5 Must-Read Books for Leaders

Harry Truman once said “not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Leadership is not for the faint of heart. To be an effective leader, you should constantly be learning and challenging yourself with new ideas. One of the easiest ways to grow as a leader is to read some of the great books that have been written about leadership.

To get you started, here are five of the best books for leaders:

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

This book challenges readers to lead with heart and put their followers before themselves. The idea is that when people know that you want what’s best for them, they will work harder for you, and therefore everyone will get better results. This also helps create a culture of low turnover, because employees are more likely to continue working for leaders that they respect and that they believe genuinely value them.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

In this book, Jim Collins details research that he and his team conducted on top-tier companies that had made the leap from good to great. He compared these companies to ones that were good but never become great. The findings of Collins’ study are fascinating. For example, he calls one result “The Flywheel and the Doom Loop,” which showed that companies who try to change things drastically all at once seldom become great.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

This book is considered a classic and for good reason. It’s not just for leaders, but for anyone who wants to live an effective, successful life. Instead of outlining a goal-achieving strategy, Covey challenges you to discover what actually matters to you. Only then can you truly begin to climb the ladder to success. Put this book first on your list.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell

John Maxwell is a “leader” in the field of leadership. He has written several books on the subject, but if you read only one, make it this one. One of his key points is that “A leader must always stand on solid ground,” meaning that you must be a person of integrity and build trust with the people who follow you. Your followers must trust and respect you, and you should be earning that trust and respect on a daily basis.

On Becoming a Leader by Warren G. Bennis

In this book, Bennis describes how anyone can become a leader, regardless of the role that they currently are in. Bennis believes that great leaders are not born with leadership skills as so many of us think. He also cautions readers not to equate management with leadership, as the two are distinctly different.

These books provide a stable foundation for anyone who is looking to become a leader and they also provide challenges for those who are already leaders and desire to hone their skills. So, get reading!

This article was originally posted on wdarrowfiedler.wordpress.com.