Book recommendations for business leaders: 11/1/18

Nov 1, 2018 | Reading Lists

Stephen King says that if you want to be a writer, there are two things you must do: read a lot and write a lot. This is about the “read a lot” part. I include reading lists and book reviews that will help you do business more effectively and write better for business.

In this post, I point you to reviews of Leadership in Turbulent Times, books about Theodore Roosevelt, The Leadership Lab: Understanding leadership in the 21st century, Engage to Win: A Blueprint for Success in the Engagement Economy, and Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

From Michael McKinney: Leadership in Turbulent Times

“DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN has spent a lifetime studying the lives of four U.S. presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. In Leadership in Turbulent Times, she brings them together to study the development of their leadership potential and the mark they left on history.”

Also from Michael McKinney: Books About Theodore Roosevelt

“ON THE OCCASION of the anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s birth on October 27, 1858, we have assembled a list of some of the better books about him:”

From Skip Prichard: Understanding Leadership in the 21st Century

“In their newly-released book, The Leadership Lab: Understanding leadership in the 21st century, author Chris Lewis and megatrends analyst Dr. Pippa Malmgren set out to help leaders navigate these changes successfully. Covering everything from how to build a new type of leadership trust when other spheres of public power have been overturned to robots overtaking companies, this book explains not only why the old rules no longer apply, but also how to blaze a trail in this new world order and be the best leader you can be.”

From Bob Morris: Engage to Win

“In The Art of War, Sun Tzu asserts that every battle is won or lost before it is fought. In the business world, those who control the terms of engagement have a significant competitive advantage. In fact, I am convinced that an organization’s relationships with its employees and customers is more important now than ever before.”

From Chad Gordon: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts: Brené Brown on Dare to Lead

“Brown describes the four skills needed to become a courageous leader. The first and most important skill is Rumbling with Vulnerability. Brown had assumed that the biggest barrier to courageous leadership would be fear, but her research indicated that fear is not a barrier. In fact, leaders she interviewed admitted to being fearful much of the time. The real barrier is how people armor themselves to deal with the fear. It is critical to understand that we all self-protect when we feel scared, defensive, or vulnerable.”

Reading recommendations are a regular feature of this blog. Want more recommendations about what to read? Check out my Three Star Leadership blog, Michael McKinney’s LeadingBlog, and Skip Prichard’s Leadership Insights.