Here are some key suggested resources for leaders in private equity. Subjects include DEI, ESG, People and Culture, Strategy and beyond.

Books

ADAPT – Why Success Always Starts with Failure (Tim Harford) 
Harford argues that in a complex world, success comes less from perfect planning and more from trial, error, and learning from failure. He shows how adaptive systems — whether in business, policy, or organizations — outperform rigid top-down approaches.

SIMPLE_COMPLEXITY – A Management Book for the Rest of Us  A Guide to Systems Thinking (William Donaldson, PhD)
Donaldson explains why organizations often struggle in complexity: they treat systems as linear rather than interconnected. His “Enterprise Management System” framework shows leaders how to design organizations that are simple to understand, yet robust enough to handle complexity.

The Fifth Discipline – The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization (Peter M. Senge)
Senge introduces the idea of the learning organization, built on five “disciplines” — systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, and team learning. He emphasizes how systems thinking helps leaders see interconnections and create long-term, sustainable change.

Radical Candor (Kim Scott)
The competency and courage to give and ask for feedback is something that plagues most of us – in life and at work. Investment organizations are no different and it is clear that effective feedback improves culture, engagement, innovation and performance. The book is an essential primer to support communication and relationships in your organization.

Think Again (Adam Grant)

Grant argues that in times of rapid change, the ability to rethink assumptions is as important as intelligence itself. He provides tools for leaders and organizations to embrace curiosity, challenge outdated mental models, and build cultures of continuous learning.

Time, Talent, Energy (Eric Garton)
The cost of not addressing the dynamics that diminish the time, talent and energy from your organization is enormous. Understanding how and why this is so common is incredibly powerful to use intention and clarity to tackle the underlying issues.

Unleashed (Frances Frei & Anne Morriss)

Frei and Morriss focus on leadership as a means of unlocking potential in others, not controlling them. They show how trust, empowerment, and removing barriers allow people and teams to thrive, creating organizations that scale human capital.

What Works (Iris Bohnet)
Using behavioural economics to design with intention approaches to close the gender gap. Practical and relatable, there are suggested actions at the end of each chapter for leaders.

Articles

(Harvard Business Review) What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means