HBR’s 10 Must Reads on High Performance

by Harvard Business Review

Set yourself on the path to greatness.

If you read nothing else on performing at your highest level, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you focus on what matters, manage your energy and attention, and achieve remarkable results.

This book will inspire you to:

Improve on your weaknesses, not just your strengths
Identify what's holding you back
Rise above the pack
Take care of your physical health for sustained mental performance
Make small changes in your habits that lead to big results
Understand what motivates you
Use short-term goals to achieve long-term aspirations
Inspire others to reach their potential

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.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Self Help, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Productivity, Management

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2022

Reviews

[Alex DiBattista · Rating 4 out of 5]

The value of this book really depends on the article. I found that the first half of the book had much more interesting articles and actionable concepts than the second which were more common sense stuff that has been said before. I did a mid-book reflection on those actionable articles but didn’t have anything to do by the end.

Definitely got me thinking about the type of person I want to and can be both professionally and personally and there are multiple takeaways to improve.

[Rens Griffioen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the articles in this collection were really interesting, others a bit less so. Here are the ones that stood out to me and the lessons I took from them.

One key idea that resonated with me is that being an expert is something to be proud of—but you should never let your ego take over. Once you believe you’ve "arrived," you stop learning, and that's when your expertise begins to fade. Staying eager to learn, and engaging in deliberate practice—not just repeating tasks, but pushing yourself to improve—is essential for growth.

Another important takeaway was the value of self-awareness. Knowing who you are, how you work, your strengths and weaknesses, and the kind of environment where you thrive makes a real difference in your performance. Being transparent about your work style also helps others collaborate better with you—and shows if you're a good fit for the team.

When it comes to leadership, being exceptional at just one skill isn’t enough. To be seen as a great leader, you need to develop and thrive in multiple, complementary areas. This broader competence is what earns true respect and trust.

One insight that really stuck with me was the power of small wins. They’re incredibly motivating, and can make a huge difference in how people feel about their work. As a manager, it’s important to help your team feel like they’re making progress—even in small steps. Feeling productive brings satisfaction; not feeling it can lead to frustration. This idea—that a sense of progress drives motivation—was a real eye-opener for me. On the flip side, setbacks can be deeply demotivating.

The rest of the articles were less impactful for me personally, but overall, the key lessons I’m taking away are:

Deliberate practice is necessary for real improvement
Self-awareness is critical for personal and team performance
Great leadership requires more than one strong skill
Progress—even small progress—is incredibly motivating in the workplace

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - the brain worms made me buy this; interesting essays on how to support your professional development, but I’m not sure how practical all the strategies offered can be

[Nariman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the articles were really amazing and helpful, specially the first ones. Others not that great.

[Gerardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy interesante, me gustó el formato. Key takeaways/quotes from different authors: 1) “Don’t waste your time cultivating skill areas where you have little competence. Instead, concentrate on, and build on, your strengths.” 2) “Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work.” 3) “I also tell people to think about work/life integration, not balance. Balance suggests that the two are opposite and have nothing in common. But that’s not true.” 4) “The best way to decrease prejudice is to increase discrimination.” 5) “I refer to this as the two-minute rule. You basically take whatever habit you’re trying to build and scale it down to something that takes two minutes or less to do.” 6) “What you read and what you consume often are the precursors to the thoughts you have, or to the creative or innovative ideas you come up with.”

I particularly enjoyed “The Right Way to Form New Habits” by James Clear and Alison Beard, and “Mindfulness in the Age of Complexity” by Ellen Langer and Alison Beard. Both were interviews, I love reading in interview-style prose, very easily digestible.

[Nur Fatihah (fatihahreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been juggling my head thinking whether if I should give this book a 3 or 4 stars on average. The last article by James Clear really had jacked up my ratings for the book.

Despite half of the articles being something that I can easily obtain from common self-help books, there were a few articles that deserves highlighting, so I give it that.

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy of this book for an exchange with an honest review.

[Camilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for ambitious people who want to thrive

I really like the practical approach of every article. Each one is straight to the point and provides actionable advice.
There are multiple books about the same topics with a lot of void words just to get more pages. So, If you are practical and want to get to the core concepts and optimize your time, this is the kind of reading recommended for you.

