Building a successful career starts with you. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of your current job and lose sight of the big picture, but with a typical career spanning 50 years or more, you do so at your own peril. It's up to you to chart your own course to professional success. If you read nothing else on effectively managing your career, read these 10 articles by experts in the field. We've combed through hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review archive and selected the most important ones to help you develop yourself, make the right career moves, navigate inevitable detours and disruptions, and turn your professional dreams into reality. This book will inspire you to: Identify and leverage your strengths Cultivate the curiosity, skills, and knowledge you need to maintain your professional relevance far into the future Navigate messy job transitions gracefully Build and sustain a network that supports and encourages your growth Restore meaning and passion to your work Bounce back from career setbacks big and small Reinvent yourself, even in tough times This collection of articles includes "Managing Oneself," by Peter F. Drucker; "How to Play to Your Strengths," by Laura Morgan Roberts, Gretchen Spreitzer, Jane Dutton, Robert Quinn, Emily Heaphy, and Brianna Barker Caza; "How to Stay Stuck in the Wrong Career," by Herminia Ibarra; "Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change," by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams; "Learning to Learn," by Erika Andersen; "The Strategic Side Gig," by Ken Banta and Orlan Boston; "How Leaders Create and Use Networks," by Herminia Ibarra and Mark Lee Hunter; "How to Bounce Back from Adversity," by Joshua D. Margolis and Paul G. Stoltz; "Rebounding from Career Setbacks," by Mitchell Lee Marks, Philip Mirvis, and Ron Ashkenas; "Reawakening Your Passion for Work," by Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee, and Daniel Goleman; and "Next-Gen Retirement," by Heather C. Vough, Christine D. Bataille, Leisa Sargent, and Mary Dean Lee. HBR's 10 Must Reads paperback series is the definitive collection of books for new and experienced leaders alike. Leaders looking for the inspiration that big ideas provide, both to accelerate their own growth and that of their companies, should look no further. HBR's 10 Must Reads series focuses on the core topics that every ambitious manager needs to know: leadership, strategy, change, managing people, and managing yourself. Harvard Business Review has sorted through hundreds of articles and selected only the most essential reading on each topic. Each title includes timeless advice that will be relevant regardless of an ever‐changing business environment.

Passion is a pervasive concept in the work domain. Workers aspire to be passionate in the hope of finding meaning and satisfaction from their professional life, while employers dream of passionate employees who will ensure organizational performance. Does passion for work matter ? Does passion invariably bring about the anticipated positive outcomes or is there a darker side to passion for work that can also lead to negative outcomes for individuals and organizations? The goal of this book is to address these issues. This volume reviews major theories of work passion, focusing specifically on the dominant theory: the Dualistic Model of Passion. This theory distinguishes between two types of passion-harmonious and obsessive- and their associated determinants and consequences. This volume provides a comprehensive understanding of passion for work by addressing the origin of the concept and its theoretical issues: how can passion for work be developed, what are the consequences to be expected at the individual and organizational levels, and how can passion for work shed new light on contemporary issues in the workplace. Passion for Work: Theory, Research, and Applications synthesizes a vast body of existing research in the area, provides insights into new and exciting research avenues, and explores how passion for work can be cultivated in work settings in order to fulfill both workers' and employers' hopes for a productive and satisfying work life.

Life's too short to be unhappy at work "I'm working harder than I ever have, and I don't know if it's worth it anymore." If you're a manager or leader, these words have probably run through your mind. So many of us are feeling fed up, burned out, and unhappy at work: the constant pressure and stress, the unending changes, the politics--people feel as though they can't give much more, and performance is suffering. But it's work, after all, right? Should we even expect to be fulfilled and happy at work? Yes, we should, says Annie McKee, coauthor of the bestselling Primal Leadership. In her new transformative book, she makes the most compelling case yet that happiness--and the full engagement that comes with it--is more important than ever in today's workplace, and she sheds new light on the powerful relationship of happiness to individual, team, and organizational success. Based on extensive research and decades of experience with leaders, this book reveals that people must have three essential elements in order to be happy at work: A sense of purpose and the chance to contribute to something bigger than themselves A vision that is powerful and personal, creating a real sense of hope Resonant, friendly relationships With vivid and moving real-life stories, the book shows how leaders can use these powerful pillars to create and sustain happiness even when they're under pressure. By emphasizing purpose, hope, and friendships they can also ensure a healthy, positive climate for their teams and throughout the organization. How to Be Happy at Work deepens our understanding of what it means to be truly fulfilled and effective at work and provides clear, practical advice and instruction for how to get there--no matter what job you have.

Whether you are planning to retire, newly retired, long retired, or wishing you never retired, this book offers insights into the retirement process. You will learn the phases of retirement and transitions required to overcome career losses.

Everything you need to get your best work done, no matter where you do it. For many, working remotely is a dream come true. For others it comes with stress, distraction, and endless video-call fatigue. No matter how you feel about the new world of work, aspects of being part of a far-flung or hybrid team can be challenging. Work from Anywhere: The HBR Guides Collection offers ideas and strategies to help you enjoy the benefits of working from anywhere—and deal with the difficulties that come along with it. Included in this five-book set are: HBR Guide to Remote Work, HBR Guide to Managing Flexible Work, HBR Guide to Work-Life Balance, HBR Guide to Being More Productive, and HBR Guide to Beating Burnout. You'll learn how to: Craft a remote work routine that works for you Manage difficult conversations when you can't meet in person Keep your team engaged, both in person and virtually Adjust to your coworkers' flexible work arrangements Set boundaries without alienating your colleagues Motivate yourself when there's no one looking over your shoulder Avoid work-from-home burnout Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Your next act starts now. You're ready for something new, but it's hard to start over. Just the idea of trading the security you have now for the unknown or throwing away the education and time you've invested in your current career can plunge you into a swirl of indecision and anxiety. But mixing things up every few years is an increasingly normal and cyclical part of a healthy work life--a way to gain new skills and stretch your existing ones by applying them to different contexts. Whether you know what you want to do next or you're still evaluating options, the HBR Guide to Changing Your Career will help you: Imagine other professional selves Identify the skills you need--and those you already possess that will transfer to another industry Assess the financial implications of the change you're considering Try out new roles without endangering your current job Explain a seemingly winding career path Pitch yourself into a new role