Leadership Development: Five Essential Books for Managers

These books influenced the very core of my leadership principles as well as my personal values. Enjoy.

Motivation

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink

Why read it: If you’re going to lead people to be courageous, innovative, and high performing, you need to understand intrinsic motivation.

Org Health

The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business by Patrick Lencioni

Why read it: A leader is a critical part of an organization. Without understanding the full “system” (the organization), a leader cannot truly fulfill their purpose. Lencioni is masterful at explaining the difficult concept of org health and how to leverage it as a competitive advantage in your organization.

Leadership

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Heart by Brené Brown

Why read it: Leadership as a discipline is changing as fast as business. Brown captures the competencies needed for the leader of today, specifically how to cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how to embed the value of courage in your culture.

Communication

Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by McGraw-Hill Education

Why read it: You cannot be a successful leader without mastering the skill of the crucial conversation. “[Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.” ―from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey. Enough said!

Change Management

Managing Transitions by William Bridges

Why read it: The only thing that is constant is change. As a people leader, you will need to guide yourself, your team, and your organization through change, whether it be a reorganization, layoff, merger, etc. This book teaches the psychological transitions that accompany these changes and also offers step-by-step strategies for minimizing disruptions and navigating uncertain times.