Suggested Reading List for New and Seasoned Business Leaders
I read, like, a lot. That’s not meant to be some weird flex, but it is weird because I used to hate reading. I’m sure this is some sort of character flaw, but I grew to love reading very soon after I was forced to do so. I usually have an audio book or podcast on Audible in the car and another book or two on the end table. I prefer to rotate back and forth intentionally between entertainment and education/information. I find myself craving the other if my selections begin to become a little lopsided.
Like any craft or skill, leadership requires a certain level of dedication to its mastery. That is if you want to be a leader worth following. Books remain one of the best and most accessible ways to supplement your mastery of this craft. Here, I’ve listed my recommended reading list from my personal bookshelf. I’ve broken the lists into 3 levels based on where you are in your journey. While every book is recommended, I’ve put the top 3 (or 4) in each category in bold at the top of each list.
***This post contains affiliate (sponsored) links to all of my recommendations (recommendations are not sponsored or influenced)***
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (book info here)
- The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M.R. Covey (book info here)
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (book info here)
- Personality Plus by Florence Littauer (book info here)
- Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win by Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz (book info here)
- Launching a Leadership Revolution: Mastering the Five Levels of Influence by Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady (book info here)
- The New Leader’s 100 Day Action Plan: How to Take Charge, Build Your Team, and Get Immediate Results by George Bradt and Jayme Check and Jorge Pedraza (book info here)
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John Maxwell (book info here)
- From Supervisor to Super Leader: How to Break Free From Stress and Build a Thriving Team That Gets Results by Shanda Miller (book info here)
- Now, Discover Your Strengths by Gallup (book info here)
- The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin (book info here)
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek (book info here)
- How to Lead When You’re Not In Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority by Clay Scroggins (book info here)
- Clockwork: Design a Business to Run Itself by Mike Michalowicz (book info here)
- The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham (book info here)
- Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg (book info here)
- The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek (book info here)
- Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love With the Process of Being Great by Joshua Medcalf (book info here)
- The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey (book info here)
- The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian Moran (book info here)
- Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business by Mike Michalowicz (book info here)
- Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss (book info here)
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (book info here)
- Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz (book info here)
- The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman (book info here)
- Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis (book info here)
- Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George Thompson (book info here)
- Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin (book info here)
- Atomic Habits by James Clear (book info here)
- Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath (book info here)