28 New Business Books You Should Read in 2026

In 2023, we celebrated 23 books.
In 2024, we celebrated 24.
In 2025, we celebrated 25.

Every year in the Expert Author Community, we love adding to that pattern.

But this year, 26 books in 2026 just wasn't enough.

Because in a world increasingly crowded with fast, frictionless content, books like these matter even more. They remind us that long-form, human-centred writing still has the power to deepen ideas, build trust, and help trusted voices rise above the noise.

We’ve grouped them loosely by theme so you can explore what’s emerging from our community this year: from leadership and culture to wellbeing, business, identity, and the deeply personal.

We’re proud of every one of these authors, and thrilled to share their books with you.

And, if reading this sparks something in you, there’s a Write Now offer waiting for you at the end of the article.

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On Leadership and Culture

There's something that keeps showing up in the leadership books our authors write: a quiet insistence that leading well is not about performance. It's about presence. These 5 books make that case - each in their own way, from their own hard-won experience.

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1. Great Leaders Care | Graeme Cowan

Graeme Cowan founded R U OK? Day - the national movement that transformed how Australians talk about mental health in the workplace. So when he writes about leadership grounded in care, he's not theorising. He's drawing on more than a decade of watching what happens when people feel genuinely seen at work.

Great Leaders Care makes the case that care isn't a soft extra - it's practical, effective, and urgently needed for anyone leading through pressure, change, or uncertainty.

Great Leaders Care published with Wiley | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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2. Good Work | Dr Kathryn (Kat) Page

Through psychological research, real workplace stories, and practical tools, Kat helps readers move beyond wellbeing as a nice idea and towards creating healthier, more sustainable workplaces in practice.

Leading and lasting inclusionLeading and lasting inclusionA thoughtful guide for managers, leaders, and anyone who cares about how work feels as well as how it performs.

Good Work published with Wiley | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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3. Rise Up | Fay Calderone

Fay moves beyond the box-ticking approach to inclusion and offers real tools for leaders who want to build workplaces where everyone genuinely feels safe, respected, and included - not as a compliance exercise, but as something they actively choose to create.

It's a grounded and generous read for anyone who believes that how people feel at work matters, and who wants to do something meaningful about it.

Rise Up published through Routledge

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4. The Kind Way | Sophie Bretag

Sophie shows that kindness is not weakness - that actually, it's a powerful leadership tool that builds resilience, fosters innovation, and creates accountability in high-pressure environments.

A thoughtful guide to leading with more self-compassion, steadiness, and strength when things feel chaotic.

The Kind Way published through Kind Press | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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5. Leading for Tomorrow, Today | Janine Stratford

For educational leaders who feel buried in the day-to-day (the firefighting, the admin, the constant reactive work), Janine introduces a practical framework for stepping back from the busyness and leading with more purpose and clarity.

An honest guide for anyone in school leadership who's ready to work differently, not just harder.

Leading for Tomorrow, Today Published through Amba Press | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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On wellbeing and performance

These books share something I didn't expect when I read them together: none of them are asking you to do more. They're asking you to reconsider the assumptions that have been quietly running your life.

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6. Win the Night to Win the Day | Penelope Barr

Most of us treat sleep as an afterthought. But Penelope, who draws on 25 years in executive leadership, makes the case that it's actually where our best days begin.

She reframes sleep as the most overlooked strategic tool we have, and shows readers how to stop negotiating with 3am and start designing nights that actually work. This is for anyone who's tired of leaving their best days to chance.

Win the Night to Win the Day published through Hardie Grant Custom | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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7. The Cognitive Athlete | Clint Rahe

Drawing on elite sport, the military, and neuroscience, Clint offers a practical guide to building focus, resilience, and mental strength under pressure — not by pushing harder, but by developing the cognitive tools to stay clear and capable when it matters most.

A strong read for anyone wanting to perform at their best without burning out.

The Cognitive Athlete published through Wiley

8. The Overachiever's Reset | Fleur Marks

The ambition that built your career shouldn't be the thing that breaks you.

Fleur writes from her own experience of pushing too hard and the health crisis that followed. The result is a deeply honest guide to succeeding differently, with more sustainability, self-trust, and genuine satisfaction. A book that gives high achievers permission to reset without giving up.

