SUSAN LAWSON BUREAU
AUTHENTIC & ETHICAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP THAT BREAKS THROUGH THE TRUST CEILING
thought leadership concept ideation ǀ voice authenticity ǀ editorial & publishing strategy ǀ proprietary research collaborations ǀ IP maximisation
THE READING ROOM
Welcome to the
Reading Room
As Founder, I've always wanted our website to be more than 'just' a business site: I also want it to be a hub for browsing, reading and cogitating - regardless of whether you're currently interested in undertaking Thought Leadership yourself.
The Reading Room is a central space where we can prompt ideas and recommend reading & resources. We hope you enjoy our material: feel free to download PDF versions for later, and Subscribe for notifications on new outputs. Or simply bookmark us here at The Reading Room for future visits.
*COMING SOON* look out for our new book Thought Leadership: Breaking the Trust Ceiling - A Manual for CEOs.
Also look out for the 2026 Revised Version of our White Paper Thought Leadership in the Age of AI, due out in Autumn 2026.
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A call out to independent / small publishers: we're looking for books to review here at The Reading Room - particularly interested in new thinking on sustainable finance, impact/ethical and green economics but all relevant non-fiction considered. Email Susan direct at susan@susan-lawson.co.uk
15/12/24 I recently finished Mary Portas' book Rebuild: how to Thrive in the New Kindness Economy, which itself seems to be somewhat influenced by the Kate Raworth book Doughnut Economics (I took a closer look at this in the STOCKtake.) My thoughts on Rebuild?
I'm on board with the general concept, which is very much in line with sustainable finance and values-driven or impact branding. If I had a criticism it's that the book feels a little fluffy and given growing concerns about 'greenwash' and what I call 'goodwash' I'd have preferred that she drill down a little deeper. That being said, the book was published in 2021 when these ideas were less prevalent, and it remains a relevant text and decent introductory read. No doubt Portas would prefer you use a local bookshop to purchase this but if you can't, Rebuild is available here.
The Reading Diary
As Founder & Ed-in-Chief I thought I'd make a point of sharing what I'm currently reading/thinking, and also providing relevant Reading Recommendations.
09/02/26
Great to see Harvard Business Impact still releasing hopeful books like Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World by Ethics Professor Alison Taylor, and to note that serious belief in the power of CEOs to lead impactfully is still thriving.
14/11/25
Excited to get stuck into Professor Nicholas Stern's new book The Growth Story of the 21st Century: The Economics and Opportunity of Climate Action which was released earlier this month. It's an academic book so not for everyone but I'm always keen to read new takes on how economic and financial growth can align with the sustainability agenda.
13/04/25
Shout Out to Jack McElaney for his quietly confident and persistent work on inclusivity.
Key pieces to Look Out for:-
https://www.microassist.com/digital-access/news/page/35/
https://groups.google.com/g/techlunch/c/fApllCQill4?pli=1
07/04/25
Recently I've been going back into the earlier history of Environmentalism, including attempting to trawl through Rachel Carlson's Silent Spring. It's a foundational text but I will be upfront: it's bleak. I also recently came across the book The Value of a Whale: On the Illusions of Green Capitalism by Adrienne Buller, which is scathing about the sustainable finance movement to say the least. She hasn't convinced me of a viable alternative yet but she certainly raises concerns that I'll be looking into. She's also clearly very knowledgeable and worth taking seriously.
22/01/25
I'm very interested this year in the thriving plant-based sector and also in global food distribution issues. I've been reading widely on these in Jan but it's a complex issue in relation to environmentalism and world hunger and simplistic mindsets can be elitist: we know that beef production is bad for the planet. And meat in general is an ethical issue for vegans and vegetarians. Yet in many countries and EMs, such as Malawi, goat-meat can contribute to combatting food poverty due to the ability to farm in smallholdings. Another example of where black and white thinking can lead away from positive solutions.