MacKay CEO Forums 2024 Bookshelf

I Don’t Have Time!: How to Avoid the THREE Biggest Time Mastery Mistakes CEOs Make by Nancy MacKay and Nico Human 

Key Takeaway: This book offers a practical roadmap for CEOs to break free from the time trap, empowering leaders to delegate effectively, foster a positive mindset, and make smarter decisions, ultimately achieving a more balanced, fulfilling life and career

Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life by Dave Asprey 

Key Takeaway: Asprey studied 450 high achievers and uncovered ways to become more innovative, faster, and happier. In today’s fast-paced world, these qualities are essential for thriving as a leader. 

Tell Yourself a Better Lie by Marisa Peer 

Key Takeaway: The narratives we tell ourselves are powerful. Positive self-talk is essential for overcoming challenges and driving success. 

The Power of Unwavering Focus by Dandapani 

Key Takeaway: Focus and concentration, more than meditation, are essential for managing stress and improving relationships. 

Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It by Ethan Kross

Key Takeaway: Mastering our inner voice is critical. We can positively influence our decision-making and outcomes by shifting from self-criticism to self-improvement. 

Loving What Is by Byron Katie 

Key Takeaway: The four questions in this book offer a simple yet transformative approach to resolving personal and professional challenges. 

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz 

Key Takeaway: Maximizing energy is key to showing up as the best version of ourselves. Managing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy is critical to achieving our full potential. 

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant 

Key Takeaway: To unlock your full potential, seek feedback only from people who care about you, have credibility, and share trust with you. Ignoring unqualified advice is essential for growth. 

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans 

Key Takeaway: This book offers a proven roadmap for designing a career and life you love. It’s beneficial when transitioning to a new chapter and provides practical steps to create joy in every aspect of life. 

Joy Farming: Cultivating Joy to Excel at Business and Life by Nico Human PhD 

Key Takeaway: By cultivating joy through intentional actions and fostering a culture of trust, leaders can inspire their teams to thrive, creating a balanced and fulfilling life both in business and at home. 

Four Thousand Weeks: The smash-hit bestseller that will change your life by Oliver Burkeman 

Key Takeaway: This book reveals that embracing the finite nature of time—roughly 4,000 weeks in an average lifetime—helps you focus on what truly matters, leading to a more meaningful and fulfilling life. 

Essentialism by Greg McKeown 

Key Takeaway: This book emphasizes that by focusing on fewer, more important tasks, individuals can achieve greater impact and clarity in both their personal and professional lives. 

The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins 

Key Takeaway: A proven framework to succeed in a new role, which encourages stepping into a “new role” each year to reignite passion. 

The Modern Trusted Advisor by Nancy MacKay and Alan Weiss 

Key Takeaway: Modern trusted advisors offer relevant, judgment-free consulting, which is essential for helping CEOs maintain success without sacrificing personal well-being. 

The Imposter Cure: Escape the Mind-Trap of Imposter Syndrome by Dr. Jessamy Hibberd

Key Takeaway: Imposter syndrome affects many CEOs. Understanding and overcoming its different types can help leaders become more confident and effective. 

The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michael D. Watkins 

Key Takeaway: The first 90 days in a new role are critical for success. This book offers a proven roadmap for achieving immediate impact and setting the tone for future growth. 

The Self-Employed Life by Jeffrey Shaw 

Key Takeaway: This book is a must-read for those transitioning from corporate life to entrepreneurship, offering daily habits for business and personal success. 

The B Corp Handbook: How You Can Use Business as a Force for Good by Ryan Honeyman and Tiffany Jana 

Key Takeaway: This book is a must-read for CEOs interested in taking a stand on business as a force for good, with practical insights on becoming a B Corp and fostering positive social change. 

The Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO by Cameron Herold 

Key Takeaway: This book offers a roadmap for COOs to succeed and is a helpful resource when searching for the right leader for your team. 

Make Big Happen: How To Live, Work, and Give Big by Mark Moses 

Key Takeaway: This book asks four transformative questions—What do you want? What do you have to do? What could get in the way? How do you hold yourself accountable? —to drive success, overcome challenges, and foster personal accountability in both business and life. 

High Road Leadership by John Maxwell 

Key Takeaway: This book is for CEOs is that leaders with high values of generosity, humility, and resilience, and high skills are the most effective leaders. 

Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins 

Key Takeaway: This book highlights how disciplined leadership, a strong company culture, and a relentless focus on core strengths enable good companies to transform into industry-leading organizations over time. 

