Reading is so important in acquiring knowledge. The older I become, the more I realize what I don’t know, and I make it an imperative to read on a daily basis. I am not asking you to give me a badge or trophy for reading. I want to encourage you to challenge those in your sphere of influence to read. I’ve curated a list of books that I’ve read over the last year that challenged me. I still continue to refer to them. Here are my favorites, which are a mix of personal development, leadership and business acumen, trauma, and sleep.

Recently, my friend Kyle Wilson invited me to join an inmate group in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and spend two days with the effervescent Dr. Denis Waitley. This experience has been the highlight of the year for me. Dr. Waitley is 89 years young and the author of the best-selling book, The Psychology of Winning. He attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., and is the former chairman of psychology for the United States Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Council. Here are seven insights I learned from Dr. Waitley:

There are times in life when you meet a client that totally gets it. Signet Jewelers is that client. For them, employee experience is the top priority. Executive leadership models care and compassion for everyone. Meanwhile, the field executives are laser-focused on accountability while demonstrating empathy. Anyway, as we worked together over the next couple of days, Signet demonstrated three behaviors that confirmed that culture starts with love.

Reading is so important in acquiring knowledge. The older I become, the more I realize what I don’t know, and I make it an imperative to read on a daily basis. I am not asking you to give me a badge or trophy for reading. I want to encourage you to challenge those in your sphere of influence to read. I’ve curated a list of books that I’ve read over the last year that challenged me. I still continue to refer to them. Here are my favorites, which are a mix of personal development, leadership and business acumen, trauma, and sleep.