Working with Trust by Fiona Campbell Arrand

This book landed at exactly the right time for me. Working with Trust doesn't just talk about leadership in theory. It holds a mirror up, and for me, that mirror confirmed something I hadn't quite put into words before: I lead with empathy, and I think that comes straight from my years in nursing.

There's a real skill in reading people, in knowing when someone needs support versus when they need space, in building trust rather than just demanding it and those are exactly the muscles you build working in healthcare. Fiona's book gave me the language for something I'd been doing instinctively for years, and it made me appreciate that empathetic leadership isn't a soft option it's a strength.

If you've come to running a business from a caring profession, or if you just want to lead in a way that actually builds trust rather than just talking about it, this one's worth your time.

The Growth Compass by Heather Offord

I don't often pick up business books and actually keep them on my desk, but this one's stuck around. The Growth Compass isn't a book you read once and shelve  it's one you dip back into whenever you're feeling stuck, off track, or just need a bit of clarity.

What I love is how practical it is, just real, usable guidance for the moments when running your own business feels overwhelming. Heather's written something that actually meets you where you are whether that's a five-minute flick-through between clients or a proper sit-down when you need to reset.

If you're the kind of business owner who's juggling a hundred things at once (aren't we all), this is the kind of book that earns its place within arm's reach.

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robins 

The whole book rests on a two-part framework:

• "Let Them" - stop trying to control what other people think, feel, say, or do. Their choices, opinions, and behaviour are not yours to manage.

• "Let Me" - turn that reclaimed energy toward what you actually control: your own response, boundaries, effort, and choices.

Mel argues most of our stress, resentment, and self-doubt comes from spending energy on the "Let Them" side of life trying to influence people who were never going to change instead of the "Let Me" side, where our real power sits.