BOOKS
The reading leader is a learning leader. The books here are a drop in the ocean as far as books on leadership go, but they all add something that leaders can take away and use.
Some of the books below aren’t strictly leadership, but they all relate to skills that build a more effective leader. The books we’ve reviewed are on our book reviews blog page. We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments.
If there are other books you think need to be on the list (and there are many), we’d love to hear about them. Contact us and let us know which books you think we should add to the list.
Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership by Howard Gardner. In Leading Minds, Gardner and his research associate at Harvard Project Zero, Emma Laskin, apply a cognitive lens to leadership, drawing on Gardner’s groundbreaking work on intelligence and creativity to offer fascinating revelations about the minds of leaders and those who follow them.
On Writing Well by William Zinsser. On Writing Well , which grew out of a course that William Zinsser taught at Yale, has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity, and for the warmth of its style. Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts, or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you both fundamental principles as well as the insights of a distinguished practitioner.
Your Brain at Work by David Rock. David Rock knows how the brain works-and more specifically, how it works in a work setting. Rock shows how it′s possible for every reader, not only to survive in today′s overwhelming work environment but succeed in it-and still feel energized and accomplished at the end of the day.
Quiet Leadership by David Rock. Supported by the latest groundbreaking research, "Quiet Leadership" provides a brain-based approach that will help busy leaders, executives, and managers improve their own and their colleagues' performance. Rock offers a practical, six-step guide to making permanent workplace performance change by unleashing higher productivity, new levels of morale, and greater job satisfaction.
What Makes Us Tick by Hugh Mackay. Dr Mackay has spent a lifetime listening to people talk about their dreams, fears, hopes, disappointments and passions. As well, his bestselling books have documented the impact of the changes that have been radically reshaping our society. In What Makes Us Tick? he reflects on some of the things that don't change, identifies ten desires that drive us all, and asks: Why do we talk as if we're rational, but act as if we're not? ; Why do some people always want to take control? ; Why do we seek change, yet resist it? ; Why do we want more of the things that have failed to satisfy us? . His exploration of these and other issues goes to the heart of some of life's big questions.
Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs. Whether you're an inveterate lover of language or you just want to win more anger-free arguments on the page, at the podium, or over a beer, Thank You for Arguing is the book for you. From Cicero's three-step strategy for inspiring action to Honest Abe's Shameless Trick for lowering an audience's expectations, this fascinating bookis full of time-tested secrets to emerging victorious from any dispute.
Team of Teams by General Stanley McCrystal. In this powerful book, McChrystal and his colleagues show how the challenges they faced in Iraq can be relevant to any leader. Through compelling examples, the authors demonstrate that the 'team of teams' strategy has worked everywhere from hospital emergency rooms to NASA and has the potential to transform organizations large and small.
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates
Thinking by John Brockman. From the bestselling authors of Thinking, Fast and Slow; The Black Swan; and Stumbling on Happiness comes a cutting-edge exploration of the mysteries of rational thought, decision-making, intuition, morality, willpower, problem-solving, prediction, forecasting, unconscious behavior, and beyond. Edited by John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org ("The world's smartest website" - The Guardian), Thinking presents original ideas by today's leading psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers who are radically expanding our understanding of human thought
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations" remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. Marcus's insights and advice--on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others--have made the "Meditations" required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style.
Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss. When facing life's questions, who do you turn to for advice? We all need mentors, particularly when the odds seem stacked against us. To find his own, bestselling author and podcast guru Tim Ferriss tracked down more than 100 eclectic experts to help him, and you, navigate life. Through short, action-packed profiles, he shares their secrets for success, happiness, meaning, and more. No matter the challenge or opportunity, something in these pages can help
Why Don’t People Listen? by Hugh Mackay. First published in 1994, Hugh Mackay's Why Don't People Listen? sold 40,000 copies and became a classic on the art of successful communication. Hugh Mackay shows us a simple yet revolutionary way to improve the quality of our relationships with our spouses, children, friends, colleagues and clients. He identifies the ten most basic laws of human communication, such as: It's not what our message does to the listener, but what the listener does with our message that determines our success as communicators.
How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker. The Pulitzer Prize finalist and national bestseller How the Mind Works is a fascinating, provocative work exploring the mysteries of human thought and behavior. How do we see in three dimensions? How do we remember names and faces? How is it, indeed, that we ponder the nature of our own consciousness? Why do we fall in love? In this bold, extraordinary book, Pinker synthesizes the best of cognitive science and evolutionary biology to explain what the mind is, how it has evolved, and, ultimately, how it works.
All excerpts are taken from the Booktopia website.