While there are only a few books dedicated to the subject of Conversational Leadership, there are many related books on topics such as conversation, dialogue, leadership, complexity, and more. These books can provide insights and ideas to enhance the understanding of Conversational Leadership.
Booklists
Search this page
Books on Conversation
01 January, 2020
Authentic Conversations: Moving From Manipulation to Truth and Commitment by James Showkeir
... Continue reading
Changing Conversations in Organizations: A Complexity Approach to Change by Patricia Shaw (2002)
The book "Changing Conversations in Organizations" by Patricia Shaw explores a complexity-informed approach to organizational change that focuses on the self-organizing and emergent properties of conversation. Shaw suggests that real change happens through the ongoing, everyday conversations and interactions between people in organizations rather than through structured change programs or ... Continue reading
Content-area Conversations: How to Plan Discussion-based Lessons for Diverse Language Learners by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Carol Rothenberg
... Continue reading
31 October, 2022
★ Conversation: A History of a Declining Art Stephen Miller (2007)
In the book Conversation: A History of a Declining Art, Stephen Miller pursues a lifelong interest in conversation by taking a historical and philosophical view of the subject.
He chronicles the art of conversation in Western civilization from its beginnings in ancient Greece to its apex in eighteenth-century Britain to its current endangered state in America.
As Harry G. Frankfurt ... Continue reading
★ Conversation: How Talk Can Change Our Lives by Theodore Zeldin (2000)
In this book, Conversation: How talk can change our lives, Theodore Zeldin explains what kind of talk charmed and excited people in the past, and why we talk differently today.
It explores the art and the history of conversation and how it can be the key to a happier, more interesting future.
It shows how women have changed the ways lovers speak, how families avoid silence or boredom, how ... Continue reading
Conversational Learning: an Experiential Approach to Knowledge Creation by Ann C. Baker, Patricia J. Jensen, David A. Kolb (2002)
... Continue reading
Conversational Wisdom: Strengthening Human Connection Through the Power of Conversation Emily Cosgrove and Sara Hope (2023)
Conversation: the heartbeat of our organisations. Right now, we’re at risk of losing the art of doing it well. We need to radically change how we talk to each other, to create workplaces where people feel they belong and can thrive. This book will help you understand how to grow your conversational wisdom to create more inclusive and collaborative environments and to make work more ... Continue reading
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler (2011)
... Continue reading
01 May, 2018
★ Dialogic Organization Development: the Theory and Practice of Transformational Change by Gervase R. Bushe, Robert J. Marshak (2015)
First Int'l Conference on Dialogic Organization Development | Gervase Bushe & Robert Marshak ... Continue reading
Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together: A Pioneering Approach to Communicating in Business and in Life by William Isaacs
... Continue reading
Dialogue: Rediscover the Transforming Power of Conversation by Linda Ellinor, Glenna Gerard
... Continue reading
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton , Sheila Heen (1999)
... Continue reading
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott (2002)
... Continue reading
From Debate to Dialogue: Using the Understanding Process to Transform Our Conversations by Deborah L. Flick (1998)
... Continue reading
Good Talk: How to Design Conversations That Matter by Daniel Stillman (2020)
Leadership is the art of designing transformative conversations.
Real change is needed now, more than ever. This change can’t happen through force, edict, or persuasion. The future will be built through conversation - and Good Talk will show you how.
Good Talk is a step-by-step framework to effect change in your personal and professional conversations. With dozens of tools and interactive ... Continue reading
14 July, 2020
★ How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay (2019)
In our current political climate, it seems impossible to have a civil conversation with someone who has a different opinion. Dialogue is shut down when perspectives clash. Heated debates on Facebook and Twitter often lead to shaming, hindering any possibility of productive discourse.
In this book, How to Have Impossible Conversations, Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay describe the process of ... Continue reading
Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone by Mark Goulston (2015)
... Continue reading
Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach: the Power of Dialogue in Educating Adults by Jane Kathryn Vella
... Continue reading
Learning Together and Alone: Cooperative, Competitive, and Individualistic Learning by David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson
In this book, Learning Together and Alone, the authors integrate cooperative learning with competitive and individualistic learning by providing guidelines for managing critical issues such as teaching social skills, assessing competencies and involvement, and resolving conflict among group members.
Each type of learning is clearly defined; the advantages and disadvantages of each are covered, ... Continue reading
Life-changing Conversations: 7 Strategies for Talking About What Matters Most by Sarah Rozenthuler
... Continue reading
Listening to the Volcano: Conversations That Open Our Minds to New Possibilities by David Hutchens (2005)
... Continue reading
Listening: the Forgotten Skill by Madelyn Burley-All
... Continue reading
26 August, 2020
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg
... Continue reading
★ On Dialogue by David Bohm (2004)
Never before has there been a greater need for deeper listening and more open communication to cope with the complex problems facing our organizations, businesses, and societies.
