Being a business leader means making a concerted effort to positively run your life, and do whatever it takes to be the best leader possible. There are a number of ways that any potential leader can start crafting themselves, but one of the best strategies is by starting to read as much as possible. There is no shortage of relevant and beneficial material. From learning how to work with others to understanding motivation and trust, leadership is a fluid evolution requiring constant adjustment. Here are six books which help with this leadership transformation.
1. The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
These two authors take their 30 years of research on the topics of effective leadership to create a detailed, hard-hitting book on how to deliver effective leadership tactics. Focusing on classic tactics such as trust, ethics, and credibility, this book is filled with some of the best nuggets of information that can positively shape any business leader’s life and trajectory.
2. Hustle: The Power to Change Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum
Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits, and Jonas Koffler
Hustle is one of those books that you need to read in order to really understand. This book covers a variety of different topics that can help any leader both inside and outside the office. As the title suggests, the text discusses money, and how to gain positive momentum with it. It teaches you how to really hustle in order to make your dreams and goals a reality.
3. The Heart of Leadership: Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow
Mark Miller
One of the keys to being a successful leader is making it so that people actually want to follow your direction. This book focuses on changing the lives of leaders by teaching them to lead from the front. It sets out to teach them how to set positive examples for others to follow. Many great leaders share similar traits that inspire others, and this book teaches you how to exhibit those traits.
4. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
John C. Maxwell
There are a lot of leadership books that focus on things like philosophy and perspective. This is not one of those books. This is a straightforward approach to leadership, presented as the “21 Laws” of figuring leadership out. It's easy to skim, easy to digest, and one of those books that's able to quickly change the way potential leaders can tackle their leadership approach.
5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
Stephen R. Covey
This is one book that is sure to make the top of a lot of lists, but it is one that is extremely pertinent to today’s most successful leaders. This book has been one of the biggest best-selling books of its kind since it was first released in 1989 and it is still helping people today. It can quickly change the life of any leader as they learn how to be more effective and productive each and every day.
6. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Daniel H. Pink
Pick up this highly entertaining read and you can learn more about the ability to motivate and push others to do their best. This book is all about how motivation is central to leadership and it highlights some of the secrets of truly motivating others and how to get meaningful work out of those that you lead.
Which Books Have Worked for You?
With greater and greater access to amazing books and sources on leadership, new business leaders continue to search for the right books with the insights and techniques which work for them. They’re looking to create better versions of themselves for their customers and their teams, and resources like these help them do just that. Which books have influenced your professional life the most?