The Best Leadership Books You Should Read
Whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner, recent graduate, parent, teacher, or simply wanting to grow personally, leadership qualities are essential. While it may seem as though successful people were born with the ability to lead, in truth they most likely worked hard and trained for their achievements. Every person would benefit from a new understanding of what makes a leader, and what traits successful people share. Below is a comprehensive list of the best leadership books that you should read in order to become a leader, compiled by successful businesspersons. Get ready to experience boundless personal growth and a new lifestyle of taking charge!
Shaun Price, Head of Customer Acquisition at MitoQ, says a structure of dependability is a key component of leadership. Price says,“Turn the Ship Aroundby L. David Marquet‘s book has helped me tremendously when building my business, MitoQ. This book is a guide to creating a leadership team with high levels of accountability and transparency. I regularly get advice from it when determining best practices for growing my company efficiently. It reminds me that empowering my people will prompt them to work at their highest levels, taking the initiative to solve problems within their specialty that I didn’t even realize we had. Building a passionate workforce you can trust and letting them be successful is key to building a thriving business.
Bill Glaser, CEO of Outstanding Foods, recommends the book Thriveby Arianna Huffingtonas a great one for any person searching for the ideal balance between work and home. Glaser says, “It redefines success as work-life balance, backed by scientific research into sleep and psychology, allowing us to ‘thrive’ in business by acknowledging that balance is essential to continual success. This is important to me because the best business advice I ever received was to find balance in my life and work instead of giving into tunnel vision.”
Summer Romasco, Growth Marketing Director of Ad Hoc Labs,chooses a book that comes highly regarded. Romascosays, “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Peopleby Stephen R. Coveyis a title I hear talked about all the time as a highly recommended book. It focuses on leadership beginning at the level of personality. It teaches you how to develop new, better habits and turn your life around.”
Dylan Fox, Founder & CEO of AssemblyAI, is inspired by the initiative other successful leaders have shown. Fox says, “I love to learn from leaders who have navigated the waters before me, so I am always drawn to successful entrepreneurs and startup founders. Build a Brand in 30 Daysby Simon Middletonis not only packed with insightful, actionable tips, but it creates a sense of urgency for the entire process. Not everyone has a lot of time to begin marketing strategies to slowly create the ideal brand that they’ve envisioned. Plus, this book shows that you can work under a tight deadline, and still achieve the results for which you’d hoped all along.”
William Resides, Founder and CEO of NuLifeBeauty, shares a recommendation that provides examples of companies that successfully advanced in achievement. Resides says, “Good to Great by Jim Collins does not just outline what makes a leader or how a person can step into a leadership role but rather gives concrete examples of companies that have moved upwards in success. Jim Collins focuses on eleven familiar companies and details what tactics they utilized. This book is invaluable for leaders who aim to take their own company up the ladder of success.”
Joaquín Roca, Co-Founder and CEO of Minerva, recommends Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury for its advice on how to structure the ideal compromise. Roca says, “Getting to Yes by Fisher and Uryhas been a powerful book for me. The core message of getting past positions that seem in opposition to interests which may be reconcilable is an incredible tool. In the book the authors tell a story of two people at a fruit stand negotiating who should purchase the last orange. In the end they find a suboptimal compromise: they split the orange. The first person goes home, peels the orange, discards the peel and eats the fruit being left half satiated. The second person goes home, peels the orange, discards the fruit and makes half a batch of cookies, and is left disappointed. Negotiating and communicating around positions led to a compromise that left both people wanting when they could have done the work to explore each other’s interests to find a satisfying collaborative solution. Learning to do that work will make you a better leader.”
Brittany Kaiser, Chair of the Board of Directors at Gryphon Digital Mining, has multiple recommendations of books that outline the skills leaders share. Kaiser says, “Some of the best business books that I would recommend include Good to Greatby Jim Collins. This book explores what type of leadership skills are required in order to achieve greatness and discusses how important it is for entrepreneurs to be disciplined as well. Another good book is Zero to Oneby Peter Thiel. Many consider this to be one of the best books about startups. It focuses on people who are interested in building a technology startup but offers lessons that anyone can learn from.”
Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands, recommends a book that delves into the human tendency to question. Sharma says, “Start with Whyby Simon Sinek discusses how people need a certain amount of information before believing in something, and then incorporates this understanding into how to provide people with what they need to become a leader.”
Ryan Craver, Founder and CEO of Mallary by Matthew, outlines On Becoming A Leaderby Warren Bennis as a pivotal starting place for those interested in leadership. Craver says, “Getting to the root of what makes a leader and what constitutes leadership qualities goes a long way in the making of a successful leader. On Becoming A Leaderby Warren Bennisoutlines the process of leadership from start to beginning, and it is a great opening place for anyone starting to step into their desire to lead.”
David Wolfe, Founder of Oliver’s Apparel, recommends a leadership book written by a successful businessman who understands the importance of a healthy balance. Wolfe says, “One of the best books on leadership is The Samurai Leader by Bill Diffenderffer. Specifically, Diffenderffer’s book goes into great detail on the Zen philosophy of the Samurai, and how their preparation and thought process leads to inevitable success in both battle and business. Unlike other self-help leadership books, this is written by a seasoned CEO. Indeed, Diffenderffer’s strategies are tried and true methodologies that have helped him lead a multitude of multinational corporations to tremendous success.”
Jameson Rodgers, Cofounder of CBDfx recommends his top leadership book for the way it appeals to anyone, even those without ambitious goals of becoming uber-successful. Rodgers says, “Perhaps one of the most impactful books to for leaders of every vertical and sector is No Bullsh*it Leadershipby Chris Hirst.Written for the everyday human, Hirst breaks down leadership as a quality that can be learned and developed by anyone, and not as a rare personality trait that few can obtain.”
Jeff Henretig, President of Apothecanna, recommends Emotional Intelligenceby Daniel Colemanfor the psychological layer. Henretig says, “A term that has gained traction recently is emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligenceexplains what exactly this means and how to utilize psychology to undergo personal growth. This personal development then funnels into one’s leadership skills.”
George Fraguio, Vice President of Vaster Capital, has chosen a woman-written leadership book as his top choice due to his admiration of the qualities women can bring to leadership. Fraguio says, “I’m really focused on leadership books by women authors now. I think that leadership today requires more emotional intelligence and believe that our best minds in the segment are led by women. Male leaders are becoming more aware of the insights the feminine perspective offers on leadership as intuitive, spiritual, and unexpectedly more practical. I recommend Dare to Leadby Brene Brown.”
Travis Killian, Owner and CEO of Everlasting Comfort, details how his recommendation covers leadership from a marketing perspective. Killian says, “If you want to be a leader who can help promote your brand and ensure visibility, then you’ll need to do your research. A Practical Guide to Affiliate Marketing: Quick Reference for Affiliate Managers & Merchantsby Evgenii Prussakovis a source that can help any level of marketer, with quick tips that can set you on the right path. Even if you’re a CEO or a founder, it’s important to still keep an eye on the marketing department, and this book will help you do just that.”
Robert Neis, President and CEO of Palmers, has a book pick that focuses on the relationships between people. Neis says, “Tribesby Seth Godinis a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to better understand the basic leadership quality–how to lead other people. It discusses what makes a person worthy of being followed and explores the person-to-person aspect of leadership.”