) but for my other colleagues not yet 'in the know', check out Canva. It is a free (mostly) online resource that takes the heavy-lifting out of graphic design through a series of user-friendly templates for everything from presentation decks, videos, social media content, or even event invitations:

Improvements for Powerpoint Presentations

We have all suffered through boring presentations. You know the ones: clunky bullet points(or worse still, entire paragraphs), a slightly-misaligned picture and excessive white space. Don't be that person. If you are like me and enjoy incremental learning through social media, consider adding the likes @FastPPT_and @TonyPPT_ to your Instagram feeds. Even the most basic animation skills go such a long way to making your presentations more engaging. See Instagram link below to one of my favourite techniques:

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Email Mastery Workshop (Professional Development) delivered by Jani Murphy

Following on from the above, for anyone who has ever stepped foot into an office, managing our abyss of emails is usually the bane of our collective existence. This workshop completely transformed the way I manage incoming correspondence (imagine, an empty inbox!) and drastically improved my productivity. My return on investment was understood before I even finished the session, and actualised in the coming days shortly thereafter.

Contact Jani

International Board Director Competency Designation (IBDC.D) Certification

Of all my governance certifications to-date, this was my favourite. Not just for the knowledge, practical resources, and benchmarking my Australian governance experience against a global context, but importantly, a massive additional value-add was learning how to successfully package myself as a board member through "Building Your Board Resume". Based in Port Jefferson (New York), Mark Pfister from M.A. Pfister Strategy Group has a unique way of 'cutting through the noise' and distilling ethereal concepts into achievable, workable tasks. This course set me up for such success that I landed my first international board seat using the skills I learned. Full disclosure: while my recommendation is not a paid affiliation, I may receive a reduction in my ongoing recertification fees if you choose to sign up (I will be keeping my CPD current long into the future regardless). Feel free to reach out to me if you want to chat through my experience with the course before you sign up, I'm always up for governance-related chats! Plus, it is a big commitment, but one I found well worth it.

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Ongoing Education and Professional Development: Corporate Governance Institute

The Corporate Governance Institute based in Dublin, Ireland offer all levels of education with everything from free online webinars and events, all the way up to post-graduate diplomas. While I haven't done any of the courses yet, I have watched a few webinars and they are a great fantastic resource (I might be slightly biased, given I also delivered one for them!). I am told the membership offers some great additional benefits, too. I am not affiliated with CGI, just a fan of their work.

Resources