Human Work

What if the best workplace we’ve experienced is just a fraction of what is possible? Dare we dream of something so far beyond ‘business as usual’ that it feels like a fantasy? In this book, we aim to venture past the workplaces of the past and into the unknown, to imagine and create something recognisably different. To create truly human work at workplaces that support everyone to be their best.

In this book we look at the many ways that leaders around the world are making work more human. What we’ve found is that there doesn’t seem to be a simple recipe for success, and that it is more important to understand the mindsets behind the strategies. The five leadership mindsets for humanising the workplace describe powerful lenses through which we may see our organisations differently. We expand our awareness of human dynamics and find ourselves transforming into a more human leader. These mindsets are:

Learning and growth: I have a desire to learn, grow and deepen my self-expression.

Everyone is a leader: I strive to empower the leadership of those around me.

Belonging: I believe belonging is important for both the individual and the group.

Love and care: I believe that everyone is worthy of love and care.

Human systems: I understand that human workplaces are not possible without human systems.

This is a book for leaders. Both leaders with positional authority and those who create influence from anywhere in the organisation. However and wherever you lead, we invite you to be inspired by the stories the leaders we’ve interviewed tell about humanising workplaces. Notice your own mindsets and try on some new ones. Together we can make work more human.

Praise for the book:

“Human Work: Five Leadership Mindsets for Humanising Workplaces illustrates the extraordinary possibilities when you create workplaces centered on care, connection and collaboration: your team members and your business thrive! And that ripples out into the communities in which we work and live. Time to get intentional, leaders, about creating organizations where people matter. This quick read will provide ideas and inspiration for your journey!”

-BOB CHAPMAN, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller and co-author of Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family

“If you are willing to face into the uncertainty of the road ahead with curiosity and lean into the process of building skills and practices to live brave and be a leader others want to follow, this book is a powerful and practical application guide.”

-DALE HEROLD, CEO of Tidewater Fleet Supply, a Falcon Affiliates company

“Human Work is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the difference between surviving and thriving at work. The power of humanity in the workplace reinforces why belonging, esteem and purpose are so very important.”

-HAROLD HILLMAN, Ph.D., author of The Impostor Syndrome and Empathy: The Human Side of Leadership

“As someone who dreams about what is possible for the future of work, I am thrilled that Human Work: Five Leadership Mindsets for Humanising Workplaces exists. It is a practical, actionable guide that will help leaders and readers of all kinds build workplaces that are more compassionate, empathetic, supportive, and empowering. From the helpful mindsets to the leaders’ stories, this book demonstrates the ways in which we all have the power to make our workplaces more human”

-KRISTEN HADEED, thought leader, speaker, and author of Permission To Screw Up: How I Learned To Lead By Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong