Axis Connects Bookclub: October 2024

Join the Axis leadership team in our inaugural book club!

We’re excited to kick off our new digital book recommendations, straight from the Axis Connects group chat! Up first is Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Indira Samarasekera and Martha Piper.

These inspiring leaders—former presidents and vice-chancellors of the University of Alberta and The University of British Columbia —will join us at the upcoming Leadership Forum, powered by ATB Financial! Their book shares powerful insights into navigating the challenges and opportunities women face in leadership. Whether you’re just starting your leadership journey or already paving the way, Nerve offers valuable lessons from two trailblazers in academia and beyond.

Who knows? You might finish this weekend thinking, “This book changed my life.”

Happy reading! Comment below if you’re joining us for this inspiring read!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First Hardcover 

Candid and insightful perspectives on the dilemmas and opportunities women confront as they take on leadership positions.

Martha Piper and Indira Samarasekera had vastly different career paths on their way to becoming the first (and so far only) female presidents of two of Canada’s largest and most respected research universities and directors of some of the nation’s largest market cap companies, but what they had in common was their gender, their willingness to take risks when leadership opportunities presented themselves, and a work ethic second to none. It was not always easy, pretty, or fair, but it was always the result of choosing to answer the call to lead. A call that in the authors’ view, too many women still turn away from.

In Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First, Piper and Samarasekera share their personal and professional stories, offering guidance for women leaders of every age and at every stage of their career. Nerve is a must-read for any woman who is leading today, considering leading, or thinking about life after leading.