One Minute Manager Meets The Monkey by Kenneth Blanchard 

Key Takeaway: This book teaches leaders how to delegate effectively by identifying and removing unnecessary responsibilities (“monkeys”) from their workload, empowering their teams to take ownership and freeing up time for strategic priorities. 

The Great Age Reboot by Michael F. Roizen 

Key Takeaway: The next decade promises medical advances that will revolutionize longevity, and this book encourages making health a priority. 

Forever Strong by Dr. Lyon 

Key Takeaway: Building muscle is a key to longevity, and consuming sufficient protein can significantly impact long-term health. 

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia 

Key Takeaway: The book highlights the importance of heart health in longevity and offers actionable steps to enhance lifespan. 
 

Living Untethered by Michael Singer 

Key Takeaway: The purpose of life is to be the best version of yourself every day. Learning to respond, instead of reacting, to people and challenges is critical. 

How to Be Your Therapist by Owen O’Kane 

Key Takeaway: This book’s 10 minutes of daily self-therapy help reduce anxiety and keep you grounded—a simple, minute-by-minute approach to improving your mental well-being. 

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Key Takeaway: This book reveals the vital role sleep plays in our physical health, mental clarity, and emotional well-being, emphasizing how prioritizing quality rest can transform every aspect of our lives.   

10% Happier 10th Anniversary: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story by Dan Harris 

Key Takeaway: This book demonstrates how mindfulness and meditation can quiet the inner critic, reduce stress, and improve well-being without sacrificing ambition or success. 

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate MD 

Key Takeaway: This book challenges the conventional understanding of mental health and societal norms, arguing that many of the struggles’ people face are a result of trauma, societal expectations, and the disconnection from true emotional well-being. 

Red to Black, by Larry Cooper 

Key Takeaway: This book helps to accelerate your learning curve about what is important in a finance department, what questions to ask to get the most out of the finance team, and how the finance team can be best deployed to add value to your business.

The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel 

Key Takeaway: Financial decision-making is a soft skill, and it is best approached by surrounding yourself with trusted advisors. This book offers valuable insights on wealth, happiness, and the importance of long-term financial planning. 

Financial Blind$pot$: Insider Secrets to Discovering Financial Freedom by Michael Baker 

Key Takeaway: Financial Blind$pot$ reveals that true financial freedom begins by identifying and overcoming hidden mental and strategic blind spots, empowering readers to make informed, values-driven decisions and build a strong, adaptable financial foundation for long-term success. 

The New Factory Thinker by Bill Bishop 

Key Takeaway: All businesses must embrace technology, and the urgency of ROI-based technology investments is critical for success in the rapidly changing landscape. 

Strategy and Leadership as Service by Sara Daw 

Key Takeaway: In an AI-driven world, accessing global talent is key to CEO success, and leveraging fractional talent offers a competitive advantage. 

Rocket Fuel by Geno Wickman and Mark Winters 

Key Takeaway: Successful businesses rely on clear role clarity and accountability at the top, specifically distinguishing the roles of visionary CEOs and integrator COOs. 

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins 

Key Takeaway: Preserving the core of your business while stimulating progress is crucial. This book provides timeless lessons on how visionary companies sustain success over time. 

10x is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy 

Key Takeaway: This book reveals that aiming for exponential growth (10x) is often simpler than striving for incremental improvements (2x) because it forces entrepreneurs to focus on what truly matters and eliminate unnecessary efforts. 

Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. 

Key Takeaway: Building meaningful relationships starts with loving others fully—even when their behaviors don’t align with your expectations. This mindset cultivates long-lasting connections in both business and life. 

Bold Kindness by Cathy Thorpe 

Key Takeaway: Modern leadership is about embracing vulnerability and letting go of outdated practices. Bold kindness is the key to inspiring change and creating a positive impact 

The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, M.D. & Marc Schulz, Ph.D. 

Key Takeaway: The key to fulfilling life lies in “social fitness,” which is even more important than physical fitness. This book provides a proven roadmap for maintaining solid relationships in business and life. 

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Key Takeaway: This book offers timeless strategies for mastering human relationships, teaching readers how to handle people effectively, foster genuine connections, and positively influence others to achieve success.  

Fleeced: Canadians Versus Their Banks by Andrew Spence

Key Takeaway: Fleeced exposes how Canadian banks prioritize profits over customers by imposing high fees and unfair practices. The book emphasizes the need for greater financial literacy and encourages Canadians to challenge these practices to ensure better transparency and fairness in banking.