The Overachiever's Reset Published through Wiley

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9. Why Things Feel F*cked | Andrew Sloan

Blending psychology, storytelling, and practical insight, Andrew offers a grounded path back to self-leadership, meaning, and lasting change — whilst drawing on over a decade of clinical practice and the latest research.

An insightful, and illustrative, read (thanks to Office Guy Cartoons) for anyone wanting to feel more connected to themselves and more alive in their life.

Why Things Feel F*cked published with Hardie Grant Custom | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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If you're sitting on a book idea drawn from your own expertise and experience, the Expert Author Community is built for exactly that. Write Now is our guided starting point to begin. Scroll to the end for a special offer from us.

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10. It's Not You, It's Perimenopause | Sarah Gray

There's a particular kind of relief that comes when someone finally names the thing you've been experiencing but couldn't quite articulate.

Sarah is a nutritionist and pharmacist, so she brings both clinical expertise and genuine warmth to navigating the hormonal, physical, and emotional changes of midlife. This book is evidence-based, practical, and quietly empowering.

It's Not You, It's Perimenopause published through The Kind Press | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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On career and identity

In a world that keeps changing what "success" looks like, these authors write about the harder, more personal question: who are you becoming, and is it still working for you?

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11. The Professional | Tony Frost

Tony made the move from corporate tax law to executive coaching, and built a framework from it. Drawing on his own reinvention, he shares practical tools for rebuilding your professional identity, developing new capabilities, and turning experience into genuine advantage.

A thoughtful read for anyone navigating career transition with more confidence and possibility.

The Professional published through Wiley

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12. Reframe | Siobhan O'Riordan

With clarity and conviction, Siobhan challenges the idea that specialism is always superior — showing how generalists help connect ideas, build bridges across teams, and see the bigger picture.

A smart read for both generalists themselves and the leaders who need to recognise and better use that strength.

Reframe published with our official imprint EAC Books | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

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13. See Suite Success | Caroline Patrick

Caroline explores what helps marketers move beyond management and into genuine strategic influence: building executive presence, navigating stakeholders, and positioning marketing as a real business driver.

A practical and insightful guide for anyone aiming for the C-suite with more clarity and confidence.

See Suite Success independently published

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14. A Life Aligned | Ty Ann Osborn

As one of the world's first certified Gallup coaches, Ty Ann helps readers identify their natural talents, align them with their goals, and build a more sustainable kind of success - one that feels both authentic and energising.

This is a practical and encouraging guide to using your strengths more intentionally in work and life.

A Life Aligned independently published with Align Press

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15. EI for the Age of AI | Sleiman Abou-Hamdan

In a world where AI is reshaping how we work and lead, Sleiman makes the case that emotional intelligence is the advantage machines can't replicate.

A high-impact guide that helps leaders regulate under pressure, think clearly in complexity, and lead with presence - drawing on neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and adaptive leadership theory. Essential reading for anyone navigating the human side of an increasingly automated world.

EI for the Age of AI independently published with Holistic Psychology Australia

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On business and growth

These are the books written by practitioners, for practitioners. No theory for theory's sake, just hard-earned thinking that makes itself immediately useful.

16. Red Brick Thinking | Donna McGeorge

Sometimes the way forward is not to add more, but to remove what's getting in the way.

Donna explores the art of strategic subtraction, helping readers identify the unnecessary complexity, commitments, and mental clutter that hold them back. Written with insight, humour, and practical wisdom.

Red Brick Thinking published through John Wiley

17. Story Intelligence | Gabrielle Dolan

A timely guide to communicating with clarity, authenticity, and emotional resonance in the age of AI. Gabrielle explores the power of story as a deeply human advantage. She helps readers connect more meaningfully and stand out in a crowded landscape.

A smart and thoughtful read for anyone wanting their message to land with more depth and impact.

Story Intelligence published through Wiley

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18. The Problem Solver's Playbook | Chris Harrop

After three decades in strategy consulting, Chris has turned a wealth of experience into a practical guide for tackling complex business challenges with more clarity and confidence. It contains clear frameworks, real-world insight, and implementation that drives lasting change.

The Problem Solver's Playbook published with EAC Books | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

19. Own Your M.E.D.I.A | Prosper Taruvinga

A practical and refreshing approach to business growth for coaches and consultants tired of relying on social media algorithms to stay visible. Prosper shows how to build a more sustainable client attraction strategy - one that supports your values and your lifestyle.

