Happy teams make successful organisations. When people feel valued, motivated, and connected, they collaborate more effectively and drive better results. With International Week of Happiness at Work (6th - 10th October) this week, it's the perfect time to focus on what really makes workplaces thrive. We've chosen seven inspiring books that offer leaders and teams practical tools and fresh ideas for building workplaces where people feel valued, motivated, and eager to give their best.
Whether you're leading a fast-growing company, guiding cultural change, or simply looking to bring more purpose into your leadership, these reads will help you build a workplace where happiness and success go hand in hand.
Happiness is a Serious Business
Nic Marks (Rethink Press, 09/2025)
Best read for: Building Happier Teams
Measure what matters, by tracking team happiness alongside performance. Use data to learn and adapt - not to judge. Regularly listening to how people feel highlights early warning signs of underperformance, rising turnover, or burnout. Happiness is a leading indicator of success because it signals whether people are thriving or struggling. When you act on that insight, teams become more resilient, creative, and productive.
Happiness at work is a serious driver of success. Nic Marks combines solid research with real-world examples in Happiness is a Serious Business to demonstrate how happiness boosts collaboration, resilience, and performance. He provides a clear, practical roadmap for leaders who want to make happiness a core part of their strategy and create teams that are engaged, motivated, and thriving.
Full of strategies to strengthen trust, boost wellbeing, and lift productivity - while steering clear of common pitfalls - it's a must-read for anyone who wants to create a workplace where people do great work and genuinely enjoy being there.
How to Survive in a Scale-Up Business
Vidya Murali (Routledge, 08/2025)
Best read for: Thriving in Scale-Ups
Happiness at work begins with honesty - being open about challenges, listening with empathy, and creating space for people to be real. I've learned that joy at work is inseparable from joy outside it; when we have balance and a little distance, we show up with more energy, compassion, and creativity. That's what truly makes organisations thrive.
Fast-growing scale-ups are exciting, but they can also be overwhelming. In How to Survive in a Scale-Up Business, Vidya Murali provides an emotional survival kit for anyone working in these fast-paced environments.
Packed with practical tools, real-world case studies, and advice for different personalities - including introverts, highly sensitive people, and those with ADHD or dyslexia - this book shows you how to navigate the ups and downs of life in a fast-growing scale-up. It's a must-read for leaders, HR professionals, and ambitious professionals who want to not just survive, but truly thrive in high-growth businesses.
Maneuvering Monday
Anne Katrine Carlsson Sejr & Ivanna Mikhailovna Rosendal (Rethink Press, 09/2025)
Best read for: Leading Through Change
Happiness at work starts with understanding what is the company's true purpose. Realising how that relates to your purpose as an individual, and how you can contribute to that purpose in your role. This also means knowing yourself and how you can contribute, as well as being brave enough to show your authentic self to your co-workers. When your co-workers show themselves to you, the only possible response is to support their expression in return.
What really happens when you try to fix a broken workplace culture? Maneuvering Monday tells the story of Marie, Head of Development HR at Zebra Apps, as she battles to stem a retention crisis. Follow Marie's journey as she navigates the messy, unpredictable world of workplace change.
From tackling resistance and uncovering hidden agendas to confronting daily dysfunction, her story captures the real challenges of transforming a company culture. Packed with lessons, missteps, and moments of breakthrough, it's an eye-opening guide to building a resilient, people-focused organisation.
The Authentic Organization
Gina Battye (Wiley, 06/2024)
Best read for: Psychological Safety
Feeling safe at work is a fundamental right for everyone. When this sense of safety enables people to express their Authentic Selves, they thrive - which leads to increased happiness, wellbeing, inspiration, connection, engagement, and empowerment. These factors contribute to the development of high-performing teams and a genuine sense of belonging.
In today's workplaces, psychological safety is no longer optional - it's the foundation of trust, innovation, and wellbeing. In The Authentic Organization, Gina Battye introduces her powerful 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety framework, showing leaders how to create cultures where people can work better together, bring their authentic selves to work, and thrive.
With step-by-step advice, communication tools, and strategies for driving cultural change, this book is a practical manual for leaders, managers, and HR professionals committed to building inclusive, high-performing organisations.
The Through Line: How understanding who you are empowers how you lead
Archana Mohan (Practical Inspiration Publishing, 04/2025)
Best read for: Leading with Purpose
Happiness at work doesn't come from perks or praise. It comes from purpose. Leaders who create space for people to feel seen, heard, and valued cultivate resilience and joy. Start by listening deeply, modelling authenticity, and celebrating progress, not just outcomes.
Leadership is full of lines - deadlines, reporting lines, bottom lines. But the most important is your through line: the golden thread that connects who you are with how you lead. In The Through Line, Archana Mohan helps leaders uncover their through line through a three-part framework: reach in, reset, reach out.
Drawing on case studies, scientific research, and her own rich experience, she shows how self-knowledge unlocks authentic, intentional leadership. A must-read for anyone ready to reconnect with their purpose and lead with clarity, confidence, and heart.
