This article showcases our top picks for the Leadership Books For New Leaders. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below).
We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.
This product was recommended by Kelly Ashlen from Sexsi Toys
This books is one of the most impactful that I’ve read in a long time. Being a new female leader and business owner, I found Bola’s story so influential and powerful. I am always reminded of the strong will and perseverance no matter what was thrown in her way. Whenever I am struggling myself, it is a great reminder to know that others have made it work for themselves and for that I am a better leader because of it. For any woman in business, or any aspiring leaders I highly suggest you read this book as an example of what it can often take to get a business to work.
In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code, goes inside some of the most effective organisations to reveal their secrets. He explains what makes such groups tick & identifies the key factors that can generate team cohesion in any walk of life. He examines the physical & verbal cues that bring people together. He determines specific strategies that build trust & encourage collaboration. He also offers cautionary tales of toxic cultures & advises how to reform them. Combining on-the-ground insight, practical ideas for action & science; The Culture Code is an exploration of how the best groups operate. Demonstrating the extraordinary achievements that result when we know how to cooperate effectively, The Culture Code changes the ways we think & work together.
This product was recommended by James Anderson from Veritas Buyers
The A.R.E model of leadership is used in this book to simplify leadership into three categories. The most important message of this book is that leaders are formed by their actions. We will thrive as leaders if we follow these behaviors. This book is simple to read, comprehend, and apply in your daily life! This is a biased book because it focuses on the three core characteristics that all leaders must possess.
I would recommend The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller. It teaches you the importance of focus and how to become an expert at one thing. This will help you become a clear and concise leader and win people over with your ideas. This book has helped me lead my team with clarity. I now know exactly how to delegate tasks to my team and how to filter the information that I receive from them. In addition, I realize that I should focus on doing just one thing at a time (a lesson all of us could benefit from).
In this book, Viktor Frankl describes his stay in Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp, during the Holocaust. Despite all of the pain and suffering, Frankl was able to maintain perspective and come to the conclusion that there must be significance in suffering. He serves as a reminder that we must choose the purpose of our lives based on our actions.
This product was recommended by Buck Martinez from Student ACES
7 Steps to Success provides a clear and insightful roadmap for those who are continually working to define their purpose in a world full of obstacles in the journey we call life. Complete with real life lessons, valuable insight from recognized leaders and just the right amount of inspirational messaging, this publication is fitting for all generations, but has been found to really resonate and having the biggest impact with today’s youth.
This product was recommended by Buck Martinez from Student ACES
Your Winning Formula challenges you to become a transformational leader capable of developing a powerful and impactful vision that will influence others to follow you. Our country is desperate for young leaders capable of wearing the armor that protects against merciless and hateful attacks against our fundamental principles such as hard work, respect for others and self, earning trust, and sacrificing for others and country. You will learn the critical tools necessary to develop your brand, the positive values and qualities that you will unleash on the world, and you will do it with a loud voice that many will hear and welcome. Be confident, poised, and strong as you begin your quest to be a transformational leader, and always remember, Stand Up and Be Yourself. Don’t let others intimidate, threaten or harass you into accepting their baseless and false narratives. You can be the transformational leader that influences others to carry your message in a proud and bold manner. Without your leadership, we will continue slipping behind as a country. You, and America, were made for greatness. Be the one that makes it happen; don’t wait for someone else to lead. You can be a difference maker.
This product was recommended by Buck Martinez from Student ACES
From television, internet, and social media, today’s students are being bombarded with many and confusing messages. Without the proper foundation, our students can be influenced to make the wrong decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives. This book is intended to provide a foundation to our young men and women. With candid discussion and illustrations, our young men and women will have the opportunity to understand and apply valuable lessons that will serve as a foundation for life.
This product was recommended by Becca Klein from BeccaKlein
Dare To Lead is an excellent leadership book for new leaders because it provides a comprehensive overview of the skills and traits that effective leaders need to possess. The book also offers practical advice on how to develop these qualities, and how to put them into practice in real-world situations. Additionally, one of the things that makes Dare To Lead so valuable is that it is based on Brown’s extensive research on leadership.
This product was recommended by Kshitij Nigam from Cheef Botanicals
The best advice comes from the most successful people. Former Nike CMO, Greg Hoffman, shares the same position as me and has led the brand to commercial success. If you’re just starting to maneuver your way into leadership positions, the book is also helpful in inciting motivation to help you continue pursuing greener pastures. His narrative of innovative leadership and creative problem-solving skills are important to note by any aspiring leader in business development.