Own Your M.E.D.I.A independently published with Livelong Publishing

20. Only Tradies Improve Reliability | Gerard Wood

Gerard breaks down what it actually takes to build a culture where reliability isn't just expected, it's the standard. An honest and useful read for anyone running or leading a trades business who knows the human side of the work is just as important as the technical side.

Only Tradies Improve Reliability published through Dean Publishing

21. Inclusive Strategic Planning for Nonprofits | Dr Renee Rubin Ross

Through a clear five-step framework, Renee helps nonprofit leaders expand energy, strengthen alignment, and create real opportunity by involving the right people in the right ways.

A generous and practical resource for anyone who believes that how you plan matters just as much as what you plan.

Inclusive Strategic Planning for Nonprofits independently published with Strategy School

22. The Money Reset | Gemma Mitchell

A practical guide to navigating money with more clarity, confidence, and self-trust - especially after life has taken an unexpected turn. Gemma goes beyond the numbers, helping readers align financial goals with their values while building greater security and peace of mind.

The Money Reset published through John Wiley

On the personal and human

These are the books that remind us why any of this matters. They're not about productivity or positioning. They're about people - the complexity of being one, and the courage it takes to write honestly from that place.

23. Mostly Ups | Kerryn Harvey

In 2013, Kerryn survived necrotising fasciitis with just a 5% chance of living. When she woke from an induced coma, she was facing two life-changing realities: she had survived a flesh-eating disease, and she had lost her left arm and shoulder.

What followed was the challenge of rebuilding her life from the ground up - competing for Australia as a paratriathlete, running 12 marathons in 12 months. Mostly Ups is a powerful reminder of what's possible when you refuse to give up.

Mostly Ups published with Hembury Books

24. Seen Again | Benita Bensch

A mum of four boys, coach, writer, and farmer, Benita offers a real and refreshing perspective on the emotional complexity of family life. This book feels less like advice from a distance and more like a candid, generous conversation about the tension between caring for your children and staying connected to yourself.

Seen Again published with The Kind Press | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

25. The Perfect Parent Trap | Lisa Taylor

The Perfect Parent Trap is a thoughtful guide to building the kinds of relationships that help us feel loved, grounded, and genuinely connected.

Drawing on real client stories and practical frameworks, Lisa Taylor explores how we move beyond surface-level interactions and create relationships that truly nourish us. It's a warm, insightful book for anyone wanting more depth, belonging, and connection in their life.

The Perfect Parent Trap published with Amba Press | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

26. Welcome Home | Bee Lim

Through the symbolism of four animals, Bee combines psychology, storytelling, and innovation to help readers make sense of complex emotional experiences. A beautifully illustrated work that feels both creative and deeply grounded in healing and human experience.

Welcome Home published through Hardie Grant Custom | Pitched via our EAC Pitch Party

27. Between Flights | Wendy Walker

Wendy writes deeply human reflections and stories on leadership, life, and the unseen moments that shape us.

Written in the pauses between airports, meetings, and milestones, it’s less a manual and more a companion for those navigating ambition, identity, creativity, and change.

Between Flights published through Grammar Factory

28. Garden on the Verge | Gayle Dallaston

Gayle makes a compelling case for one of the simplest, most doable ways to increase community connection: native verge gardens.

Drawing on years of practical experience and wide research, she offers a pathway for how humans, specifically councils and residents, can work together, and shows how local action like this creates the hope and optimism needed to do more in our world today.

Garden on the Verge independently published through Shady Lanes Press

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If this sounds like your kind of work

Twenty-eight books in 2026 is not just a milestone. It’s a reminder that in a world full of fast, frictionless content, meaningful books still matter. They give ideas room to deepen, build trust, and help real voices stand out.

That’s the work we care about at the Expert Author Community. We support thoughtful professionals to write books with substance, clarity and commercial relevance, and to do it in good company.

If you know there’s a book in you, we’d love to support you. You can start with Write Now, which is our guided starting point for those who are ready to stop circling and begin with clarity, momentum and substance.

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To celebrate these 28 books and authors, we’re offering $50 off the release of Write Now until 31 May 2026. Use code YAYMAY28.

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Still hungry for more?

Here are additional gems from our incredible community:

• The CEO Game Changer by Anthony Moss - How advisory boards can unleash your business potential
• Confidence Booster by Susan Paczkowski - Practical affirmations for mindset transformation
• The Deepest Thing by Anne Gleeson - Poetry that invites you to slow down and sit with what matters most.