It's been a busy and meaningful summer.

I've had the chance to visit some incredible schools while leading Business Model Retreats and helping leadership teams get their School Operating System up and running. All that travel has also meant a lot of time on planes, which I've put to good use with some reading I've been meaning to get to.

If you're looking to slow down a bit and recharge, here are four titles that have been especially meaningful to me this summer. Each one is practical, timely, and connected to the kind of work many of us are focused on right now.

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

The Art of Gathering came to me as a recommendation from a head of school, and it's been one of the most genuinely useful books I've read in a while.

Why it resonated

It's been helpful to me in two distinct ways. First, it's shaping how I think about facilitating group coaching sessions and workshops with Moonshot Lab members. Parker's central argument is that most gatherings fail not because of logistics, but because the host never gets clear on the purpose. That framing has pushed me to be more intentional every time I bring a group together.

Second, it's changing how I design and lead retreats with school leadership teams and boards. The retreat format is something I rely on heavily in the Business Model Retreat work, and this book has added a new layer of thinking to how I approach that space.

If you're planning any kind of gathering with a purpose, whether it's a board retreat, a leadership team offsite, or a professional development day, this one is worth your time.

School Marketing the Right Way by Brendan Schneider

Brendan Schneider is a good friend, and I had a front-row seat as he spent over a year pouring everything he knows into this book. Brendan is also one of the advisors in Moonshot Lab, so I've seen the depth of his expertise up close.

Why it resonated

Marketing is one of the eight business competencies I work with school leaders on, and it's an area where even strong schools often underinvest in both strategy and execution. This book fills that gap. It's a comprehensive, practical guide to school marketing done well, and it's written specifically for the independent school context.

Whether you're looking to grow your own marketing competency or hand something substantive to your Director of Admission or Communications, this is the right resource.

Leading through Strategy by Tom Olverson

If Brendan wrote the book on marketing in independent schools, Tom Olverson wrote the one on business leadership. Leading through Strategy is the kind of book that makes you think differently about how you approach strategy as a head of school.

Why it resonated

Tom's thinking is clear, grounded, and deeply relevant to the realities of leading an independent school today. Strategy is not a document you produce every five years. It's a discipline you practice continuously, and this book makes that case compellingly.

I had the chance to interview Tom on the podcast, and it was one of the best conversations I've had. You can listen here: Leading through Strategy with Tom Olverson.

Traction by Gino Wickman

Traction is not a new book, but it remains one of the most important ones I've read. It fundamentally changed how I think about leadership, execution, and what it actually takes to build an organization that runs with clarity and intention.

Why it resonated

This book is a big part of the reason I pursued my Certified Top Coach designation. The EOS framework Wickman outlines is the foundation on which I built the School Operating System. The idea that a leadership team needs a shared operating rhythm, a way to set priorities, hold accountability, and move through the year with momentum rather than reaction, is at the heart of the work I do with schools.

If you're serious about bringing real clarity and accountability to your leadership team, this one belongs on the list.

A Few Final Thoughts

These four books sit across different domains, gathering design, marketing, strategy, and execution, but they share a common thread. They all push back against the idea that good intentions are enough. Each one makes the case that how you do the work matters as much as what you decide to do.

That's a theme I come back to again and again in the work with schools. It's not about having the right strategy on paper. It's about building the habits, rhythms, and systems that actually bring it to life.

Hope one of these finds its way into your bag or onto your nightstand this summer. Wishing you some time to rest, reset, and come back ready.