“Rise Up takes us from when Stormzy was performing in south London on the street, right up to headlining Glastonbury Festival and winning big awards,” explains Keene. This book, subtitled the #merky story so far, tells the tale of Stormzy’s four years rising up from “one of the most promising musicians of his generation to a spokesperson for a generation,” in the publisher’s words.

The 5 books that mission-driven leaders should read in 2021 getty Rise Up: Stormzy

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius meets the diary of Anne Frank, it’s a story of the sacrifices made by those who fight, observe and report from the front line, an inspiring read for mission-driven leaders carefully treading their own minefield. Despite PTSD, she refused to give up reporting.” She was committed to her work, she was fearless, and she shone a light on the suffering of ordinary people caught in war zones.” From the book’s description, “Working for The Sunday Times of London, Colvin gained a reputation for bravery and compassion as she told the stories of victims.” The book’s title comes from the way she lived both her professional and personal lives, “bold, driven, and complex… and rejected society’s expectations for women. “Colvin represents courage and bravery and the narrative has an interesting mix between her private and personal challenges which include relationships, addiction, and the war stories themselves.” What can the leaders of 2021 learn from Colvin’s journey and ultimate sacrifice, as she was killed in Syria in 2012? According to Keene, “It’s like nine lives in one person. “Her level of leadership is off the scale,” explained Keene. The story forms the basis of the feature film, A Private War, and follows the journey of Colvin covering the most significant and dangerous global events of our lifetime. This book is about the life of war correspondent Marie Colvin, written by her friend Lindsey Hilsum and based on the diaries Colvin kept that detailed her life and work from age thirteen to her death. “Perhaps they consider themselves intrapreneurs, perhaps they are in the marketing team and have heard their company’s story of change but aren’t sure about how to put it into action.” Keene describes the Green Grocer as “easy reading, personal and inspiring storytelling that is very relevant to now.” In Extremis: Lindsey Hilsum “This book is perfect for anyone working in an organisation who is trying to change things internally,” explains Keene.

Lindsey hilsum in extremis