Must-reads for women in tech: March book round-up

For anyone building ambitious, future-focused careers in the rapidly changing world of tech, the right ideas can be game-changing.

This curated roundup brings together career-accelerating reads packed with practical tools and strategies to help you communicate brilliantly, grow your influence, lead with impact and navigate the next stage with confidence.

THE ANSWER IS A QUESTION by Laura Ashley-Timms and Dominic Ashley-Timms

The Answer Is a Question is an empowering and practical guide for women in tech who are navigating leadership and team dynamics in fast-paced environments. Dominic and Laura Ashley-Timms reveal why asking great questions, rather than simply providing answers, is the management ‘superpower’ that drives team cohesion, collaboration and innovation. Drawing on the authors’ STAR® model and backed by research from the London School of Economics, the book breaks down how leaders can shift from problem-solvers to enablers of growth, developing more capable, confident teams without taking on every challenge themselves.

Each chapter equips readers with actionable frameworks and real-world examples on everything from recognising coachable moments to listening deeply and securing meaningful commitments to action. For women in tech – whether leading teams, aspiring to positions of leadership, or those simply looking to improve how they communicate at work – this book offers a fresh approach to leadership that builds influence while fostering engagement and positive team dynamics.

The Answer is a Question: The Missing Superpower that Changes Everything and Will Transform Your Impact as a Manager and Leader is out now, priced £19.99

WHAT TO DO IF…? by Anne-Maartje Oud

Navigating tricky workplace situations can be stressful, but WHAT TO DO IF…? provides a clear, practical roadmap for turning challenges into opportunities. Anne-Maartje Oud, a globally recognised expert in workplace behaviour and founder of The Behaviour Company, draws on over 35 real-life dilemmas to give readers actionable strategies for everything from difficult conversations to managing toxic colleagues, reading non-verbal cues, and responding to high-pressure moments. Each chapter is designed as a step-by-step guide, making it easy to use both as a cover-to-cover read or a quick-reference tool when challenges arise.

For women in tech, where fast-paced environments and complex team dynamics are common, this book is an essential companion. By combining behavioural theory with practical tools, Oud equips professionals with the confidence and clarity to handle workplace stress, improve collaboration, and lead with calm and purpose, turning even the most awkward or high-stakes situations into opportunities to thrive.

WHAT TO DO IF…? How to Handle Any Situation at Work and Come Out Winning by Anne‑Maartje Oud, is published by Kogan Page priced £12.99

CUT THROUGH by Dominic Colenso

Written by a former Hollywood actor who now coaches leaders and teams at FTSE 100s, Cut-Through: The Pitch and Presentation Playbook is a practical and empowering guide for readers who want to elevate their communication and influence at work. Dominic lays out a clear six-step process that moves beyond generic presentation advice to help you crystallise your messaging, craft a compelling narrative, and deliver it with confidence – whether you’re pitching to clients, presenting product strategy or leading team meetings.

What makes this book particularly useful for tech professionals is its emphasis on clarity over complexity – an essential skill when distilling technical ideas for diverse audiences – and the authors belief that great presenting can be learnt. Colenso’s methods blend storytelling principles with performance techniques, giving actionable advice that help you prepare deliberately and present persuasively.

For ambitious women in tech looking to boost visibility, influence decisions, and communicate with impact, Cut-Through is an accessible and strategic playbook that will transform your presence.

Cut-Through: The pitch and presentation playbook by Dominic Colenso is published by Practical Inspiration Publishing, priced £14.99

STORY-CENTRED LEADERSHIP by Zoë Arden

For millennia, stories have connected people. For people working in tech during an age of AI, conflict and polarisation, it’s never been more important to rediscover the power of stories to effectively respond and help build a path to connection and change.

In Story-Centred Leadership, Zoë Arden explains why storytelling is a vital skill for any anyone looking to power up their career, and how it can be harnessed to engage, motivate, and inspire real change in the tech industry. Using interviews with people from all walks of life, and packed with relatable examples, she guides readers through a five-stage circular model to help build storytelling into your career.

We need stories that help us imagine and build healthy, productive workplaces and communities, grounded in the belief that every voice and every action matters. Story-Centred Leadership offers a blueprint for anyone looking to harness the power of story to bridge divides, catalyse action and accelerate change.

Story-Centred Leadership: Crafting Cultures of Change by Zoë Arden is out now, published by Routledge, priced £29.99

BORN TO BUZZ by Laura Best

Born to Buzz: How to Spark Your Passions (Without Quitting It All) is a timely and energising read for women in tech who are achieving on paper but quietly questioning whether ‘fine’ is really enough. In high-pressure, always-on environments where burnout and disengagement are common, Best offers a science-backed, practical framework for reigniting motivation without making drastic career moves.

Drawing on research, coaching insights and her work with global brands, she introduces twelve transformational ‘sparks’ – mindset shifts, habits and practices designed to help readers weave more of what they love into everyday life. Rather than advocating for quitting your job or starting over, Best shows how small, deliberate changes can restore energy, creativity and purpose.

For women navigating demanding roles, leadership responsibilities and personal commitments, Born to Buzz provides actionable tools to reconnect with what lights you up, enhancing not just career performance, but confidence, clarity and long-term fulfilment.

Born to Buzz: How to Spark Your Passions (Without Quitting It All) by Laura Best, is out now, priced £16.99

HUMAN-WISE by Helen Wada

In a fast-paced, high-pressure work environment, success often feels like it comes at the expense of humanity, but HUMAN-WISE shows it doesn’t have to. Helen Wada, drawing on almost 30 years of global leadership experience and a decade as an executive coach, introduces the HUMAN™ framework, placing self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and coaching skills at the heart of professional and personal growth. Packed with real-world case studies, practical exercises, and leadership insights, the book offers a clear roadmap for leading authentically, building trust-based relationships, and driving sustainable results.

Especially relevant for women in tech, where dynamic change and complex projects are the norm, HUMAN-WISE blends commercial insight with human-centred leadership, proving that empathy, adaptability, and resilience are not “soft skills” but powerful advantages. As the workplace evolves and AI takes on routine tasks, this book provides the tools to thrive with confidence while keeping humanity at the core of leadership and success.

HUMAN-WISE: How to lead from within and sell with confidence by Helen Wada, is published March 03, priced £14.99

The Systems Synergy by Sean Blair

While most organisations race to adopt AI, we need to focus on developing the distinctly human capabilities that determine strategic direction and create meaning that algorithms cannot generate. Drawing on 10 years of practice and hundreds of workshops, this book reveals the tools to make the hidden relationships between different elements of work visible. It shows how we can work together to create spaces on deep reflection with each other at work to go beyond intellectual understanding of a problem, to create profound moments that shift workplace culture.

Sean Blair brings the tools from Peter Senge’s 1990s book The Fifth Discipline, which has inspired millions with its vision of learning organisations, into practical use in an age of AI-driven organisations. It takes his concept of systems thinking out of being abstract, to being something which can be practically applied and visualised within teams.

The Systems Synergy closes that gap by combining three powerful approaches. The Fifth Discipline provides the strategic framework that gives systems thinking direction and coherence. The LEGO® Serious Play® Method makes invisible systems tangible through physical building that enables democratic participation. Finally, dialogue in the tradition of David Bohm creates transformation depth that embeds learning into changed behaviour.

Not aspirational theory. Practical methodology proven in practice.

The Systems Synergy: Developing Human Intelligence That AI Cannot Replace by Sean Blair, out now, priced £15