[Firat Fidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

İki ayda bir HBR yayını okumak hem keyifli hem de öğretici. ‘Must Reads’ serisinin bu kitabı da performansınızı yükseltmeye yarayacak makalelerle dolu. Odaklanma, empati yeteneğini geliştirme, ilişki yönetimi, farkındalık, mental güç, fiziksel sağlık ve sürdürülebilir performans vb konuların alışkanlıklarımızı değiştirmede ne denli rol aldığını her yazar farklı açıdan incelemiş. Her zaman dediğim gibi kitap HBR yayını ise mutlaka göz atın ;)

[Augusto Restrepo · Rating 5 out of 5]

great readings!

I really like this format of shorter reads, various topics by fantastic authors. Sometimes you need to read a 300 page book to get the author’s idea, here is shorter and condensed.

[Sebastian Liuta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has useful tips for people that want to advance in their work environment and also improve their leadership skills or that get stagnating in the expert mentality where they do not challenge themselves anymore.

I can't think of anyone at this point in time to recommend it to.

[Robert Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few of the articles didn't offer much in the way of evidence in regard to what they postulated. However, like most HBR products, it consists of quality material and helpful suggestions to become a "high performer."

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights onto leadership and building a bridge from your true self to your ideal self as it relates to work. I enjoyed this!

[Quang Hung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good articles.

[Maral Sheikhzadeh]

Wasn’t for me. At this point in time it didn’t offer any novel ideas to me.

[Alex Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several articles that were really insightful and only a few that were not too helpful. I would recommend.

[Jasmine Sachar · Rating 4 out of 5]

useful for girlbossing

[Jonah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hackneyed pieces of advice, mostly with no empirical grounding. Found the last article on emotional intelligence and the interview on habit-forming useful. Otherwise mostly a waste of time.

[Tharun G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good perspectives.. some tools are too tedious to try

[Evan Glade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanna have the glow up and personality change of a life time … read this.

[Eva Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed this

[Garrett Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty dry. Last chapter was good, the rest was a slog. At least the audiobook.

[Eduardo Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro para la mejora profesional y personal en el ámbito laboral.

[Nathan Otto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I expected greater insights. I wasn't struck with anything particularly earth-shattering in here if you ever occasionally read similar "how to be better at work"-type articles.

[Neela · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst nonsense I’ve had the misfortune of reading. My own mistake for picking it up.

[Bhupesh Doda]

Excellent

[Jon Barlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly! Here’s a 10-point summary of Harvard Business Review’s 10 Must Reads on High Performance:

1. Achieving Peak Performance: High performers consistently exceed expectations and achieve outstanding results. The book emphasizes a combination of talent, resilience, and continuous improvement as key to achieving and maintaining peak performance.


2. Growth Mindset: Embracing a growth mindset, where individuals believe they can develop their abilities through hard work, learning, and perseverance, is crucial. This approach fosters resilience and adaptability in challenging environments.


3. Effective Leadership: High performance often stems from effective leadership that inspires and empowers others. Leaders must be skilled in communication, vision-setting, and fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.


4. Managing Stress and Energy: High performers know how to manage their energy, not just their time. The collection stresses the importance of work-life balance, recovery, and avoiding burnout to sustain peak performance over the long run.


5. Focus and Prioritization: To maintain high performance, individuals must focus on what truly matters, set clear priorities, and manage distractions. This ensures they devote their energy to high-impact tasks.


6. Feedback and Adaptation: High performers actively seek and respond to feedback. This cycle of receiving constructive input, reflecting on it, and making improvements is crucial for growth and development.


7. Team Dynamics and Collaboration: Collaboration and strong team dynamics are critical for sustaining high performance. Successful teams foster trust, open communication, and leverage the diverse strengths of all members.


8. Embracing Innovation: High performance often requires a willingness to innovate and challenge the status quo. This involves taking calculated risks, experimenting, and learning from failure without fear.


9. Ethical Integrity and Purpose: High performers often have a strong sense of purpose and adhere to ethical standards. Staying true to core values and contributing to a greater mission provides motivation and ensures sustainable success.


10. Continuous Learning: High performance is a journey, not a destination. The collection highlights the importance of lifelong learning, upskilling, and staying informed about industry trends to remain competitive and excel.



This collection of articles from HBR outlines the strategies and mindsets required to reach and sustain high performance in the workplace and beyond, drawing insights from leaders, researchers, and practitioners across various fields.

[Cloay · Rating 3 out of 5]

- available in SG NLB 158.7 (Sengkang