A while back, one of my mentors told gave me some important life advice, “you have to read what you want to become.”
Life is short, and the books we choose to read with our precious time are of vital importance.
They expose us to new ideas, new behaviors, and great models to follow.
If becoming a better leader is a life goal of yours, you simply must read about leadership and what great leaders have done before you.
I started reading leadership books about 15 years ago and I estimate I’ve read roughly 200 books on the topic. I’ve had the gift and challenge of leading 11 different teams since that time and come to the conclusion that leadership is a lifelong growth process that is never finished, and full of mistakes and growth opportunities.
I also believe that building the skill of leadership is one of the most important things that someone can do with their life, and many of the skills in leadership apply not only to the workplace, but also to leading the self and a family.
I’ve been meaning to publish a recommended reading list for a long time and these are the books I’ve personally found most helpful. They may create a jumping off point to begin your leadership journey, or help you refocus on your leadership skills.
Without delay, here they are in approximate order, along with a short summary about why I found them most helpful:
- The 360 Degree Leader, Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization by John Maxwell. Ironically, this was the first book on leadership I read and still my top recommendation. Maxwell makes the point that 99% of leaders are middle managers and thus, need to know how to develop their leadership skills with their boss, their peers, and their subordinates. What I love about this book is that most people begin leading with no formal title or position, and if they want to be successful, they must focus on behaviors that develop influence with others. It’s not only a great starting point for burgeoning leaders but also a great blueprint for middle managers. If you are mentoring people, it’s a great resource for required reading.
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins. This book is considered one of the best business books of all time for good reason and is found on nearly every leadership reading list on the internet. Jim Collins is a fanatical researcher who studied some of the most successful companies in history over several decades to decode exactly what those leaders did to help the company succeed. In great detail, the book identifies seven things that Collins and his team discovered. It really drives home selfless leadership and scrupulous hiring practices, with hard data to back it up. Any serious leader must read this book.
- The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. First published in 1987, this book reads like the evidence-based handbook of leadership behaviors. It is packed full of scientific studies about leadership and currently in it’s seventh addition. Unsurprisingly, the state of California uses this book as the reference text for their government leadership training programs. This book is a must read for any new or veteran leader.
- The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson. I first read this book many years ago and it is still a top recommendation. I consider it an essential read because it helps anyone understand how small habits or daily disciplines compound over time. Most leadership experts agree that all leadership begins with self-leadership, and this book provides a great formula for personal leadership in all areas of life.
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown. I consider this to be one of the most important books I’ve read in my life, both personally and professionally. The author Greg Mckeown is a Stanford MBA who explores the idea that the world has become increasingly cluttered with so much noise and distraction that most people are not able to effectively prioritize essential from trivial and low-value tasks. Modern life tends to be so overscheduled and hyperconnected that we have yet to fully understand the effect on the human brain; although it is clear that most of us have increasing problems with attention, focus, calm, and clear thinking. He argues, with incredible persuasion, that the highest achievers of the future will be those with extremely clear priorities who know what to say yes or no to.
A few more outstanding books are:
- Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink. If you’ve looked up what books to read on leadership, you’ve probably seen this one. Written by two former Navy SEAL’s who apply their intensive training to the world of business leadership. An exceptional read.
- Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. The caveat is that this book is written from a decisively Christian perspective. First written in 1967, the book explores various biblical figures with extremely valuable and counter-cultural leadership qualities. It is the most challenging leadership book I’ve ever read. In our world of Youtube influencers and rampant self-focus, the message of this book is more needed than ever before.
- Eat That Frog by Bryan Tracy. This book has 21 productivity habits, each chapter in just a couple pages. It is extremely practical and useful for any busy leader.
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Living in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. Similar to the Essentialism title, Newport says that the super-power of future leaders will be the ability to maintain focus in a world of ever-increasing distraction.
- The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni. If you want a blueprint for how to hire the best people, look no further. As a major leadership consultant and best-selling author from the Bay Area, Lencioni identifies the top three traits you need to look for in every team member in order to build a great team every time. We have been using these traits for our interviews for the past several years with great success. No leader will have any lasting impact without the ability to hire good people.
- Mentoring 101 by John Maxwell. This is a tiny little book that looks like it should be on your coffee table. The central message is that the very best leaders continue their impact by investing deeply in others, and helping raise up future leaders that will surpass and outlast them. I highly recommend this one.
Take action now
Certainly, there are thousands of good leadership books out there, but these are the one’s I have found most beneficial.
Your challenge today is to buy one book on the list and read it in the next 30 days.
If you have other books you think should have been on the list, send me an email with your favorite leadership book!
Have a great weekend!
Parker
