--- title: What we learned from books in 2024 description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. canonical: https://time.com/partner-content/charter/7203876/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2024/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-12-29T11:31:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-28T07:07:29.479Z article:section: Charter og:title: What we learned from books in 2024 og:description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. og:url: https://time.com/partner-content/charter/7203876/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2024/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb6eaa75500d046d6/698b24f109208f46a9424ceb/charter-book-wrap.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1600 og:image:height: 900 og:image:alt: charter-book-wrap og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What we learned from books in 2024 twitter:description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb6eaa75500d046d6/698b24f109208f46a9424ceb/charter-book-wrap.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- The information presented here is created by Charter, independently from the TIME editorial staff.  Time charter * [books](/partner-content/charter/tag/books/) ## books # What we learned from books in 2024 > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=601530be-b531-4865-ae4b-6239574c04d9&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=601530be-b531-4865-ae4b-6239574c04d9&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [Kevin J. Delaney](https://time.com/author/kevin-delaney/) and [Michelle Peng](https://time.com/author/michelle-peng/) Dec 29, 2024 11:31 AM UTC  Art: Charter by [Kevin J. Delaney](https://time.com/author/kevin-delaney/) and [Michelle Peng](https://time.com/author/michelle-peng/) Dec 29, 2024 11:31 AM UTC At Charter, we’re avid readers of the latest books on work and leadership and share the most useful insights and takeaways in book briefings for Charter Pro subscribers and Q&As with authors. Here are some of our top takeaways, tactics, and advice that we’ve shared from books this year: **Go out of your way to recognize excellence in colleagues.** “The tricks are to remember that a moment of excellence is a moment to hit pause; that sometimes, one good way to pay someone a compliment is simply to ask them how they did something,” Ashley Goodall writes in [_The Problem With Change_](https://amzn.to/4bL2pXP?ref=charterworks.com). He suggests responding to moments of colleagues’ brilliance with expressions like, “I loved that. How on earth did you decide to do it that way?” or “Can I tell you why that stood out for me?” **Read** [**our book briefing**](https://www.charterworks.com/problem-with-change-book-ashley-goodall/) **on** **_The Problem With Change_** **.** **Ask a lot of questions.** “Leaders who want to connect with their teams should listen more and ask more questions (supercommunicators, we know from studies, ask 10 to 20 times as many questions as the average person),” Charles Duhigg, the author of [_Supercommunicators_](https://amzn.to/4bOIAja?ref=charterworks.com), told us. “In particular they should ask deep questions, something that invites the other person to discuss their values, or beliefs, or experiences.” He cites “Do you have something else you dream of doing?” as an example of a deep question, and says it’s even more effective if you respond by sharing something authentic and vulnerable in return. **Read** [**our coverage of** **_Supercommunicators_**](http://v)**.** **Treat your calendar like an art gallery.** In [_Over Work_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250801729?ref=cm%5Fsw%5Fr%5Fcp%5Fud%5Fdp%5F35T63WGY265FTQ19EC6W&ref%5F=cm%5Fsw%5Fr%5Fcp%5Fud%5Fdp%5F35T63WGY265FTQ19EC6W&social%5Fshare=cm%5Fsw%5Fr%5Fcp%5Fud%5Fdp%5F35T63WGY265FTQ19EC6W&skipTwisterOG=1&ref=charterworks.com)_,_ Brigid Schulte suggests that you “think of your calendar less like a crowded pantry that you're going to shove a bunch of stuff into… \[and\] more like an art gallery” as she explained [during the Charter Workplace Summit](https://www.charterworks.com/charter-workplace-summit-2024-how-individuals-and-organizations-can-make-work-better/). That means replacing back-to-back meetings with a lighter schedule, with plenty of time before and after each meeting for prep and followup. It also requires giving your undivided attention during the meeting itself, rather than answering emails and Slack messages. **Watch our** [**interview**](https://www.charterworks.com/charter-workplace-summit-2024-how-individuals-and-organizations-can-make-work-better/) **with Schulte.** Sign up for Charter's newsletter to get the handbook for the future of work delivered to your inbox. Email Address You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our [Terms of Service](https://www.charterworks.com/terms-of-service/) and [Privacy Policy](https://www.charterworks.com/privacy-policy/). **Take “candor breaks” during conversations about major decisions.** The practice, which Keith Ferrazzi and Paul Hill describe in [_Never Lead Alone_](https://amzn.to/3BMOrYV)_,_ requires leaders to ask, “What’s not being said in this room that should be said?” before committing to big decisions. For a more in-depth way to solicit candid feedback, the authors recommend forming stress-testing breakout groups during progress reports on projects. After the project owner presents their updates, challenges, and next steps, ask each breakout group to discuss three questions: “What challenges or risks do those in the breakout group see from what was presented?” “What suggested innovations or advice might they offer?” and “What offers of support or help do they want to give?” **Read our Charter Pro book briefing on** [**_Never Lead Alone_**](https://www.charterworks.com/on-charters-bookshelf-never-lead-alone/)**_._** **Lean into the “sharp edge” of your expertise.