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Best Books on Leadership

Best Leadership Books of All Time

“Leadership is influence.” — John Maxwell

These are the best leadership books that helped me the most at Microsoft to learn influence, leading change, and more.

When I think of leadership, I think of influence, change, connection, conviction, inspired action, empowerment, decisive action, forward-thinking, and vision.

The leadership books below help provide leadership skills, including mindsets, methodologies, and methods.  I test many of the leadership books below while leading large scale programs, projects, and initiatives and distributed teams around the world.

I put the bulk of the list in categories so you can explore relevant leadership books and you can easily compare against your existing leadership books library.

The Top 10 Best Leadership Books

Here is a list of the top 10 best leadership books that will help you develop your leadership mindset, skillset, and toolset, as well as develop your leadership philosophy.   Some of the key skills they will help you build include vision, execution, influence, emotional intelligence (QE),  and more.

1. Emotional Capitalists

by Martyn Newman

Emotional Capitalists

View on Amazon | Listen on Audible

It’s one thing to know the basics of emotional intelligence.  It’s another to apply it from a leadership perspective.

The best leaders have strong Emotional Intelligence.   They get themselves and they get the people around them.

By the time I read this book, emotional intelligence (or EQ), was already popular idea around Microsoft as a component of personal and professional development.

This book made emotional intelligence real for me.

Martyn did a great job throughout the book of turning the idea of emotional intelligence into pragmatic development exercises that anybody can work on to grow their emotional intelligence understanding and skills.

2. Flawless Execution

by Michael Murphy

Flawless Execution

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This takes what fighter pilots learned about executing in life and death scenarios and brings it to the corporate arena.
This book took my confidence in execution to the next level through its frameworks and examples.
I loved the depth and detail around creating 12-Point Future Pictures to communicate vision and create compelling clarity.
It’s actually one of the most action-packed books on the art of execution I ever read, and I found myself referring to it for years at Microsoft.

3. Leadership Gold

by John Maxwell

Leadership Gold

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I was already a Maxwell fan but this was like having his greatest hits all in one place.

It’s 26 of his best lessons he learned over more than 40+ years of leadership study and practice.

The best thing about this book is it feels like Maxwell is a mentor, taking you through his best lessons in a very personable way.

4. Leadership on the Line

by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky

Leadership on the Line

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What a breath of fresh air.   This was the first leadership book I read that really stepped into the dark and lonely side of leadership when you have to drive unpopular changes or put yourself on the line.

 

This is the book that taught me a simple framework for understanding whether a problem is a technical problem or an adaptive challenge
Just that one framework helped me jump to a new level of leadership and understand in a much deeper way how to pace myself for change and how to lead a team through big challenges.
Whenever I recommend this book to a mentee, they end up having a profound experience.

5.  Principle-Centered Leadership

by Stephen Covey

Principle-Centered Leadership

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I think this is where I really learned to understand the distinction and value of principles vs. rules.

Covey defines 8 Characteristics of principle-centered leadership:

  1. Continue to learn
  2. Service oriented
  3. Radiate positive energy
  4. Believe in other people
  5. Lead balanced lives
  6. See life as an adventure
  7. Synergistic
  8. Self-renewal

I related to each of the principles and practiced them over the years at Microsoft.  This is yet another example of how the essence of great leadership is timeless, and this is one of the best evergreen books ever written.

6. Start with Why

by Simon Sinek

Start with WHY

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I was so lucky that one of my mentees introduced me to Simon’s work early on, as she was an early business partner with him.
If more leaders started with WHY, more orgs would be a better place.
Actually, if everybody started with their WHY, the world would be a better place.
When you know how to think, act, and communicate from the inside out, as Simon teaches, your inner game becomes the foundation for your outer success.
This is one of those life changing books that stands the test of time.

7. The 5 Levels of Leadership

by John Maxwell

5 Levels of Leadership

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I like how Maxwell frames out levels and provides a roadmap for growing your leadership influence and impact.
Maxwell outlines 5 levels of leadership like so:
  1. Position – People follow because they have to.
  2. Permission – People follow because they want to.
  3. Production – People follow because of what you have done for the organization.
  4. People Development – People follow because of what you have done for them personally.
  5. Pinnacle – People follow because of who you are and what you represent.

It’s now how I would lay out the levels, but I get the framework.   At the highest level, I see leaders that know how to scale the work of others, live their principles, and inspire people through creative vision.   I would expect any leader to master self-leadership, then model the way for others.  I also expect leaders to focus on strengths and always bring out the best in each individual, so they bring out the best in the team.

8. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

by John Maxwell

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

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And the hits just keep on rolling with Maxwell!   This is one of my all-time, favorite books by Maxwell, and I think it might have been my first introduction to his work.
I love it when an author can distill their knowledge into sound principles, patterns, and practices.
This work is a solid example of turning insights and strategies into strategic operating principles in the form of “laws”.
I remember reading the book fast and absorbing everything so easily because of the way Maxwell explains in plain and simple language.
This book really informed my leadership philosophy early on and I think it is one of the best foundations to draw from.

9. The Essential Wooden

by John Wooden

Essential Wooden

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It’s a shame there isn’t an audio version.  Wooden is a great speaker and, just like Covey, his words echo in your mind.
Wooden is the one that gave me confidence that any team can become a winning team if you bring out each person’s best.
Wooden was famous for his style of coaching.
Rather than generalized advice for the team, Wooden would journal for every single individual to continuously improve.
I really like how Wooden measured success as “peace of mind”, and how he would say that if you played your best, but lost, did you really lose, and if you didn’t play your best, but you won, did you really win?
And whenever I catch myself rushing through something, I remember how Wooden would say, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”
This book is a true, evergreen, leadership classic.

10.  The Leadership Challenge

by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner

Leadership Challenge

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This book has changed so many leader’s lives, including my own.
The surprise is that I reflected back over 25 years at Microsoft and only then did I realize how profound the impact of this book was on me.
It’s part of why and how I became a futurist, which helped me become a better innovator.
And this book is based on some of the world’s best data and insight.
And I am still amazed how this writing team was able to boil down this brilliant knowledge into 5 practices.

Best Leadership Books A-Z

Here are the best leadership books by category to help you master your leadership skills:

Getting Started with Leadership

  • Leadership 101, by John C. Maxwell
  • Leadership on the Line, by Ronald A. Heifetz
  • Principle-Centered Leadership , by Stephen R. Covey
  • The 5 Levels of Leadership, by John Maxwell
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
  • The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, by Stephen R. Covey
  • The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell
  • The Leadership Challenge, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
  • The Truth About Managing People…And Nothing But the Truth, by Stephen P. Robbins

Attitude

  • 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class, by Steve Siebold
  • Attitude 101, by John C. Maxwell
  • Be the Hero, by Noah Blumenthal

Authenticity, Authentic Leadership

  • True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership , by Bill George

Change

  • John P. Kotter on What Leaders Really Do, by John P. Kotter
  • Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip Heath
  • The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, by Michael Watkins

Character

  • The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, by John C. Maxwell
  • The Right to Lead: Learning Leadership Through Character and Courage, by John C. Maxwell

Communication

  • 20 Minutes to a Top Performer, by Alan Vengel
  • Crucial Confrontations, by Kerry Patterson
  • Crucial Conversations, by Kerry Patterson
  • Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO, by Harrison Monarth
  • The New Articulate Executive: Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader,  by Granville Toogood

Daily

  • Leadership Promises for Every Day, by John C. Maxwell
  • Make Today Count, by John C. Maxwell
  • The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day, by John C. Maxwell

Development, Leadership Development

  • Developing the Leaders Around You, by John C. Maxwell
  • Developing the Leader Within You, by John C. Maxwell
  • Effective Succession Planning, by William J. Rothwell
  • Harvard Business Review on Developing Leaders, by Harvard Business School Press
  • On Becoming a Leader, by Warren Bennis
  • The 360 Degree Leader, by John C. Maxwell

Effectiveness

  • 180 Climbing the Two Ladders to Inner Strength & Outer Freedom, by Rob White
  • Getting Results the Agile Way, by J.D. Meier
  • Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, by Seth Godin
  • Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead, by Charlene Li
  • Secrets of Effective Leadership, by Fred A. Manske
  • The Effective Executive, by Peter F. Drucker
  • What Would Machiavelli Do? The Ends Justify the Meanness

Emotional Intelligence, Compassion, Heart, Empathy

  • A Leader’s Heart: 365-Day Devotional Journal, by John C. Maxwell
  • Emotional Capitalists: The New Leaders, by Martyn Newman
  • Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman
  • Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman

Ethics

  • Ethics 101, by John C. Maxwell

Excellence

  • Good to Great, by Jim Collins
  • Greater Than Yourself, by Steve Farber
  • In Search of Excellence, by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman

