10 Great Books That Every Leader Should Read
There’s a lot of management and leadership books out there. It’s hard to know which to choose. As a leader or aspiring leader, your best bet is to explore the vast array of unique approaches and form your own opinions on what will work for you. Not every book will include a surefire method suitable to your workplace, industry, and goals, but what you will glean from reading multiple titles is a better sense of where you want to go and how best to get there. To help you get started on that 2022 reading list, we’ve compiled a list of top book titles in leadership.
by Stephen R.Covey
Through insights and practical anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity. Published in 1989, this book is surprisingly still effective in addressing the complex problems we currently face – connecting to people who are different from us, empathy, and, creating change that is beneficial to everyone. Just be sure to keep that publishing date in mind when it gets cringey or feels out of touch.
by Daniel Goleman
Primal Leadership illustrates the power and the necessity of leadership that is self-aware, empathic, motivating, and collaborative in a world that is becoming more and more complex. It explains why emotions are such a primal part of how our brains operate, and why emotional intelligence is essential to leadership. Professionals have embraced the ideas found in Primal Leadership and it’s used in universities and professional training programs across the globe.
by Brené Brown
Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. In this book, Brené Brown presents 4 courage-building skill sets that can be nurtured in any individual and organization. As you read, you’ll learn the dangers of perfectionism, how vulnerability takes courage, and that to succeed in a complex and fluid world, organizations need brave leaders and courageous cultures.
by Keith Ferrazzi and Noel Weyrich
Leading Without Authority redefines collaboration with a new way of viewing workplace dynamics – a place where leaders no longer require an official title or even a physical workplace. Drawing on over a decade of research and over thirty years helping leaders drive innovation and build high-performing teams, Ferrazzi discusses how leaders can turn colleagues into teammates to completely reinvent the way teams work together.
by Michael Bungay Stanier
The Coaching Habit recommends leaders make coaching a regular, informal part of a workday as a way for teams to work less and deliver more impact. Drawing on years of experience training managers in practical coaching skills, Bungay Stanier reveals how to unlock your people’s potential. In a book that reads like a how-to manual, he provides seven essential questions to help you develop coaching methods that produce great results. You’ll be your own Ted Lasso before you know it.
by Dale Carnegie
A true classic that holds up. How to Win Friends and Influence People was published in 1936. To this day, over 30 million copies have been sold worldwide, making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Here are a few things the book promises to deliver on: To get you out of a mental rut, give you new thoughts, new visions, and new ambitions. To help you win people to your way of thinking. To increase your influence and your ability to get things done. Sound good? Add it to your list to see why so many people have read this book over the past century.
by James Clear
Atomic Habits is introduced as a guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day. That sounds doable, doesn’t it? As one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, James Clear shares practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. A must-read for anyone having trouble changing their tune.
by Simon Sinek
Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? Start with Why shows that the leaders who have had the greatest influence in the world all think, act and communicate the same way, and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. Sinek’s Ted Talk on this subject has over 57 million views, so he must be onto something.
by Gallup
In this longtime management bestseller, Gallup presents the findings of its massive in-depth study of great managers. Some were in leadership positions, others were front-line supervisors. Some were in Fortune 500 companies, others were key players in small, entrepreneurial firms. Whatever their circumstances, the managers who ultimately became the focus of Gallup’s research were those who excelled at turning each individual employee’s talent into high performance. Gallup’s research produced 12 simple statements that distinguish the strongest departments of a company from the rest. Most interestingly, First, Break All the Rules effectively demonstrates a link between employee opinions and productivity, profit, customer satisfaction, and the rate of turnover.
by Daniel H. Pink
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards, like money. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink. In this book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction at work, at school, and at home, is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does. In Drive, he examines the three elements of motivation – autonomy, mastery, and purpose – and offers smart techniques for putting these into action.
Additional Reading
10 Books Every Leader Should Read to Be Successful
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
This article is included in Entrepreneur Voices on Effective Leadership, a new book containing insights from more than 20 contributors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.
