If you are a leader wishing to make a difference, then you understand that regular reading is a crucial life skill, and that a reading list is an underrated gold mine. We are not talking about the countless books packed end to end with relevant facts – even though they have their value. It’s the books that contain invaluable human experience, emotions and tales of overcoming that you will find more relatable. It’s such books that you will find speaking to your situations and every day challenges as a leader. Books that you will find yourself going back to, from time to time, to make references.
Here are a few suggestions;
Table of Contents
Tribes by Seth Godin
With enough leverage, you can create the change you want in your department, company, business and even industry. You have everything you need to make the change you want in your company and industry. You just need to be ready to lead and let the others follow. Tribes and movement exist and they are waiting for their revolutionary leader. So how do you become this leader? You need to get this book to find out.
2. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey
Steven Covey’s readers are always treated to great clarity and assurance in his books. The 7 habits philosophy is no different. In this book, you will find solutions for most problems your team faces. The step-by-step approach in the book outlines how to achieve success and effectiveness by changing your perspective down to the way you carry yourself. The change you start implementing on your own behaviour, response, and reaction to situations will be reflected in your team and even output. Get a copy and begin exercising the 7 habits.
3. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t By Jim Collins
Few companies succeed, most fail. That is the sad reality. Good thing, someone set out to find out why. He was kind enough to present us the study, case, comparisons, challenges and findings on why companies fail. Top in the findings was the shocking discovery on the type of leadership required for a company to succeed. You will definitely want to find out.
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Let’s start with why. Why did Simon Sinek write this book? Well, he wanted to help people at work become more inspired and in turn inspire juniors, colleagues and even customers. Basic ‘why’ questions like why the company exists, why people should care, why, why that particular mission statement what sets apart successful companies from those that are just getting by. This book demonstrates that leaders who have had great influence in the world think, communicate and act in the same way – a direct opposite to what everyone else does. And it all starts with WHY.
So, WHY not grab a copy and find out?
First Things First – by Stephen R Covey, A. Roger Merrill & Rebecca R. Merrill
Another one from Stephen Covey that is a must-read for leaders. How do you ensure every minute in the workplace is dedicated to the important stuff that push the company forward? How do you identify the little time-wasters and energy-drainers that slip in the team’s schedule in form of urgent, must-do tasks? First Things First introduces the famous 4 quadrants of tasks. As a leader, you need to be able to evaluate and categorise every task into these quadrants and minimise time, attention and resources spent on the 2 lower quadrants. You want to find out how? You really need to read this book.
We threw in 2 bonus books for the ladies in leadership positions:
Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Frankel
The workplace has changed immensely in the past 10 years. More women are not only getting in the workplace, but they are moving away from the conventional ‘womanly’ positions and are now taking charge of power teams and even companies. Even so, the workplace is still not a level playing field for men and women leaders. Women find that they have to be more empowered, have tougher skin and overcome more challenges to compete with their male counterparts of similar of even lower qualifications. The mistakes listed in each chapter by Lois Frankel are real, as the accompanying examples from women she has interacted with all over the world. This book is meant to help steer the modern professional woman up the and will provide the woman leader in the workplace the guidance they need to get into leadership and thrive.
7. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg
Speaking of challenges, Sheryl Sandberg makes a fantastic effort in her book, Lean In, to uncover concerns and issues of the modern-day professional woman in the workplace. The book is filled with insights backed by research and anecdotes that will resonate with working women across the world. The book is a collection of some of her own personal experiences throughout her career in an informative yet witty style that provides guidance for women in leadership positions.
Grab your copy today.