Execution

  • Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, by Larry Bossidy
  • Flawless Execution
  • Know-How, by Ram Charan
  • Rework, by David Heinemeier Hansson
  • The Knowing-Doing Gap, by Robert I. Sutton

Executive Presence

  • Emotional Capitalists: The New Leaders, by Martyn Newman
  • Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO, by Harrison Monarth
  • The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, by Michael Watkins

Failure, Setbacks

  • Failing Forward, by John C. Maxwell

Influence, Rapport

  • Becoming a Person of Influence, by John C. Maxwell
  • Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions, by Guy Kawasaki
  • Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, by John C. Maxwell
  • Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion , by Robert B. Cialdini
  • Influence Without Authority
  • Influencer: The Power to Change Anything, by Kerry Patterson
  • Insider’s Guide To The Art Of Persuasion, by Dr. Rick Kirschner
  • Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin

Interpersonal Skills

  • Be a People Person, by John C. Maxwell
  • Get Them On Your Side, by Samuel B. Bacharach
  • Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi
  • Winning with People, by John C. Maxwell

Leadership, Lessons in Leadership

  • Leadership (Harper Perennial Political Classics), by James MacGregor Burns
  • Leadership, by Rudolph W. Giuliani
  • Leadership (Tom Peters Essentials), by Tom Peters
  • Leadership 101, by John C. Maxwell
  • Leadership and the One Minute Manager, by Ken Blanchard
  • Leadership Gold, by John C. Maxwell
  • Leadership Is an Art, by Max De Pree
  • Leadership Lessons From THE BOOK, by Bill Bliss
  • Leadership on the Line, by Ronald A. Heifetz
  • Leading at a Higher Level, by Ken Blanchard
  • Management Rev Ed, by Peter F. Drucker
  • Maxwell Leadership Bible, by John C. Maxwell
  • On Leadership, by John William Gardner
  • The Essential Wooden, by John Wooden
  • The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni
  • The Leader in You, by Dale Carnegie
  • The One Minute Manager, by Ken Blanchard
  • The Truth about Leadership, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
  • The Truth About Managing People…And Nothing But the Truth, by Stephen P. Robbins

Learning, Growth

  • The Fifth Discipline, by Peter M. Senge
  • What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith

Principles, Practices, Strategies, Tactics

  • It’s Not About the Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks
  • Lead or Get Off the Pot!, by Pat Croce
  • Principle-Centered Leadership, by Stephen R. Covey

Purpose, Passion, Motivation

  • Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh
  • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink
  • Start with Why, by Simon Sinek
  • Sun Tzu Was a Sissy
  • The 3 Keys to Empowerment
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
  • The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, by Stephen R. Covey
  • The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell
  • The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene
  • The Art Of War, by Sun Tzu
  • The Leadership Challenge, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
  • The Powell Principles: 24 Lessons from Colin Powell, by Oren Harari

Reflection, Inner-Engineering

  • 180 climbing the two ladders to inner strength & outer freedom, by Rob White
  • Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within, by Robert E. Quinn
  • Zengage, by David Zinger

Servant Leadership

  • Built to Serve, by Dan Sanders
  • Servant Leader, by Ken Blanchard
  • Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness, by Robert Greenleaf
  • The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership, by James Hunter

Situational Leadership

  • Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership, by Ken Blanchard
  • Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Self Leadership, by Ken Blanchard

Strengths

  • Go Put Your Strengths to Work, by Marcus Buckingham
  • StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution, by Marcus Buckingham
  • Strengths-Based Leadership, by Tom Rath
  • Transformational Leadership, by Gary Vurnum

Strategy

  • Strategy, by B.H. Liddell Hart
  • The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership, by Mike Freedman
  • The Lords of Strategy, by Walter Kiechel

Teamwork

  • Teamwork 101, by John Maxwell
  • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable , by Patrick Lencioni

Trust

  • The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, by Stephen R. Covey

Vision, Mission, Values

  • A Simple Statement: A Guide to Nonprofit Arts Management and Leadership
  • Flawless Execution
  • Leadership on the Line, by Ronald A. Heifetz
  • Principle-Centered Leadership, by Stephen R. Covey
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
  • The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, by Stephen R. Covey
  • True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership , by Bill George
  • Vision: Your Pathway to Victory,  Gordon D’Angelo

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