In between studying at the Driehaus College of Business at DePaul, I was lucky enough to spend two summers interning with The Global Leadership Summit. For those of you who don’t know, The Global Leadership Summit is an annual leadership event that’s held at Willow Creek Community Church. The Summit reaches over 400,000 people in more than 124 countries to help equip leaders all over the world through world-class leaders giving keynote talks. One of the many ways leaders can grow is through reading––I know, crazy isn’t it? However, leaders from John Adams to Elon Musk, all accredited reading as a primary way they learned as much as they did. So, I’m going to share some of the leadership books I think everyone should read.
"People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it."
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action –– Simon Sinek
Anytime somebody asks me: “If you could only recommend one book for everyone to read, what would it be?” If you’ve asked me this question, then you know the answer. I always suggest Start With Why. I love this book for two simple reasons: logic and versatility.
All of the main points throughout this book make so much sense, they actually make you ask yourself, why didn’t I think of that? Additionally, Start With Why is a phenomenal book for anyone. It doesn’t matter if you're a business owner, a student, a doctor, the content is relatable for everyone.
“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.”
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… And Others Don’t –– Jim Collins
It’d be absurd to talk leadership books without talking about Good to Great. Through all the research, data, and conclusions that Jim Collins’ team found, calling Good to Great one of the best leadership books of all time would be an understatement. Collins developed the idea behind the flywheel effect and defined level 5 leadership. If you want some good old fashioned data and analysis, Good to Great is the leadership book for you.
“When interacting with someone from another culture, try to watch more, listen more, and speak less.”
The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business –– Erin Meyer
I was given this book during my first summer with the Global Leadership Summit, and it turned out being one of my favorite leadership books. Putting all politics and opinions aside, there’s no question that business as we know it has largely shifted toward a global model. Erin Meyer takes us through her experiences during business travels and how she navigated the challenge of different cultures’ approach to business. Her findings around etiquette, decision making, and more are all backed by real-world experience and research.
“Nothing undermines change more than behavior by important individuals that is inconsistent with the verbal communication.”
Leading Change –– John Kotter
Much like Jim Collins, you really can’t discuss leadership books without bringing John Kotter into the conversation. Kotter is a well known academic from Harvard Business School who’s a renowned expert in change management. While Leading Change is arguably his most popular book, it’s primarily written with a large corporation in mind. However, you could choose any of his dozens of books and learn how to become a better leader––especially when it comes to instigating change.
“A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion –– Robert Cialdini
One of my favorite professors at DePaul University had all of his students purchase this book. I normally didn’t keep the books that professors had us get for one of two reasons. One, they were horrifically boring, or two, I rented them to save money so the book had to go back anyway. However, I still have Influence on my bookshelf to this day. While Cialdini isn’t a renowned businessman, he is a well-known psychologist who has made a career out of finding the principles behind influence and consumer behavior.
There are countless other books that I could’ve included on this list, however, these five leadership and business books had the largest impact on my life. So, do you agree with this list of leadership books everyone should read? Have you read any of these? Let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts.