Network for Black Women Leaders Reading List

Curated inspiration for leadership, wellbeing, and collective power

The NBWL Reading List is a living collection of books, articles, and essays by and for Black women leaders — curated to inspire, affirm, and equip you on your leadership journey.

Whether you're looking to build confidence, deepen your self-awareness, navigate workplace politics, or simply feel seen, these resources are chosen to reflect the complexity, brilliance, and strength of Black women across all stages of career and life.

This is not a list of “shoulds.” It’s a shelf of permission, possibility, and power.

What you’ll find:

Books on leadership, healing, confidence, and identity.
Memoirs and essays by trailblazing Black women.
Practical reads on navigating bias, burnout, and building wealth.
Resources spotlighted in NBWL Elevate Sessions.

We’re continually adding to this collection. This list is for current and aspiring leader, and anyone seeking a leadership path rooted in truth, wellbeing, and community.

Explore the list. Share it with a sister. Return when you need a reminder: you’re not alone on this journey.

Resources

The most comprehensive study of its kind, Testing Times: Messages to Reframe Race, illuminates mainstream views on race and racism in England & Scotland.
A practical guide exploring in detail how we can speak more clearly and powerfully about racism. Contains Strong Language.
Kenroi Consulting Newsletter
What to Include in Your Business Plan from the Asset Business Consultancy Podcast.
The Personal Brand Blueprint – Building a Personal Brand ebook from Collette Philip
Business Startup Checklist – A free resource for launching your business from the Asset Business Consultancy.
Connect with Mary Agbesanwa, founder of Now You’re Talking Network
‘Do I have a brand?’ Checklist from Jae Gibbs at Empowering Purpose.
Book a 1:1 connection call with somatic coach and brand strategist Jae Gibbs at Empowering Purpose.
The One Secret to Happiness, book resources newsletter sign-up.
Download: Unlock Your Potential with Emotional Intelligence, by Maggie Sarfo, best-selling author, TEDx speaker, advisor and mentor for inspirational business owners.
Explore Happiworkers, professional mental health support through an anti-racist lens.
Join The Black Women's Rest Revolution, a transformative membership designed for Black women globally who have experienced racial and workplace trauma.
The Black Woman's Rest Revolution LinkedIn Liberation Lab
Join Our Table—A community dedicated to Black women in the creative industries.
Brand by Me helps purpose-driven communications and marketing teams build better (anti-racist) brands
Key AI tools:
- ChatGPT & Gemini – Content editing and generation.
- Google NotebookLM – A research assistant that engages in two-way conversations.
- Spotify/Anchor – Podcast hosting and distribution.
- Copy.ai – AI-driven social media and content creation.
- IBM Watson Tone Analyzer – Identifies tone and sentiment in text-based content.
- DeepArt – Transforms photos or videos into AI-generated artistic visuals.

Books

[Kindle] Become Unstuck: Navigating Your Career Confidently by Ruth Heron
"Blouse an' Skirt, Babe!!!" by T. Balogun
[Kindle] Discover 22 of the Biggest Mistakes That Most Business Owners Make: And What You Can Do to Avoid Them by Lucille Roache
The One Secret to Happiness: Discover your innate ability to take life to the next level by Maggie Sarfo
"Joy an' Pain, Babe!!!" by T. Balogun
Conversations Before Noon by Charlynne Bryan
Love Money, Money Loves You, by Sara McCrum
The Become Unstuck Guide for the Career Woman Over 40: How to navigate your career with confidence Tips, Tricks, and Tools by Ruth Heron
Girls That Invest: Your Guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks by Simran Kaur
What They Don't Teach You About Money: Seven Habits to Unlock Financial Independence by Claer Barrett
Dear Fat Girl: You Are Not Broken by Charlynne Bryan
Pain in the Mask by Yvonne Murray
Letters to My Soul by Charlynne Bryan

We’re proud to be part of the Bookshop.org affiliate programme — an online platform that helps support local, independent bookshops with every order. When you buy a book through our Bookshop.org list, 10% goes directly to these bookshops, and we receive a small commission to help us continue our work. It’s an easy way to champion community-based bookselling and the joy of reading — even when shopping online.

Latest

NBWL Elevate Session: Being Influential Without a Title

Many women are already shaping decisions, creating change and influencing outcomes long before they are formally recognised as leaders.
NBWL Summer Mingle 2026 – London

An afternoon for connection, conversation and community with women from across the Network for Black Women Leaders.
Staying Grounded in Leadership for the Long Haul

What does it take to keep leading when the work is emotionally demanding, under-resourced and rooted in systems that do not always move quickly?
Two Stories, One pattern

When you don't measure women's experiences accurately, you can't fund responses to them adequately. Two stories this week make exactly that point.

Staying Grounded in Leadership for the Long Haul

What does it take to keep leading when the work is emotionally demanding, under-resourced and rooted in systems that do not always move quickly?
Leading without losing yourself: Boundaries, self-worth and belonging

What to do when you recognise that leadership has become entangled with overgiving, self-silencing and the pressure to keep proving ourselves.
Telling Your Story and Making Your Work Visible

Many women are doing powerful work in their communities, organisations and businesses, but too often, that work remains invisible not because it isn’t valuable, but because the story isn’t being told.
Midlife as an awakening: Reclaiming wisdom, power and leadership

For many women, midlife is often framed as a moment of loss. But what if midlife is not a crisis at all? What if it is an awakening?
Behind the Boardroom Door: What No One Tells You About Becoming a Non-Executive Director (Part 3)

In the third and final part of this candid discussion, Jaiye Elias from the Network for Black Women Leaders, speaks with Non-Executive Director Ruth Ajayi about the realities of becoming a Non-Executive Director.
Behind the Boardroom Door: What No One Tells You About Becoming a Non-Executive Director (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this candid discussion, Jaiye Elias from the Network for Black Women Leaders, speaks with Non-Executive Director Ruth Ajayi about the realities of becoming a Non-Executive Director.
Behind the Boardroom Door: What No One Tells You About Becoming a Non-Executive Director (Part 1)

In this candid discussion, Jaiye Elias from the Network for Black Women Leaders, speaks with Non-Executive Director Ruth Ajayi about the realities of becoming a Non-Executive Director.
You Can’t Futureproof Your Job, But You Can Be Futureproof

The question isn’t how to protect your current job. It’s how to build a career resilient enough to evolve with whatever comes next. Vanessa Kingori OBE shares some key shifts.
You Don’t Need to Network. You Need a Network

There’s a difference between networking and building a network. Learn what building a powerful network really requires.
Lead With Your Story: Finding Power in Lived Experience

Award-winning business storytelling coach Beatrice Kabutakapua invites us to reclaim our stories as sources of authority, clarity, and leadership power.

Women's Empowerment Toolbox
Help, support & services

Are you a woman looking for help and support? Our member organisations offer a range of specialist services and are there to help you.
WRC Statement on women-only services and sex-based rights
The Invisible Health Workplace Initiative
Why become a member

Join the WRC membership and be part of the sisterhood, stand in solidarity or exercise your activism.
Definition of Discrimination - Article 1, CEDAW

CEDAW defines discrimination against women as any distinction, exclusion or restriction on the basis of sex that has the effect or purpose of harming or reversing women’s human rights and freedoms in any aspect of their lives.
Feminist Leadership

This training is about doing things differently and challenging traditional and stereotypical masculine notions of leadership. It’s about creating, living and acting upon a leadership style that is transformative, inclusive, adaptable, transparent and powerful, in other words, feminist.
CEDAW

About CEDAW - the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
Who we are
Promote our petition at the UK women's marches 2025!

UK women's marches are taking place to counter the rise of globally mandated misogyny with the inauguration of Trump. Spread the news of our petition for more funding for life-saving women's organisations.