One of the best ways to ensure that you grow as a person and a leader is to read -- a lot.
Time and time again, we learn that the most successful people are also avid bookworms. Constant reading allows them to absorb knowledge, broaden their worldviews and perspectives and challenge obsolete viewpoints.
But of course not all books are worthy of the time and effort it takes to go from cover to cover. To help you on your journey toward becoming a successful leader, here are the top 10 books you should be reading now.
Read This: Entrepreneur Voices on Effective Leadership | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
1. Managing the Mental Game by Jeff Boss
Using a blend of mental-training methodologies, former Navy SEAL Jeff Boss shows readers how to build self-confidence and fortitude, enabling them to reach new levels of success.
Managing the Mental Game contains useful exercises on learning how to manage chaos and pressure in order to stay clearheaded and calm in uncertain and difficult situations. Boss's advice helps you understand that stress is a mental game that can be overcome, often by avoiding mental pitfalls and learning to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Related: Top 10 Online Book Clubs For Entrepreneurial Inspiration
2. Start With Why by Simon Sinek
This book centers on an important business truth: People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Simon Sinek explains this concept in Start With Why by delving into a few basic questions. One key question he poses is why some people and organizations are more innovative, influential and profitable than others.
He also asks why so few are able to repeat their success. If you are struggling to create a long-term vision and guiding principles as you navigate business and life, this book can give you the inspiration to begin moving in the right direction.
3. The Go-Giver Leader by Bob Burg and John David Mann
Great leaders don't try to act like "leaders." Instead, they strive to be more human. They focus on the concept that "if you give, you shall receive." Burg and Mann tell a compelling tale of an ambitious young executive trying to lead a struggling small business to make a crucial decision.
The Go-Giver Leader promotes a mindset of higher consciousness. It expands on the idea that your influence is determined by whether you place others' interests first. Leaders who do this will create prosperity for their communities and society, as well as for their companies and employees.
4. The Dip by Seth Godin
The Dip proves that winners do quit, and quitters do win. Seth Godin shows that winners quit quickly and often, until they commit to beating the right "dip."
Winners are those who know that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can beat the dip, you'll earn profits, glory and long-term security. What this book will do is help you determine if you're in a dip that's worthy of your time, effort and talents.
5. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
As the Wall Street Journal proclaims, "If Indiana Jones were an economist, he'd be Steven Levitt." Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist.
The two examined the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents and the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan. The result of their work is this book, which powerfully shows how, at its core, economics is the study of incentives. It is how people get what they want or need, especially when other people are trying to get the same thing.
6. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Instead of trying to manage your time more efficiently, Essentialism helps you focus on getting the right things done. This isn't about time management or productivity improvement. Greg McKeown teaches a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential and eliminating everything else.
By pursuing "less," we are empowered to prioritize what is truly important in our lives, and thus are able to give the highest possible contribution toward those things.
7. Drive by Daniel H. Pink
We all have an innate desire to be in control of our lives and create new things. These two desires are what truly drive us. The "carrot and stick" approach that most corporations use to motivate people doesn't deliver high performance or results because it ignores the most important element: intrinsic (or internal) motivation.
Daniel H. Pink asserts in Drive that the secret to prompting higher achieving workers is to tap into their internal motivation. Doing so will increase satisfaction at work, at school and at home, and also empower us to better ourselves and our world.
8. Getting Things Done by David Allen
Since Getting Things Done was first published 15 years ago, "GTD" has become shorthand for an entire method of approaching professional and personal tasks. This updated version includes new material that adds fresh perspectives to David Allen's classic text on how to attain maximum efficiency.
Allen offers important tools and strategies on how to focus our energy and manage workflows, including how to get through work tasks quickly, delegate when appropriate and defer when necessary.
9. Give and Take by Adam Grant
Success is not just about hard work, talent and luck. Our ability to achieve is increasingly dependent on how well we interact with others. Adam Grant's book shows that most people operate as takers, matchers or givers.
Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are a rare breed who contribute to others without expecting anything in return. When used correctly, giving can attain extraordinary results.
10. What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School by Mark H. McCormack
Like a wise mentor, this book offers real-world guidance and concise information that you won't learn elsewhere. What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School is a complement to a traditional business background, offered by a seasoned luminary in the field.
Mark H. McCormack teaches you how to use his "applied people sense" in sales, negotiation, executive time management and reading yourself and others.
10 Inspiring Books Every Future Leader Should Read
10 Inspiring Books Every Future Leader Should Read
As an aspiring leader, you’re eager to make a difference. The right master’s degree program will equip you with the skills you need to make your mark — but a strong reading list is also essential.
You like the idea of stocking your bookshelf with quality titles, but perhaps you’re wondering: what leadership books should I read? To help, we’ve identified ten leadership books that are not to be missed:
1. On Becoming a Leader
No list of books about leadership would be complete without the seminal work from the pioneer of leadership studies: Warren Bennis. As the founding chairman of the University of Southern California’s Leadership Institute, Bennis transformed his interest in humanistic leadership into a practice that has shaped how we conceive of effective leaders and remains widely utilized to this day.
The main argument Bennis makes in this work is that leaders are made, not born. He proves his point by analyzing the efficacy of historical leaders. Insights from the likes of Gloria Steinem and Apple’s John Sculley reveal how personal reflection can make all the difference as passionate individuals move into leadership positions. Bennis believes that this process should be conscious — and that leaders should also be proactive about developing their perspective.
2. Wooden on Leadership
Renowned basketball coach John Wooden shares his secrets to success in this bestselling book, which is as relevant in the athletic world as it is among aspiring business leaders. Regarded by many as the greatest college basketball coach of all time, he believes that his Pyramid of Success deserves credit for all that he’s accomplished. This concept is explained thoroughly in Wooden on Leadership, which breaks down a system known as the 12 Lessons in Leadership.
One of the main takeaways from this book is Wooden’s core philosophy: any leader’s overarching goal should be to teach team members to “be at [their] best when [their] best is needed.” This was always his main objective as a basketball coach, even above winning titles or building a sports dynasty. Business leaders can benefit from taking a similar approach. Wooden’s insights on defeat, self-control, and teamwork are equally valuable.
3. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t
Have you ever wondered why some companies consistently triumph while others struggle to rise above the competition? Management expert and Socratic advisor Jim C. Collins finds this distinction fascinating, and, in his book Good to Great, draws on extensive research to explain this complicated divide.
In this study of several dozen companies, Collins reveals why some manage to rise above mediocre beginnings to achieve true greatness — while others remain stuck in the good category (or worse).
Collins has discovered that this leap isn’t possible without combining a discipline-oriented company culture with entrepreneurial ethics. He suspects that some of his findings “fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people,” but it’s worth pulling the Band-Aid off, nonetheless.
4. How to Win Friends and Influence People
This iconic read should be featured on every adult’s bookshelf or downloaded to every Kindle. It has inspired multiple generations of leaders and continues to be one of the most important resources for leading an influential life to this day. It provides a blueprint for communicating with all types of people while developing empathy and self-control. Use it to improve relationships in the professional sphere and in your personal life.
While some of the information can feel dated at times, history buffs will no doubt appreciate the various anecdotes and examples contained within these pages. Ultimately, however, the meat of the book is timeless, as evidenced by the many generations of groundbreaking communicators and leaders that Dale Carnegie has inspired over the years.
5. Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
The term “emotional intelligence” seems ubiquitous in the professional sphere these days, but it was a revolutionary concept when it was first introduced. Psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman helped to bring this idea to the mainstream with Primal Leadership, in which he joined forces with acclaimed authors Annie McKee and Richard Boyatzis to explain how a leader’s mood and corresponding behaviors influence all that occurs within a given organization.
