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The 50 Best Leadership Books of All Time

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What is the secret to great leadership? Is it a case of sheer good luck and opportunity, some magical cocktail of in-born genius, ambition and charisma, or can it be learned and taught? Leadership isn’t just about money and power. It’s about understanding what makes people tick, knowing your own values and worth, and working with the people and resources around you to make the best out of things.

It’s good for business, of course, but it’s more than just that. These are life skills that can help you realise both personal and professional goals. Developing your leadership skills can make a big difference to you and the world around you. Who wouldn’t want that?

So if you’re wondering if you have what it takes to be a good leader, you are not alone. Millions of books are sold every year to people hoping that the golden shimmer of success will rub off on them. It makes sense to look to the wisdom and advice of people who have made it to the top of their fields, and maybe take a leaf out of their books.

But with such a mountain of leadership books available, it can be overwhelming, which ones are suited to your needs, and which ones are actually good.

To give you a head start the resume experts at Resume.io, used Goodreads ratings to identify the top 50 books in the leadership genre and compiled them into one list for ease:

  1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
  2. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
  3. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
  4. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
  5. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
  6. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
  7. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
  8. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
  9. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
  10. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
  11. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
  12. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
  13. The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli
  14. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
  15. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
  16. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill by Napoleon Hill
  17. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
  18. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
  19. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
  20. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
  21. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
  22. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
  23. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
  24. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
  25. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund
  26. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
  27. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
  28. Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
  29. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
  30. The One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
  31. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso
  32. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
  33. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Amy Wallace and Edwin Catmull
  34. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
  35. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Jean Greaves and Travis Bradberry
  36. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
  37. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny, and Ron McMillan
  38. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by William Ury, Roger Fisher, and Bruce Patton
  39. The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
  40. Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath
  41. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
  42. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
  43. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz
  44. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras
  45. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell
  46. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
  47. Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin
  48. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
  49. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown
  50. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute

From the ancient wisdom of a Chinese military strategist, to advice from world-famous leaders in modern business, tech, and media, there’s bound to be a book full of wisdom that makes sense to you.

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs

Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

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