7 of the Best Leadership Books

Becoming an effective leader is a lifelong process, one that should involve reading the right leadership books. Here’s what you need to know about some of the most impactful options.

Key takeaways:

• Good leaders are hard to come by.
• They can make or break the careers of those under them. 
• People will stay for good leaders, but will leave because of bad ones.
• Reading business books by proven leaders helps you zero in on what works for your situation.

Bottom lines, productivity, and set quotas are all that seem to matter in our modern, numbers-obsessed world. In this environment, it can be difficult to come by good leaders who look after their subordinates, recognize their hard work, and do what they can to support their teams.

There is no set formula for a “good leader,” but workers quickly learn that their leaders can make or break their careers. They will stick with a company for a good one, but would be equally willing to leave if a leader fails to connect with them and their deepest aspirations. What makes one type so unforgettable that subordinates appreciate their impact long after they have moved on? The truth is that it mostly boils down to how leaders treat those they lead, and many of the best have written books to help you learn their processes. 

Here are some of the texts you need to improve your own impact.

The leadership books good leaders swear by

People in or aspiring to leadership positions can gain the skills and insights they by reading leadership books. To make the task easier, we went ahead and compiled the best leadership books to help you become more effective in the workplace.

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

From the bestselling author of Leaders Eat Last, this book on leadership goes in depth in explaining why people will not buy into a service, product, idea, or movement until they understand the “Why” that drives it. Simon Sinek draws inspiration from many real-life stories in Start With Why, helping leaders easily understand what they really need to focus on to effectively inspire those around them.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

First published in 1989, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is still relevant for understanding and meeting new and difficult challenges. The #1 National Bestseller is considered a business classic, and offers a holistic, integrated approach for tackling professional and personal problems. One running theme is to highlight the habits that distinguish highly successful people from the rest of the world.

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

This book changed our perception of what it means to be "smart.” Everyone knew that a high IQ did not guarantee future success, virtue, or happiness before Emotional Intelligence, but Goleman opened our eyes to why. This text lays out research from the frontiers of neuroscience and psychology, offering insights into the rational and the emotional parts of our mind. It explains how – together – they determine our success at work, in relationships, and even our physical health.

Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard E. Boyatzis & Annie McKee

This book introduced the phrase “emotional intelligence” to the business world and explains why great leaders move us, stir our passions, and inspire the very best. We often use terms like “vision,” “strategy,” and “powerful ideas” when trying to expand on these concepts. But, the truth is that great leadership works through emotions. Primal Leadership explains what leaders must do to become “emotionally intelligent” and is a must-read for anyone aspiring to leadership.

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

This book offers proven principles from a group identified as being among the most successful leaders in the world. Willink and Babin, two U.S. Navy SEAL officers who led highly successful operations in Iraq, demonstrate how to practice battle-tested leadership principles in your own life and business. They have taught the principles outlined in this book to hundreds of leaders around the world, spreading their knowledge on what it takes to develop high-performance teams and lead them to victory.

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Easily one of the most influential self-help books of all time, Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People outlines the universal principles that leaders must know and apply to get others to follow them. If you’re looking for a way to positively influence those around you and achieve your maximum potential as a leader, this is a book to read over and over again.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military piece attributed to the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. Each of the book’s 13 chapters is devoted to an aspect of warfare and how it relates to military strategy and tactics. The Art of War is one of the most influential strategy books in East Asian warfare, and has gone beyond to also influence business and leadership strategy.

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