DisrupTV’s Top 25 Books of 2025: Leadership, AI, and the Ideas Shaping What Comes Next

The latest episode of DisrupTV marked a milestone moment with the unveiling of the Top 25 Books of 2025—a curated list spotlighting the ideas, frameworks, and leadership principles that will shape organizations, culture, and technology in 2026 and beyond.

Featuring bestselling authors, strategists, and practitioners, the conversation explored how leaders can navigate disruption, build courage, define mission, and co-create with AI in what many are calling the Age of Intelligence.

See the full listing here.

Why the Top 25 Books of 2025 Matter

Books don’t just reflect the times—they help leaders make sense of uncertainty, challenge assumptions, and take action. Since its inception, DisrupTV has featured more than 210 books, and this year’s Top 25 list reflects a world grappling with:

  • Rapid AI acceleration
  • Shifting definitions of leadership and work
  • The need for purpose, courage, and adaptability
  • New approaches to innovation beyond traditional transformation

This year’s authors didn’t just talk about trends—they shared practical guidance for leading through complexity.

Epic Disruptions and Learning From History

Scott Anthony, author of Epic Disruptions, emphasized the importance of studying historical innovation cycles to understand today’s upheavals. His perspective reframes disruption not as chaos, but as an opportunity for curiosity, creativity, and even joy.

Rather than fearing disruption, Anthony encouraged leaders to approach it with a sense of play—recognizing patterns from past transformations to make smarter decisions today.

Honing Over Transforming: A New Leadership Mindset

Steven Goldbach, author of Hone, challenged the traditional obsession with large-scale transformation. Instead, he advocated for continuous honing—small, deliberate adjustments that keep organizations sharp in fast-moving environments.

Using the analogy of chefs honing knives rather than grinding them down, Lochhead made the case that adaptability beats overhaul in an era of constant change. He also called for a return to respectful debate, arguing that progress depends on open, thoughtful disagreement.

Personal Branding for Introverts in a Loud World

Goldie Chan, author of Personal Branding for Introverts, tackled a timely challenge: how thoughtful, quieter leaders can build influence without becoming something they’re not.

In an age dominated by algorithms and attention economies, Chan emphasized that personal branding is about intentional storytelling, credibility, and clarity—not volume. For introverts, managing a personal brand isn’t optional; it’s a leadership skill.

Mission-Driven Leadership and Purpose

Mike Hayes, author of Mission Driven and a former Navy SEAL, brought a powerful message about purpose. His book—and his life’s work—focuses on helping people define their mission, with all book profits supporting Gold Star families.

Hayes underscored that mission-driven leaders create resilience, alignment, and meaning—especially in high-stakes environments. Purpose isn’t abstract; it’s operational.

How to Be Bold: Courage in Uncertain Times

Ranjay Gulati’s How to Be Bold offered practical insights into courage as a leadership discipline—not a personality trait. Gulati emphasized that boldness is built through action, self-efficacy, and values-driven decision-making, even when fear is present.

In a world shaped by AI and ambiguity, courage becomes a competitive advantage.

Brave Together: Co-Creation With AI

Chris Deaver’s Brave Together explored the shift from humans competing with machines to co-creating with AI. Rather than framing AI as a replacement, DeVore positioned it as a collaborator—one that can enhance creativity, leadership, and decision-making when guided ethically.

This theme echoed throughout the episode: the future belongs to leaders who understand how to partner with intelligence, not fear it.

The Age of Intelligence and Super Shifts

Several authors touched on what Steve Fisher described as the Age of Intelligence—a period where machines may outperform humans in narrow tasks, but humans remain essential for judgment, values, and meaning.

Books like The Existing Market Trap, Super Shifts, and Employment Is Dead challenged leaders to rethink assumptions about markets, careers, and organizational design.

Key Themes Across the Top 25 Books of 2025

Across the episode, several themes consistently emerged:

  • Leadership requires courage, self-awareness, and action
  • Continuous improvement beats one-time transformation
  • Mission and purpose drive resilience and performance
  • AI must be co-created with humans, not blindly adopted
  • Personal branding is essential—even (especially) for introverts
  • Ethics, trust, and respectful debate matter more than ever

Final Thoughts: Reading as a Leadership Advantage

As Vala Afshar and R "Ray" Wang noted, knowledge alone isn’t enough—action is what creates impact. The Top 25 Books of 2025 provide context, clarity, and frameworks to help leaders act with confidence in uncertain times.

Whether you’re navigating AI adoption, redefining success, or searching for your next mission, these books offer a roadmap for the year ahead.

DisrupTV closed the episode by thanking its community and encouraging leaders to stay curious, stay bold, and stay human as we head into 2026.

Related Episodes

If you found Episode 422 valuable, here are a few others that align in theme or extend similar conversations:

 

Business Research Themes

Future of Work, New C-Suite, Tech Optimization

Roles

Chief Data Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Technology Officer