Regulating in Complexity Reading List
How to Use the Reading List
This month’s theme isn’t just about what we do at work — it’s about how we prepare ourselves to show up with steadiness in the face of complexity, noise, and strong emotions. The books and articles in this list are chosen to complement the weekly focuses in your Reflection Guide. Each reading offers a lens on emotional regulation, discernment, integrative thinking, or sustainable mindsets.
Use them as companions: pick one book to go deeper or skim the weekly article for quick insight. Together, they’ll expand your thinking and reinforce the practices you’re building. If you don’t have access to these articles, let me know (Angela@AGeffect.com) and I can point you to a summary or alternative resource
Week 1 – Leading Through Noise: Calm is Contagious
Focus: Emotional contagion & staying grounded in a noisy environment
Emotional Agility by Susan David — on recognizing and regulating emotions without being ruled by them.
The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal — how to reframe stress responses as resources. (if you prefer to watch, here is her Ted Talk)
Article: “Making Sure Your Stress isn’t Contagious” (Harvard Business Review, 2019).
Week 2 – Sorting Through the Noise: Structure and Presence
Focus: Using tools like checklists for predictable work, saving energy for complex leadership challenges
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande — why checklists simplify complexity without diminishing leadership.
Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows — clarity on when structure helps and when it doesn’t.
Article: “How to Focus on What’s Important, Not Just Urgent” (HBR, 2018).
Week 3 – Thriving in Tension: Integrative Thinking
Focus: Holding opposites, using “both/and” approaches, thriving in polarity
Creating Great Choices: A Leader’s Guide to Integrative Thinking by Jennifer Riel & Roger Martin.
Polarity Management by Barry Johnson — the original framework for thriving in tension.
Article: “Both/And Leadership” (HBR, 2016).
Week 4 – Decisions in Complexity: Mindsets for Sustainable Leadership
Focus: Calm, agility, continuous learning, and acceptance as leadership practices
The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander — cultivating possibility and reframing mindsets.
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky — tools for holding competing truths in complexity.
Article: “What Makes a Leader?” by Daniel Goleman (HBR classic on emotional intelligence, 2004).
How to Use This List
Pick one book for deeper reading this month.
Skim the articles for weekly inspiration.
Journal: After reading, ask “How does this connect with my ability to regulate and lead through complexity?”
