Alt-text:
Book cover of “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael A. Singer with accompanying text description.
Transcribed Text:
Left side: MICHAEL A. SINGER
bestselling author of The Untethered Soul
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
THE SURRENDER EXPERIMENT
my journey into life’s perfection
Right side: The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection
By Michael A. Singer
Singer credits surrender as a key part of that success, an idea that runs counter to most leadership narratives: push harder, outwork everyone, and stay in control.
For higher ed leaders, there’s something worth sitting with here. In a moment where we’re being told to move faster, do more, and “win,” the word surrender suggests something different.
Alt-text:
Book cover and description of "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Dale Carnegie on a teal background.
Transcribed Text:
Left panel: "HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry DALE CARNEGIE Bestselling Author of How to Win Friends and Influence People UPDATED FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Right panel: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry By Dale Carnegie
If there's one word that describes the leadership experience, it's worry—worry about teams, budgets, enrollment, and public perception. But it comes at a cost. Worry is tied to poor health, strained relationships, and mental fatigue.
While Carnegie's book was originally published in 1944, the advice holds up. The strategies are simple, practical, and relevant."
Alt-text:
A book cover for "Presence Golf: A Sacred Path to Self-Mastery" by Troy Ismir, featuring a sunset scene with a golfer, alongside a descriptive text box.
Transcribed Text:
Presence Golf
A Sacred Path to Self-Mastery
Troy Ismir
Presence Golf: A Sacred Path to Self-Mastery
By Troy Ismir
I didn't expect this book to feel like a master class in presence. Ismir weaves together Raja yoga, the Beatitudes, and Jungian archetypes through the lens of golf. But underneath is a powerful idea: learn to be fully present with yourself and others in a world that rarely is.
Leadership, at its best, becomes an act of alignment—between who we are and how we show up. And in that alignment, there’s space. Space to pause. Space to listen. Space to lead.
Alt-text:
Two-pane image with article description on a cyan background. Left pane: article title and summary. Right pane: enlarged title, authors, and an introductory paragraph on the purpose of leadership.
Transcribed Text:
Leadership Practices for Cultivating Value and Belonging in the Workplace
By Donna Petherbridge, Jennifer Domnick, Elizabeth Cole-Walker, Mardecia Bell, Ashley Arya, Kelly Brown, Saras Grandhi, Imraan Khan, Kenny Ferguson, and Kaity Matthews
I’ve been thinking more about the purpose of leadership—and even the purpose of reading about leadership.
This article answers that clearly: The purpose of leadership is to help people feel valued and that they belong. Simple in concept. Hard in practice. The authors offer practical ways to move toward that goal.
The suggested readings in this installment of the "Leaders Are Readers" series offer inspiration and ideas for becoming a more present, peaceful, and purposeful leader in 2026.
buff.ly/Pk4DAYR