** Ethan Mollick, author of [_Co-Intelligence_](https://amzn.to/49eZ81e?ref=charterworks.com), told Charter that, as AI automates work tasks, he’d encourage people to “build a sharp edge to their expertise of something they're good at, they want to do, and they have a competitive advantage in doing, and then figure out how to use AI to fill in the gaps they have to make them very good.” That “sharp edge” is the thing that you can be better than most other people at, and then you can use AI augmentation to make your work at that even better. **Read** [**our interview with Mollick**](https://www.charterworks.com/ethan-mollick-ai-co-intelligence-managers-expertise/)**.** **Introduce more novelty into your life.** Exposing yourself to new situations and ideas helps you be a better learner and more creative in your work, says Gabriella Kellerman, co-author of [_Tomorrowmind_](https://amzn.to/49vgxmC?ref=charterworks.com). That could include “new ways of commuting, ordering something different off the menu, watching something completely different on TV, really trying something different out of your comfort zone and seeing what good things come of it.” **Read our** [**interview with Kellerman**](https://www.charterworks.com/learning-agility-at-work-betterup/)**.** **Understand workers’ “push” and “pull” factors as part of onboarding.** In [_Job Moves_](https://amzn.to/3AMhHi3?ref=charterworks.com), Ethan Bernstein, Michael B. Horn, and Bob Moesta point out that leaders who understand the motivations driving disengagement and attrition “can manage \[workers\] more effectively and make your organization a far more attractive workplace day-to-day.” The authors provide a script for managers to help new workers reflect on the factors that led them to leave a previous position and choose a new one. By addressing employees’ motivations and career goals when they first join an organization, managers can help employees craft their role to be maximally engaging, fulfilling, and effective. **Read our Charter Pro** [**book briefing**](https://www.charterworks.com/on-charters-bookshelf-job-moves-9-steps-for-making-progress-in-your-career/) **on** **_Job Moves._** **Use “dual promotion” to build your status at work.** In [_Likeable Badass_](https://amzn.to/3XxjvUt)_,_ Alison Fragale makes the case that conventional career advice for women hoping to get ahead focuses too much on power and not enough on status. In an [interview](https://time.com/charter/7018811/alison-fragale-likeable-badass/) with Charter, she shared “dual promotion,” a strategy that increases the perception that you are both capable and caring—two dimensions that cultivate status. Next time you share an accomplishment, make sure to highlight a collaborator who made an important contribution to your success, whether it’s the co-author of a report or a team member who interfaced with a client. “The science shows that the audience sees the person telling the story as both more capable and more caring—capable because they talked about their own accomplishments and caring because they elevated somebody else,” explained Fragale. **Read our** [**interview**](https://time.com/charter/7018811/alison-fragale-likeable-badass/) **with Fragale.** **Use the “inquire and affirm” method of handling conflict.** Vijay Pendakur, author of [_The Alchemy of Talent_](https://bookshop.org/a/664/9798891383005?ref=charterworks.com)_,_ [shared](https://time.com/charter/7000691/how-to-break-through-to-detached-team-members/) a four-step strategy for leaders to respond to team members’ criticisms. It starts by taking a breath to calm any heightened nerves from being challenged. Then, start asking questions. Pendakur gave one example of what a leader might say: “‘Michelle, I hear you’re frustrated with the way I led that meeting last week. Can you tell me more about what you think went wrong,’” he shared. “Half of what you’re doing there is giving yourself time to get it together, but also you’re honoring the person stepping into the courage to actually give their team leader feedback.” Finally, affirm the person’s choice to give feedback by saying something like, “I want to thank you for giving me this feedback. This is exactly the kind of behavior I want from my team. I need some time to think about what you’re sharing. Can I come back to you later today or tomorrow morning with a more thoughtful response?’” **Read our** [**interview**](https://time.com/charter/7000691/how-to-break-through-to-detached-team-members/) **with Pendakur.** **Cultivate self-compassion as a skill through daily reminders for positive self talk.** In [_Burnt Out to Lit Up_](https://amzn.to/3TseI4l?ref=charterworks.com)_,_ Daisy Augur-Dominguez identifies self-compassion as a practice for preventing burnout. She recommends that workers build self-compassion into their routine by setting reminders with positive self talk throughout the day. For example, a morning notification might remind a worker to say, “Today, I will withhold from judging myself and others, honor my limits and focus on what aligns with my highest priorities. It’s OK not to meet every demand,” while an end-of-day reminder might read, “I did my best today. I celebrate my wins, learn from my mistakes, and move forward with a grateful mindset.” **Read our Charter Pro** [**book briefing**](https://www.charterworks.com/burnt-out-to-lit-up/) **on** **_Burnt out to Lit Up_** **and** [**watch Augur-Dominguez’s presentation**](https://www.charterworks.com/charter-workplace-summit-2024-release-your-hungry-ghosts-how-you-and-your-team-can-go-from-burnout-to-inspiration/) **at the Workplace Summit** **_._** **The job interview is the first date of the employer-employee relationship,** argues Tessa West In [_Job Therapy_](https://amzn.to/3yZsBQb)_._ In an interview with Charter, she offered a few pieces of advice to make the interview process as useful and successful for both parties. First, give applicants the interview questions ahead of time. “A no-surprises version of an interview is going to get the best answers out of a candidate,” she [told](https://time.com/charter/6990827/happiness-interviews-tessa-west/) us. “You want to give people a chance to prepare their answers, and you don’t want to test them on their ability to think on their toes unless that’s actually part of the job.” She also recommended hiring managers give interviewees a list of questions to ask interviewers. “Create the norm that it’s okay to ask things like, ‘How do you fail at this job? Tell me all the ways in which one could really screw this job up or the last person in this job failed.’ Those answers are going to be really critical for candidates,” she said. **Read our** [**interview**](https://time.com/charter/6990827/happiness-interviews-tessa-west/) **with West.** **Make time for mindful minutes.** In [_Breaking Bias_](https://charterworks.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=eb9b19e527bec82c51c63bd2b&id=a93b2bb8a5&e=b0f2707ade&ref=charterworks.com)_,_ Anu Gupta [argues](https://www.charterworks.com/reshaping-inclusive-leadership-through-mindfulness/) that rooting out bias starts by cultivating the vulnerability and mindfulness required to identify and interrupt bias as it pops up in your own thinking. To reap the benefits of mindfulness, from preventing bias to promoting mental wellbeing, Gupta recommends starting team-wide meetings with a minute dedicated to calming the nervous system. For leaders, that means asking team members to “breathe, relax our nervous systems from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet, and just become mindful of our intentions and motivations,” he explained in an interview. Consider prompting silent reflection and re-centering with questions like, “Why are we here?” or “What are we here to do together?” **Read our Charter Pro** [**coverage**](https://www.charterworks.com/reshaping-inclusive-leadership-through-mindfulness/) **of** **_Breaking Bias._** **Empower middle managers to work modularly to help your organization weather uncertainty and change,** argue Devin DeCiantis and Ivan Lansberg, authors of [_The Enduring Enterprise_](https://amzn.to/4hRX8BC)_._ “Ideally, people can unplug and plug into teams seamlessly and redeploy themselves to solve problems without having to check with authorities within the organization,” said DeCiantis in an [interview](https://time.com/charter/7177010/lessons-for-navigating-uncertainty-from-the-enduring-enterprise/) with Charter. Lansberg noted that middle managers at one manufacturing plant in Mexico led a push to build respirators for local hospitals when the start of the Covid pandemic left many hospitals short on supplies. “Recognize that middle managers are often the ones who are in control of innovation within the company because they’re much closer to the products and the manufacturing processes that are in place,” he said. **Read our** [**interview**](https://time.com/charter/7177010/lessons-for-navigating-uncertainty-from-the-enduring-enterprise/) **with DeCiantis and Lansberg.** **Block out time for meeting prep and followup.** “I'm going to need to do a bunch of email followup from the meeting, so I'm going to block the 30 minutes after,” [Laura Mae Martin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauramaemartin/?ref=charterworks.com), author of [_Uptime_](https://amzn.to/3JG6kcs?ref=charterworks.com), told Charter. “If I need to prep for something in that meeting, I'm now blocking that time a week before.” Martin tries to keep at least 20% of her schedule free so she has breathing room rather than just spilling directly from one meeting to the next. **Read** [**our interview**](https://www.charterworks.com/make-meetings-better-laura-mae-martin-google/) **with Martin.** **For the latest on what we’re reading and get the highlights directly to your inbox,** [**join Charter Pro**](https://www.charterworks.com/pro/)**.** **Have recommendations for books to cover in the new year?** [**Message us**](mailto:k@charterworks.com)**.** **Read** [**what we learned from books in 2023**](https://www.charterworks.com/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2023/) --- ## Read more from Charter [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/charter/) [Open article: How Reading Fiction Builds Better Leaders for the AI Age](https://time.com/partner-content/charter/how-reading-fiction-builds-better-leaders-for-the-ai-age/)  ### How Reading Fiction Builds Better Leaders for the AI Age [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/charter/how-reading-fiction-builds-better-leaders-for-the-ai-age/) [Open article: What We Learned From Books in 2023](https://time.com/partner-content/charter/6551391/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2023/)  ### What We Learned From Books in 2023 [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/charter/6551391/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2023/) [Open article: The Reasons Behind the Gender Wage Gap Might Surprise You](https://time.com/partner-content/charter/6333713/charter-the-reasons-behind-the-gender-wage-gap-might-surprise-you/)  ### The Reasons Behind the Gender Wage Gap Might Surprise You [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/charter/6333713/charter-the-reasons-behind-the-gender-wage-gap-might-surprise-you/) --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/partner-content/charter/7203876/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2024/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/partner-content/charter/7203876/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2024/"},"headline":"What we learned from books in 2024","datePublished":"2024-12-29T11:31:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-28T07:07:29.479Z","description":"The best advice from Charter's book briefings, author Q&As, and more, featuring Over Work, Supercommunicators, Co-intelligence, and more.","url":"https://time.com/partner-content/charter/7203876/what-we-learned-from-books-in-2024/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb6eaa75500d046d6/698b24f109208f46a9424ceb/charter-book-wrap.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kevin J. 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