Best leadership books?

[Growth & Learn]

Ok I need to up my leadership game big time. For those of you who manage and lead lots of people and have had a lot of success doing it....what books would you recommend I read?

What were game changers for you?

Thanks in advance.

 

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[458]

You can't learn leadership in a book, you learn leadership by trial and error and even then you might still suck at it.

 

[Growth & Learn]

You can't learn leadership in a book, you learn leadership by trial and error and even then you might still suck at it.

This response makes me want to drink...and drink heavily.


Anybody else have some actionable or intelligent ideas? Thanks in advance again.

 

[Raoul Duke]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071780785/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2013/08/are-you-impressing-people-or-impacting.html - Nick Saban

http://themfceo.com/special-extended-episode-how-to-lead-your-team-with-andy-frisella-mfceo8/

 

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[Growth & Learn]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071780785/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0812968255/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2013/08/are-you-impressing-people-or-impacting.html - Nick Saban

http://themfceo.com/special-extended-episode-how-to-lead-your-team-with-andy-frisella-mfceo8/

Thanks. Listening to this now http://themfceo.com/special-extended-episode-how-to-lead-your-team-with-andy-frisella-mfceo8/

 

[Andy Black]

I've no book recommendations as I've not read any books specifically about leadership.




Some good management/leadership quotes for you though:

"Praise in public, criticise in private."

"Catch them when they're good."




Leadership has a lot of mentoring and coaching in it.

Read my "Yes, but" thread.





You're "Why" is very important.

Read my "Clarity of purpose thread".




Another quote I like:

"People listen to experts, they follow leaders."

I did a video on it here:

• People listen to experts, they follow leaders

I'll also get round to talking about "The biggest management mistake" at some point in my [HASHTAG]#AndyTalks[/HASHTAG] series.

I learned it back in 2010 when I was on a great business development course.

I see it this mistake everywhere now, and it truly does seem to be why things go astray.

(EDIT: I've started that thread here:The biggest mistake)



Hmm, and I'll do a talk on "project management" and "delivering" soon.

It's important in its own right, but it's the distinction between project management and business development that's important.

 

[marklov]

Get involved in a team sport or manage a community project like painting an old building or something.

 

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[Carl Raymer]

I've read Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek and Good to Great - Jim Collins both recently and they were both exceptional. Sinek speak to methods to help those under your employ produce well for your company. Collins compare and contrasts comparative companies, one that was exceptional over a 20+ year period while the comparative company remained moderate at best (Think Eckerd drugstore vs. Walgreens) I'm sure I have more but those were both in the last two months so they're fresh on the mind.

 

[AmericanSpartan]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0891411739/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

It is geared toward military leadership, but it is the best book on leadership in general I have read. The leadership skills toward the end are a great resources. I also like how he categorizes individuals into their abilities to perform, and how best to cater your leadership to making them effective in the team. It may take some imagination to translate the military lessons into civilian/business lessons. but great leaders are able to think outside the box and connect unrelated ideas into something new and revolutionary. Become forward thinking.

I also suggest: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0671027034/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

The above will help you in general interpersonal interactions, which is a big part of leadership.

I also suggest: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400203597/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

...because you don't always have to be the guy at the top in order to lead the group toward its goal.


Lastly, find biographies of leaders that you respect and read, read, read. Make sure you take notes of what you both LIKE and DISLIKE about their leadership style.

All the reading in the world won't make you a successful leader. It is a game of trial and error, much like @458 said. You can also have the skills of the best leader in the world, but the group has the final say of who gets to lead them (unless you are forced into a leadership role, such as being hired to be a manager or put in charge of a group project by a "boss", etc). The best leaders, in my opinion, put the wants and needs of the group before themselves. It's servant leadership. People pick leaders because they feel they will be able to provide the resources or knowledge necessary to give the group or individual what they desire. They pick people they like on a personal level, persons that have an interest in those they lead.

Don't let your Ego lead, let your Heart lead, but make sure to keep your heart's desires in check with solid reasoning, which can only be strengthened by knowledge and experience. People who lead in order to make themselves feel important or powerful will be smelled a mile away and avoided like the plague.

"Ductus Exemplo" and good luck!

 

[OVOvince]

apparently "good to great" is ....great

haven't read it myself but check out the reviews if you want

 

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[Mrs. BRKb]

The business anecdotes included in each chapter of this book are good.

 

[Ubermensch]

Ok I need to up my leadership game big time. For those of you who manage and lead lots of people and have had a lot of success doing it....what books would you recommend I read?

What were game changers for you?

Thanks in advance.

Pick up the 33 Strategies of War, by Robert Greene.

Read about "man management."

Read about dead men that still live.

Read about Cesare Borgia.

Read about King Alexander.

Read about the greatest conqueror of them all - Grandpa Genghis Kahn.

Read about General Patton.

Read about General Vo Giap.

Read about Spartacus, about Leonidas, about Moses, and David.

 

[SEBASTlAN]

Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley is gold.

 

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[The Abundant Man]

Band of Brothers is a leadership goldmine.

God Bless Dick Winters-the Monastic Warrior. The way he leads Easy Company is unparalleled. He was a calm collected introvert that mostly kept to himself but always made quick decisions(even if they were difficult ones) and really took care of his soldiers. He was very religious and was the moral compass for everybody. Even during the war he would always find a church to go to. This family took him in and treated him like he was their own son. During his stay with this family he would do PT and study battle tactics. He never married as he noticed that the soldiers who had significant others either died first or had other problems. After the war, he noticed soldiers got too relaxed and partied too much as the war kept soldiers out of trouble.(They got bored. War kept them busy) So he quit saying, "I'm tired of this new chickenshit army."

Absolutely loved the Battle of Bastone. They're attacking this town. But they're lead by this incometent leader who is just panicking. Winters runs up wanting to lead them. But he's pulled back by superior officers because it's not his job anymore. Winters just yells out, "Sobel! Take over!" So Sobel basically became the new Commanding Officer.

Master and Commander:The Far Side of the War is another great one about leadership. His ship is under attack by the French and being torn apart. Throughout the entire time Russel Crowe is just calm giving out orders to everybody.

 

[Sampath]

1) The Leader who had no title by Robin Sharma
2) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
3) Start with Why by Simon Sinek
4) The One Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
5) The Power of Full Engagement by Tony Schwartz & Jim Loehr

 

[Jon Foreman]

One book I really enjoyed on leadership specifically was:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1576759776/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

 

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[Filippos]

ANY BOOK WRITTEN BY SIMON SINEK
+ "WINNING" by Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE