Top 10 Leadership Books to Read Now
One of my beliefs is that you improve in leadership when you intentionally work at it. Part of this work is learning from others’ experiences and learnings. If I were to offer up ten books for you to read to lift your leadership journey, they’d be these:
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap by Jim Collins. A classic that shows how disciplined people, thought, and action create companies that outperform and endure.
True North by Bill George. A powerful guide to finding and leading from your authentic self — the compass every leader needs.
The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson. A modern essential on how psychological safety drives innovation, learning, and team performance.
Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Covey. Timeless wisdom on grounding leadership in values that stand up under pressure.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. A fascinating exploration of how opportunity, culture, and hard work intersect to shape success.
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michael D. Watkins. A practical roadmap for leaders stepping into new roles and needing to gain traction quickly.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. Straightforward principles that distill decades of leadership insights into actionable laws.
Leading Change by John P. Kotter. The definitive playbook for navigating organizational transformation with clarity and urgency.
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown. A bold call to embrace vulnerability and courage as the foundation of effective leadership.
Built on Purpose: Lessons in Leadership and Culture by Paul Petera. A story-driven reflection on how intentional leadership and culture shape teams, trust, and long-term impact. I’m kind of partial to this one!
Bonus: If you (and your team) haven’t read StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath, and taken the accompanying assessment, I would encourage you to do so. It’s a practical way to assess what your (and your team’s) strengths are, and determine how best to leverage those strengths and get the most out of your team’s talents.
