8 must-read books on leadership

Emir Zecovic | Posted on June 1, 2016 |

<1 min read ⌚

Whether you’re a manager or employee, we all need to lead at some point in our lives. Meetings, projects, taking charge of a personal problem or maybe just helping others deal with their own problems.

Good leadership is a skill that’ll greatly improve your life, and who better to learn it from than those who’ve mastered it? These must-read leadership books will show you how great leaders think and act.

The Everything Store | Brad Stone

The ultimate Amazon origin story, The Everything Store will show you how Jeff Bezos led his company to become the internet behemoth that it is today. Brad Stone enjoyed unprecedented access to top Amazon management and Bezos’ family members, and his book paints an in-depth picture of the Amazon boss’ drive and ambition.

Switch | Dan & Chip Heath

Change is hard, as the Chip brothers say. Whether you’re trying to change yourself or others, it requires a fundamental switch in the way you think. Filled with real-life examples and plenty of psychological research, Switch will show you how to do just that. It’s all about the struggle between your emotional and your rational mind. Once you learn to unite them, you can truly create change.

Start with Why | Simon Sinek

The mark of a great leader is being able to inspire others, and that’s exactly what Simon Sinek’s book will teach you. Analysing some of the world’s great leaders, Sinek realised they all started with a simple question – Why? It’s the question that will reveal the inspiration behind your actions.

The Heart-Led Leader | Tommy Spaulding

True leaders lead from the heart. They embrace vulnerability, humility, transparency, empathy, and love. It’s what inspires others to believe in them and follow them. Spaulding shows you how to combine your intellect and emotions and apply that to your own career and to managing people effectively.

Leaders Eat Last | Simon Sinek

Sinek is so good at leadership advice that two of his books make it on our list. Leaders Eat Last explains why the values of a company’s leader can make or break it. It’s not about being a boss. It’s about being a leader, focusing on employees instead of yourself in order to better your company. It’s about getting people to say “I love my job”.

Straight From the Gut | Jack Welch

General Electric is one of the world’s biggest companies. Over the last 30 years it’s expanded to encompass everything from producing aircraft engines, power generators and plastics to medical and financial services. And that’s mostly due to Jack Welch and his vision. In his book, Welch describes the ups and downs of his time at the helm of the company.

Elon Musk | Ashlee Vance

PayPal. Tesla. SpaceX. SolarCity. Elon Musk is Silicon Valley’s most daring entrepreneur. Veteran tech journalist Ashlee Vance enjoyed unprecedented access to Musk, his family and his friends. It’s a fascinating insight into the mind and world of the man who is singlehandedly trying to shape our future.

#GIRLBOSS | Sophia Amoruso

In just 10 short years, Sophia Amoruso went from high-school dropout and petty thief to successful founder of one of the world’s fastest-growing retailers, Nasty Gal. Her book may be more about achieving success than becoming a better leader, but it’s filled with frank observations about following your instincts and breaking the rules. It’s a book many of us could learn a lot from.