This particular book is definitely more impactful if you’ve already been exposed to Goleman’s prior work. Still, it functions as a standalone read. It’s chock full of case studies, with useful information easy to discern from charts and actionable insights. Techniques acquired while reading this book should prove beneficial in both your personal and professional lives.
6. TheLeadershipChallenge
Like the aforementioned Warren Bennis, James Kouzes and Barry Posner believe that leadership can be learned. However, they concede that developing as a leader is far from easy. Roadblocks exist at every turn — and those who fail to overcome these challenges will struggle to make a meaningful difference in the organizations they serve.
In The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner draw on a wealth of research to demonstrate what, exactly, makes modern leadership so difficult to conquer. Through studying varied practices from the world’s top leaders, they’ve discovered that the most influential individuals are able to clarify their values, align these with their actions, and inspire a shared vision of the future that incorporates bold and exciting possibilities. Finally, leaders must take initiative and seek innovative opportunities for improvement, rather than accepting the status quo.
7. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
There’s a lot to be said about scouring the classics, but a fresh perspective is also needed from time to time. That’s exactly what you’ll find as you read a top book from unshakeable optimist Simon Sinek. While it’s fun to view his videos, you’ll gain far more from diving into his written work.
In Start With Why, Sinek explains that the world’s greatest leaders all share one common trait: they were able to understand and communicate the why behind their various initiatives. He illustrates this “split” between what leaders do and why with compelling examples from success stories like Apple, Costco, and Starbucks.
This read is a great follow up to many of the books highlighted above. It will help you clarify and relate to the leadership concepts contained within these other works. Don’t forget to check out Sinek’s famous TED talk, which provides a more succinct take on his concept of why.
8. Leading Change
John Kotter is arguably today’s most influential voice in change management. He’s developed a highly respected eight-step process that details how different types of organizations can achieve their goals, even as they deal with considerable obstacles. In his seminal work Leading Change, he provides a practical toolkit that readers can rely on when they need actionable advice for dealing with professional challenges that seem overwhelming.
This book isn’t quite as packed with data or case studies as some of the other titles on this list, but that’s exactly why you might find it appealing when you’re short on time. A quick read, it will give you the information you need in short order — but don’t forget to follow up with more in-depth books.
9. First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
Take a brief glance at a list of the world’s top business leaders, and it may be difficult to discern a pattern. According to Marcus Buckingham, however, these leaders hold quite a bit in common. He dives into these shared attributes in his popular book about business-oriented rule-breaking.
If you prefer books that are loaded with data, this resource is definitely for you; while it can feel dense at times, there is never any question as to whether Buckingham’s concepts are well-researched. Between his data and interviews with thousands of managers, Buckingham has revealed that outstanding leaders have a discernible impact on company performance — but what makes a leader qualify as outstanding isn’t always what we anticipate.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of this book as opposed to other top leadership titles? It’s uniquely relevant to people who lead smaller teams. Yes, there’s a lot to be gained from reading books targeted at upper management, but this particular title may prove the most beneficial of all as you take your initial steps into a leadership role.
10. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
Discover a revolutionary startup strategy from entrepreneur Eric Ries, who has worked with a variety of recognizable names in hopes of making today’s organizations more nimble. He hopes that his insight will help leaders at all types of businesses — ranging from small startups to established Fortune 500 companies — embrace creative solutions.
Through the practical ideas offered in this book, you’ll discover how to streamline processes that might otherwise bog down your organization in today’s fast-paced market. The concept of validated learning is a key component of this approach, encouraging you and your cohorts to consistently gather and analyze relevant data to keep your organization on track.
Give Your Leadership Skills a Boost at Wilmington College Cincinnati
You can definitely improve your leadership acumen with the books highlighted above, but nothing compares to a concentrated academic program that delivers direct insights from today’s top leaders.
If you are interested in learning more about the master’s degree in organizational leadership offered at Wilmington College Cincinnati, request information today!