Reading About Leading
10 books on leadership to add to your reading list.
Reading is a habit almost every successful leader swears by so whether you buy or borrow books or prefer a personal device, remember to set aside a little time everyday to read. Here are a few recent and upcoming titles to include in your book list as the year-end approaches …
Experience Is the Angled Road: Memoir of an Academic
Principled leadership is needed now more than ever, says R. Barbara Gitenstein, the first female and first Jewish president of The College of New Jersey—a position she held for 19 years. In her new book, she chronicles the obstacles she faced, including sexism, anti-Semitism, regional animus, and the distrust of expertise in her professional and personal life, and she credits extraordinary mentors for helping her navigate the challenges of being the singular voice in a room.
The Success Guidebook: How to Visualize, Actualize, and Amplify You
Mother of four Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino was the VP of a financial services firm when she realized she couldn’t juggle it all—despite society’s expectations. In one enlightened moment, she quit her job and began to redefine success for herself. Today, she is a master life coach and bestselling author. In her book, she shares 10 factors of success and weaves them with heartfelt experiences and strategies to help readers redefine success and manifest it in their own lives.
Women in Politics: Breaking Down the Barriers to Achieve True Representation
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” Her words reflect a reality that has plagued the United States for centuries, and former California State Assemblymember Mary Chung Hayashi says there is still much work to be done to achieve gender-political parity. In her award-winning book, she shares the triumphant journeys of 17 women in political leadership who faced overwhelming odds but shattered glass ceilings as trailblazing women.
Might of the Chain: Forging Leaders of Iron Integrity
Retired two-star Admiral Mike Studeman lights the way forward in his new leadership book which distills dozens of leadership traits into unique and colorful short stories. Beautifully written and brimming with rich insights, this work is purpose-built to help current and future generations of leaders improve their leadership proficiency, awaken. Rising above the political fray, the admiral offers a pathway for revitalizing the quality of leadership across the country. This book is essential reading for every American citizen.
Your Life, Your Way: Become Aware of Social Pressures Limiting Women
Social pressures placed on women have consequences that clinical psychologist Dr. Alicia Lamberghini-West sees firsthand in her private practice. In her book, she helps women identify common social pressures that could be holding them back and shares her reflections on how women can respond to these pressures to live more fulfilling lives. Ultimately, the book is a springboard to motivate all women to take steps toward greater personal choice and freedom and inspiring them to recognize their power.
Essential Leadership: 65 Lessons Every Leader Needs to Know
In his insightful and transformative new book, Thomas Harris debunks much of the hype and conventional wisdom that perpetuates around the subject of becoming a great leader. Advocating that leadership really isn’t about you, but all about the mission and your team, some of the 65 lessons he shares with readers will at first seem counterintuitive to what you’ve been taught about leadership. But when digested and reflected upon, the light bulb moments come and keep coming. These are lessons that will stay with both aspiring and seasoned leaders, forever.
The Disciplined Listening Method
Michael Reddington’s story goes from investigations, to forensics, to detective work, and everything in between. He’s the real-life version of your favorite true crime investigator, and in this book, he shares his strategies, revealing how his extensive experience conducting interrogations translates into a transformative approach to leadership and communication. The book introduces the seven core behaviors of the Disciplined Listening Method, providing leaders with skills, techniques, and perspectives to identify hidden value in every conversation.
After three decades of researching human hope and happiness, Dr. Alphonsus Obayuwana, one of the world’s leaders in the happiness space, has discovered a simple equation for measuring happiness: hope divided by hunger equals happiness. Why measure happiness? Because it could be a game-changer for happiness seekers and advocates—as no one can effectively improve what one cannot accurately measure. From languishing to flourishing and everything in between, readers can determine their “Personal Happiness Index” or PHI using the five-minute tool he shares in his new book.
Creating Excellence: Insights into Leadership, Life and Legacy
Right now, every organization wants and needs one thing: excellence. In leadership, in communication, in operations and sales, excellence matters. Brigadier General Bentley Nettles offers a powerful and personal perspective in his new book, where he draws upon his lifetime of service as a distinguished military veteran, attorney and public official to deliver clear-cut guidance. Leaders, aspiring leaders and corporations seeking fresh ideas for inspiring excellence will find a wealth of real-world, relatable examples to follow.
Ryan Foland’s book shows how to present your humanness—imperfect and flawed but honest, resilient, and willing to learn—in strategic ways to achieve clear, defined goals. It provides an actionable program for building an authentic, long-lasting personal brand, explaining why exposure is important and how it cultivates more durable connections than any polished persona can. By creating a personal brand that’s honest and authentic and that reveals personal struggles, you’ll build stronger, longer-lasting relationships—and achieve greater success.
