Book Club 2025

Thanks for talking a look at our 2025 Book Club Programme.

We have two sessions of Book Club each month:

Wine and Words: 2nd Thursday of each month at 5.30pm with Melita

Coffee and Cake: 3rd Thursday of each month at 10.00am with Elinor

Book Club is open to Business Whanganui network members. To join Book Club, email us at events@businesswhanganui.nz.

Scroll down to see:

  1. 2025 Book Club Meetings Schedule

2. 2025 Book Club Resources by theme

  • March: Leadership
  • April : Strategy
  • May : Customers
  • June : Measurement & Analysis
  • July : Workforce
  • August : Operations

2025 Book Club Meetings Schedule

Month Dates Theme
February Thursday 13 Feb @ 5:30 pm Catch-up and programme introduction
Thursday 20 Feb @ 10:00 am
March Thursday 13 Mar @ 5.30pm Leadership
Thursday 20 Mar @ 10.00am
April Thursday 10 Apr @ 5.30pm Strategy
Thursday 17 Apr @ 10.00am
May Thursday 8 May @ 5.30pm Customers
Thursday 15 May @ 10.00am
June Thursday 12 Jun @ 5.30pm Measurement and analysis
Thursday 19 Jun @ 10.00am
July Thursday 10 Jul @ 5.30pm Workforce
Thursday 17 Jul @ 10.00am
August Thursday 14 Aug @ 5.30pm Operations
Thursday 21 Aug @ 10.00am
September TBD TBD
TBD
October TBD TBD
TBD
November TBD TBD
TBD
December TBD End of year catch-up

 

Resources by theme and month

Leadership (March)

Web articles to weigh…
How indigenous leadership offers a new way of looking at a changed world by Don Rowe https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/21-10-2020/indigenous-leadership-presents-a-new-way-of-looking-at-the-changed-world
The art of 21st-century leadership by McKinsey & Company https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-art-of-21st-century-leadership-from-succession-planning-to-building-a-leadership-factory
The Now, New, and Next of Digital Leadership: How AI will take over and change leadership as we know it by Niels van Quaquebeke and Fabiola Gerpott https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15480518231181731
What do Millenials want in a Modern Leader by Jennifer Post https://www.business.com/articles/leadership-styles-millennials/
What makes a good leader? By Nick Lebredo https://prodcm.sfmagazine.com/en/Articles/2024/January/What-Makes-a-Good-Leader
Books to browse…
Boards that lead by Ram Charan, Dennis Carey, Micheal Useem Whanganui District Library
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Legacy by James Kerr

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Think Again by Adam Grant

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Wayfinding Leadership by Chellie Spiller, Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr & John Panoho

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Podcasts to ponder…
Indigenous 100 with Julian Wilcox https://indigenous100.com/category/podcast/
How I built this with Guy Raz https://open.spotify.com/show/6E709HRH7XaiZrMfgtNCun

 

 

Strategy (April)

Web articles to weigh…
An introduction to business strategy https://www.business.govt.nz/business-performance/business-strategy/introduction-to-strategy
Getting strategy wrong – and how to do it right instead by Richard Rumelt https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/getting-strategy-wrong-and-how-to-do-it-right-instead
How to develop a business strategy: 6 steps by Catherine Cote https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/how-to-develop-a-business-strategy
Why do strategy, anyway? By Roger Martin https://rogermartin.medium.com/why-do-strategy-anyway-355e0e760861
Books to browse…
Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

The E-myth by Michael Gerber

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

The innovator’s dilemma by Clayton Christensen

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

You don’t need an MBA by Alicia McKay

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Podcasts to ponder…
Business is boring with Simon Pound https://open.spotify.com/show/1eSMU3hDO9NRMoG7NDAV8l
Inside the Strategy Room with McKinsey & Company https://open.spotify.com/show/4TcFfiQ0e6OYuc5kRDLxqj

 

 

 

Customers (May)

Web articles to weigh…
Customer experience is everyone’s responsibility by Rebecca Hinds and Sarang Gupta https://hbr.org/2023/04/customer-experience-is-everyones-responsibility
Five consumer myths to ditch in 2025 by Olaya Moldes Andres https://theconversation.com/five-consumer-myths-to-ditch-in-2025-245897
How generative AI can boost consumer marketing by Lisa Harkness, Kelsey Robinson, Eli Stein and Winnie Wu https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing
Stop trying to delight your customers by Matthew Dixon, Karen Freeman and Nick Toman https://hbr.org/2010/07/stop-trying-to-delight-your-customers
Books to browse…
Brand desire: How to create consumer involvement and inspiration by Nicholas Ind and Oriol Iglesias

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Hug your haters: How to embrace complaints and keep your customers by Jay Baer

Whanganui District Library

Audible & Spotify

Purple Cow by Seth Godin

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Raving fans by Ken Blanchard

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Podcasts to ponder…
The Icehouse Podcast with The Icehouse https://open.spotify.com/show/1aZIsMpzEAAJ06IIiotDLh
Customer Service Academy with Tony Johnson https://open.spotify.com/show/71igoHClLHwvYSjRhK1afj

 

 

 

Measurement & Analysis (June)

Web articles to weigh…
A fresh take on SMART goals by Alicia McKay https://blog.aliciamckay.co.nz/crazy-smart
Grow faster and smarter with data-driven business decisions by Volodymyr Dudas https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/10/22/grow-faster-and-smarter-with-data-driven-business-decisions/
How to measure your business performance by Kate Gibson https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/business-performance-measurement
Keeping track of key metrics https://www.business.govt.nz/getting-started/business-planning-tools-and-tips/keeping-track-of-key-metrics
What gets measured gets managed by Danny Buerkli https://medium.com/centre-for-public-impact/what-gets-measured-gets-managed-its-wrong-and-drucker-never-said-it-fe95886d3df6
Books to browse…
Measure what matters by John Doerr

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Outside Insight by Jorn Lyseggen

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible

Rework by Jason Fried

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Podcasts to ponder…
The Measure Pod with Don-Perry-Reed and Bhav Patel https://open.spotify.com/show/0OgTKRmEWvZ3qS753KMdff
Business for Builders Podcast with Max Peterson https://open.spotify.com/show/3UQkRYRWuX0HXcdTMXeTvr

 

 

 

Workforce (July)

Web articles to weigh…
Humanising workplaces in Aotearoa by Leanne Holdsworth https://www.leadershipnz.co.nz/blog/latest-news/2024/2/16/humanising-workplaces-in-aotearoa
Managing people for the first time: expert tips on how to succeed by Elena Doldor https://theconversation.com/managing-people-for-the-first-time-expert-tips-on-how-to-succeed-198615
People management tips all managers can learn from by Liz Lockhart Lance https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/personal-development/leadership-management/what-is-people-management/
What does it take to be a good people manager? by Skye Schooley https://www.business.com/articles/people-management/
Books to browse…
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Leaders eat last by Simon Sinek

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Range by David Epstein

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Quiet Leadership by David Rock

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Podcasts to ponder…
The Mind Tools L & D Podcast with Mind Tools https://open.spotify.com/show/2Mo923OEJRCwPjD05l8ozh
The Safety of Work with Dr Drew Rae and Dr David Provan https://open.spotify.com/show/0yia9mfftQrQiK3h1dqPmy

 

 

 

Operations (August)

Web articles to weigh…
How to put a business system together by Allan Dib https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2021/03/17/how-to-put-a-business-system-together/
How to achieve success with small business digital asset management by David Trounce

https://www.business.com/articles/managing-business-assets/

 

Thinking systems? Here’s what every small business owner needs to know by Tara McMullin https://explorewhatworks.com/thinking-systems-what-small-business-owners-need-to-know/
Books to browse…
Good to Great by Jim Collins

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Meltdown: Why our systems fail and what we can do about it by Chris Clearfield and Andras Tilcsik

Whanganui District Library

Audible

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Whanganui District Library

Bookshops

Audible & Spotify

Small company big business by Bronwyn Reid

Bookshops

Audible

Podcasts to ponder…
Strategy for Creatives – Business minus the Bullshit with Sasha https://open.spotify.com/show/6KvVz6y3DMq24KFlOjKQ21
Making Cents with Frances Cook https://www.rova.nz/podcasts/making-cents