Seven Best Books for Professional Leadership Development

Consistent professional development for leaders is critical for business success. Several business leaders have been there and done that and have also written excellent books to guide others to do the same. You can read the following seven books to demonstrate incredible leadership skills and steadily improve them.

Jim Collins' “Good to Great: The Reason Some Businesses Take the Step”

If there is one book that has truly stood the test of time, it is Jim Collins’ “Good to Great.” The title signifies professional development, and the book exemplifies the difference between good and outstanding businesses. He has compiled essential traits that excellent firms must possess, including proficient leadership and management and a stringent corporate culture. Business leaders looking to grow their companies from good to great must read this book.

Eric Ries' “The Lean Startup”

“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries has achieved a lot of prominence in recent times. This book showcases the creation of successful startups, especially considering their high failure rate. The emphasis is on quick market testing and recapitulating to develop a product-market fit. Any budding entrepreneur looking to create the next big thing in the business world must read this book.

Stephen Covey's “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People”

There are not enough superlatives to describe “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. It is a best-selling and time-tested book loved by millions worldwide. These seven behaviors are signs of productive leadership, such as proactivity and understanding others before attempting to be understood themselves. Leaders willing to develop their skills further must read this book.

Clayton Christensen's “The Innovator's Dilemma”

In his book “The Innovator's Dilemma,” Clayton Christenson explores the reasons behind frequent business failure. He feels that successful businesses find it tough to innovate because of the constant preoccupation with keeping hold of current client and product relationships. If you want to know the secrets of innovation and avoid business failure, read this book, and you will be constantly ahead of the game.

Simon Sinek's “Start with Why”

It is essential to have a specific business purpose, as noted by Simon Sinek in his book “Start with Why.” It is not important to focus on the what or how of businesses but the why. Simon Sinek believes that staff motivation and a purpose-driven culture are secrets to business success. If you believe in that, do read this book.

Ben Horowitz's “The Hard Thing About Hard Things”

Running a startup is never easy. In fact, it is super challenging to get them off the ground, break even, and eventually make a profit. This is why Ben Horowitz’s book “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” is an essential read to navigate startups in adverse situations. Business leaders should read this book to earn from others’ experiences and be more ready to face challenges.

Simon Sinek's “Leaders Eat Last”

Simon Sinek features again on this list, and for a very good reason. According to him in “Leaders Eat Last,” leaders must put teams first over themselves. Prioritizing team happiness builds a trust-based culture and fosters loyalty among the team. This is why this book is a highly essential read.

The seven books are written by successful business executives and will allow you to develop the right skills to join their list. You can build companies and drive them to success by following the secrets discussed in these books. Make sure to add them to your library to forge your path to success.

LEARN MORE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

You may also contact Michael at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.