Recommended Books
The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker
I approve anything by Drucker, but this was the first business book I ever read.
Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge, Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus
I still have my tattered, annotated, underlined copy from my early days in management.
Credibility, James Kouzes and Barry Posner
This book was life-changing for me, teaching me that my power to do great things comes first from my credibility.
The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner
Embracing the Heart, Kouzes and Posner
Principle-Centered Leadership, Stephen Covey
Everyone should read this before reading 7 Habits, as this is foundational.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
This is a timeless classic whose practical concepts still resonate across the leadership landscape.
The Speed of Trust, Stephen M. R. Covey
This is another contemporary classic that speaks to credibility and the impact of trust upon yourself, your team and organization, and society in general.
Leading Change, John P. Kotter
Real leaders make change, and they do so productively and powerfully.
Spiritual Leadership, Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby
For the Christian leader this is the standard, a practical application of biblical principles to modern-day leadership.
Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman
Your emotions can make or break your leadership effectiveness, and this is the classic introduction to using emotional skills wisely.
Servant Leadership, Robert Greenleaf
This concept might change your entire thinking on leadership in a good way.
First, Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham
Based on extensive research by Gallup, Buckingham zeroes in on the key factors in employee engagement, loyalty, and performance.
Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham
Buckingham came to the forefront of the strengths movement with this book.
Strengths Builder 2.0, Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton
This book comes with a code to take the free Strengths Builder online assessment.
Recommended Organizations
- Center for Creative Leadership
- Franklin Covey
- Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
- International Society for Performance Improvement
- Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas
- Leadership Call
- The Leadership Challenge