In this book, On Dialogue, scientist David Bohm believed there was a better way for humanity to discover meaning and achieve harmony.
He identified creative dialogue, a sharing of assumptions and understanding, as ... Continue reading
On Dialogue – an Essay in Free Thought by Robert Grudin (1996)
... Continue reading
Organizing Conversations: Preparing Groups to Take on Adaptive Challenges By Mike Burrows (2024)
The models and processes in this book emerged from Mike Burrows' frustrating, all too common experience of being asked to help a group become more Agile or Lean, only to discover that many in the room had no idea why they were there. To them, he was there not to help but to impose. Trying to impose new ways of organizing on people with no say in what happens is rarely successful; here, it was ... Continue reading
Overcoming Hate Through Dialogue: Confronting Prejudice, Racism, and Bigotry with Conversation―and Coffee By Özlem Cekic (2020)
In the book Overcoming Hate Through Dialogue: Confronting Prejudice, Racism, and Bigotry with Conversation―and Coffee by Özlem Cekic, the author explores the transformative power of dialogue in bridging divides and challenging deeply held biases.
Cekic, a former Danish parliamentarian of Kurdish descent, shares her journey of engaging in difficult conversations with individuals with ... Continue reading
Reclaiming Conversation: the Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle (2015)
... Continue reading
08 August, 2020
Speak Up: Say What Needs to Be Said and Hear What Needs to Be Heard by Megan Reitz and John Higgins (2019)
Our day-to-day conversations define how we see ourselves and how we’re seen. The choices we make about what to say and who to say it to are decisive factors in whether we get promoted, or side-lined. Whether we steer clear of trouble or find ourselves in it up to our necks. With daily scandals hitting the headlines and the continuous need to innovate to survive, creating a more honest, open, ... Continue reading
Talk: the Science of Conversation By Elizabeth Stokoe (2018)
... Continue reading
28 April, 2023
Talking Cure: an Essay on the Civilizing Power of Conversation by Paula Marantz Cohen (2023)
In this book, Talking Cure by Paula Marantz Cohen reveals how conversation connects us in ways that social media never can and explains why simply talking to each other freely and without guile may be the cure to what ails our troubled society.
Drawing on her lifelong immersion in literature and culture and her decades of experience as a teacher and critic, Cohen argues that we learn to ... Continue reading
The Art of Listening by Erich Fromm (1998)
... Continue reading
27 December, 2023
The Concept of Conversation: From Cicero’s Sermo to the Grand Siecle’s Conversation David Randall (2019)
In "The Concept of Conversation," David Randall argues conversation, often overlooked in history, profoundly shaped early modern Europe. He reveals how it transformed from elite philosophical discourse to encompass friendship, salons, the press, and even women's voices. Challenging Habermas's view, Randall sees conversation, not just rational public debate, as central to intellectual ... Continue reading
The Conversational Enlightenment: the Reconception of Rhetoric in Eighteenth-century Thought David Randall (2020)
David Randall's "Conversational Enlightenment" explores the 18th century's "conversation boom" in literature, philosophy, art, and society. He shows how conversation expanded beyond elites, influencing politeness, public opinion, and even art. He argues it wasn't just chatter but a tool for shaping ideas & the Enlightenment itself. He challenges traditional views, highlighting salons ... Continue reading
The Discussion Book: 50 Great Ways to Get People Talking by Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill (2016)
... Continue reading
The Great Unheard at Work: Understanding Voice and Silence in Organisations Mark Cole and John Higgins (2023)
The Great Unheard at Work by Mark Cole and John Higgins makes the case that silence always has something to say – it’s never neutral and speaks volumes if people are willing to hear. Our response to silence is often to dismiss or end it, to block it out with noise. Instead, silence needs to be taken seriously. This book explores the importance of understanding silence and shows how we can ... Continue reading
The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict Into Cooperation by Daniel Yankelovich
... Continue reading
The Talking Revolution: How Creative Conversation Can Change the World by Peter Osborn, Eddy Canfor-Dumas (2018)
... Continue reading
Time to Think: Listening to Ignite the Human Mind by Nancy Kline
... Continue reading
Google Web Search
Photo Credits: Gerhard Gellinger (CC0 1.0)
This page is part of a blook on Conversational Leadership. Parts of this book have restricted access. You can learn more about the book and how to obtain full access on the home page.
Please support my work
If you enjoy my work and find it valuable, please consider giving me a little support. Your donation will help cover some of my website hosting expenses.
Make a donation
If you enjoy my work and find it valuable, please consider giving me a little support. Your donation will help cover some of my website hosting expenses.
Make a donation