How to Practice Growth by Design: 7 Books That Redefine Your Development
Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information but of unlearning old limits.
— Alan Cohen
We all have goals we want to grow into—whether it’s leading with more confidence, speaking up in meetings without hesitation, strengthening creativity, managing up effectively, or finally building a habit that sticks. But if you’re like most people, those goals often run into the common roadblocks: self-doubt, overwhelm, procrastination, or the endless tug of competing priorities.
That’s where Growth by Design comes in. Instead of hoping motivation will magically appear, or resistance will reduce, this approach treats your growth like a living blueprint: you experiment, you reflect, you adapt, and you persist. It’s about creating a plan that’s flexible enough to survive setbacks but structured enough to produce results.
The books in this list offer tools, frameworks, and inspiration to help you design your growth intentionally. They guide you from opening your perspective and embracing possibility, to experimenting boldly, building new skills, and sustaining your momentum—even when things get tough.
1. The Art of Possibility — Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander
For expanding perspective and embracing possibility
The Zanders open the door to seeing opportunities where others see limits. Their stories and frameworks encourage a mindset of abundance and creativity, helping you envision possibilities beyond your current perspective. By practicing these shifts in mindset, you can approach challenges with curiosity and confidence rather than fear or hesitation.
Growth by Design Exercise: Reflect on one area where you feel stuck. How might reframing it as an opportunity for creativity and growth change your approach this week?
2. Creative Confidence — Tom Kelley & David Kelley
For building creativity and self-trust
Creativity is a skill you can grow, not a talent you’re born with. The Kelleys show how to take action, embrace experimentation, and transform ideas into tangible results. This book provides practical exercises and mindset tools to help you overcome self-doubt and start creating without waiting for permission or perfection.
Growth by Design Exercise: Identify a challenge where you’ve held back. What small creative action could you take today without fear of judgment?
3. Think Again — Adam Grant
For cultivating curiosity and flexibility
Grant teaches the power of questioning assumptions and being willing to rethink. Intellectual flexibility allows you to adapt and grow in ways you never imagined. Applying these lessons helps you stay open to feedback and avoid getting stuck in outdated habits or beliefs.
Growth by Design Exercise: Pick a belief you’ve held firmly. What evidence exists that challenges it, and how can you remain open to new information?
4. Mindset — Carol Dweck
For developing a growth-oriented mindset
Our beliefs about our abilities shape how we approach challenges. Embracing a growth mindset transforms effort, mistakes, and setbacks into stepping stones for development. This framework helps you shift focus from proving yourself to improving yourself, making it easier to take on new challenges with resilience.
Growth by Design Exercise: Think about a recent setback. How might reframing it through a growth mindset lens change your response and next steps?
5. Tiny Experiments — Anne-Laure Le Cunff
For testing ideas and learning iteratively
Small, deliberate experiments lead to meaningful growth. Le Cunff shows how testing ideas in manageable ways builds insight, confidence, and momentum. By iterating on what works and discarding what doesn’t, you can design growth strategies that are uniquely effective for you.
Growth by Design Exercise: Choose one tiny experiment you can try this week. Observe what you learn and iterate for the next step.
6. Peak — Anders Ericsson & Robert Pool
For deliberate skill development and mastery
Mastery comes from deliberate practice, not mere repetition. Peak offers strategies to structure practice with focus, feedback, and measurable progress. Applying these principles helps you break down complex skills into manageable, high-impact exercises that accelerate growth.
Growth by Design Exercise: Identify a skill to improve. What focused, measurable practice can you commit to this month?
7. How to Change - Katy Milkman
For habit formation and sustained behavioral change
Sustaining growth requires overcoming obstacles and building habits. Milkman provides research-based strategies to make lasting change achievable. Following her methods allows you to design behavioral interventions that nudge yourself toward long-term goals without relying solely on willpower.
Growth by Design Exercise: Pick one habit or behavior that would most advance your growth. Break it into small, actionable steps you can implement immediately.
50 Books to Grow Your Leadership Skills
Download my Essential Reading Guide for Leadership Growth, which includes recommendations for 50 books on 10 different leadership competencies.
When you subscribe, you’ll also join 2,000+ professionals who receive The Coaching Mindset, my newsletter for practical tips to inspire intentional growth and tools to take a coach approach.
