Success in today’s dynamic business landscape requires leaders and managers who are flexible and adept at guiding their teams through significant changes. To support leaders in effectively navigating these challenges and thriving in the ever-changing professional world, we’ve curated a list of some of the best books on leadership and management. Each book offers valuable insights and practical strategies designed to enhance leadership effectiveness and drive team success.
Author: The Arbinger Institute
Self-deception, unawareness of one’s role in conflict, is a leading cause of workplace conflict and poor performance. It’s common for self-deceived people to view their teams as objects or simply a means to an end. Leadership and Self-Deception’s advice for leaders equips them with the tools needed for self-reflection and change. The book balances the need for individual change as well as organizational change. Combining personal accountability with turning outward transforms personal interactions and organizational culture.
Author: Jim Collins
Good to Great teaches that great companies are led by "level 5 leaders." A "level 5 leader" is one who focuses on people before focusing on the success of their organization. Author Jim Collins writes an insightful narrative on balancing humility and confidence to lead an uplifting and diligent team. By focusing on people, leaders can develop a dialogue that allows for incremental improvement, positive feedback, and open communication. This type of leadership develops greater performance than focusing on organizational success.
Authors: Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee
This book finds itself amongst best-selling leadership books for good reason, highlighting that self-awareness, personal accountability, and empathy are just some positive results of developing emotional intelligence. Primal leadership combines numerous leadership styles to highlight that an emotionally intelligent leader adapts their leadership style to their team instead of expecting their team to adapt to them. Those who apply this leadership advice for new leaders develop an uplifting and motivating workplace environment.
Author: Patrick Lencioni
This fable lays a framework for identifying, addressing, and overcoming common dysfunctions that are universally experienced. Absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results are all major stumbling blocks for organizational culture. By focusing on culture, performance and results improve greatly.
Developing radical candor requires clear direction combined with deep care—which has landed this book amongst the best books on leadership and management. In it, the author explores how a leader who embodies radical candor emotionally and socially lifts their team while also motivating them professionally. Kim Scott lays a framework for becoming a leader who balances care and motivation by building a team culture based on positive feedback, communication, trust, and more. Leaders who follow this framework are not only more likable but also trusted and listened to.
Author: Marcus Buckingham
First, Break All the Rules crashes through the social norms of the business world by celebrating the individuality and humanity of individual employees. Marcus Buckingham makes a compelling case for every individual to bring something unique and brilliant to the table. Often, leaders and managers miss out on the valuable skills their employees have to offer because they don't hold high expectations for their employees. Investing in individual growth is ultimately an investment in the organization.
Author: Simon Sinek
Objectivity is the name of Simon Sinek’s game. Establishing clear goals not only motivates teams but keeps an organization organized and united. By illustrating examples of organizations with and without a clear purpose, Start With Why establishes the need for a unified organizational vision—earning it its spot among the best books on leadership and management. It mitigates opportunities for disconnect and conflict. On the same token, organizations with such a purpose can navigate turbulence and change more gracefully.
Authors: Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
The underlying theme of Extreme Ownership is "accountability is key." When every task is owned and measured, organizations are set up for greater success. Willink and Babin share experiences of proactivity, simplicity, and discipline as they highlight the power of extremely accountable leaders who are willing to do all it takes to tackle any challenge that arises in their organization.
Author: Michael D. Watkins
Stepping into a leadership role is an incredibly daunting endeavor. New roles, new teams, and new expectations often create a storm of insecurity and stress. Instead of managing the overwhelm by yourself, The First 90 Days lays a blueprint for navigating the initial challenges of becoming a new leader. Chalk-full of leadership advice for new leaders, this book provides a comprehensive view that will leave you feeling well-prepared and knowledgeable about what to expect.
Author: Brené Brown
Authentic leadership stays authentic only as long as the leaders stay vulnerable. Finding that leaders who maintain vulnerability maintain the trust of their teams, Brené Brown lays out the many different ways leaders tend to avoid vulnerability and even overcompensate to present themselves as self-confident. Instead of mustering up this facade of confidence, Brown's advice for leaders is to find confidence in communication, asking for help, and listening to others.
Leadership books offer valuable insights and practical strategies for navigating complex organizational challenges. By studying the experiences and methodologies of the successful leaders who have authored these books, seasoned leaders and new managers alike can develop the skills to enhance their own performance and positively impact their teams.
Order your copy of the fourth edition of Leadership and Self-Deception here!
Sign up for the latest insights & ideas on shifting mindset to fuel growth
Enhance your employee experience management by aligning the executive vision of the company with you
Reflect on how your leadership style impacts those around you and whether you’re actively fosterin
The role of managers is shifting from traditional authority figures to leaders who prioritize empath
(