One of the best books to read for new leaders is the 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen R. Covey. It’s a classic personal development book that was first published in 1989 but is still highly relevant today. The book covers seven rather unexpected character traits that will help you to become a better leader. Not just a leader for your company, first and foremost, it will teach you how to be the leader of your own life. Because you can only lead others if you know how to lead yourself. The approach Covey takes is a rather unique one and as you learn more and more about how to change your attitude to life, you will ultimately learn how to change your life and your company in the direction you desire.
This product was recommended by Andrew Tsionas from Kaizenzo
Start With Why is a book by Simon Sinek, who believes leaders need to understand their purpose – the ‘why’ of their organisation. He believes if leaders can communicate this message, they will attract motivated people. Simon believes that if an organisation’s ‘why’ is communicated effectively, it will have the ability to inspire people and transform an organisation. This book changed the way I thought about leadership. It has a lot of thought-provoking ideas and it helps you understand how to inspire others.
This product was recommended by Paige Arnof-Fenn from Mavens & Moguls
As the subhead states, he shows why some teams pull together and others don’t. It is a compelling book to show how great leaders from the military, government, business and on Wall Street build trust and inspire cooperation across their people versus using incentives to motivate their teams. He is a terrific writer and there are lots of great lessons and ideas in here!
One of the most difficult aspects of being a leader is the fact that many of our basic impulses are incorrect. Some of the most common beginner errors are being a control freak, thinking the worst, and presuming that everyone shares our viewpoints. Thankfully, Dale Carnegie is here to assist.
The best Leadership Book For New Leaders is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This book is a classic leadership book that has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. The book is written by Stephen R. Covey and it was first published in 1989. The book is based on Covey’s principle of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The book has been translated into 38 languages and it has been a bestseller in many countries.
This product was recommended by Kate Zhang from Kate Backdrop
Once a leader, always a leader. And, if you’re a new leader, there are certain leadership books you should read to set yourself up for success. One of the most important aspects of being a leader is continuing to learn and grow. The best leaders always look for ways to improve their skills and knowledge. My one recommendation of the book that any new leader should read is Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss. This book is about empowering those around you to be their best selves. It’s a great read for new leaders who want to create a culture of empowerment within their organizations. One great thing about this book is that it doesn’t just focus on leaders at the top. It also includes insights and tips for those who are looking to empower others in their own lives.
One of my favorites is The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. This book is a great resource for new leaders because it provides a framework for setting goals, motivating others, and building teams. It also includes exercises and tools for measuring progress. The author’s presentation of the material makes it easy to understand and apply to real-world situations. Also, I love that they provide specific examples of leadership in action throughout the book.
This product was recommended by Stacy Lewis from Eternity Modern
This book teaches aspiring leaders how to practice self-awareness, self-love, and self-compassion and inspires readers to embrace their talents and gifts and share them with others.
This product was recommended by Stacy Lewis from Eternity Modern
Immunity to Change teaches aspiring leaders how to deal with the ever-evolving business world. This book teaches leaders how to understand their goals, their benefits, and the habits that prevent leaders from achieving them.
If you’re a new leader, it’s important to arm yourself with the best tools and resources available. There are a lot of leadership books out there, but which ones are really worth reading? Here is a title that I highly recommend: The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer is a great book for anyone who wants to learn how to focus their energy and attention on what they really want to achieve. It’s full of inspiring stories and tips for putting intention into action.
This product was recommended by Georgi Todorov from Thrive My Way
I recommend How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers by David M Rubenstein. This bestselling book is the essential guide for new leaders, featuring interviews with some of the world’s highest-performing leaders. Rubenstein delves into who they are and how they became successful and distills these fascinating conversations into an essential leadership guidebook. You will gain advice and wisdom from leaders in all realms, including Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who all offer up candid revelations about what makes them successful.
This product was recommended by Simon Bacher from Ling App
New leaders must learn modern, agile leadership skills. Traditional leadership skills aren’t effective in the digital age. As more people become highly digital-savvy with unlimited online sources of information, they need agile leaders who can react proactively, flexibly, quickly, and aggressively. I find this book very motivating for new leaders. Because of the rapidly changing people management landscape, I agree with the author that new leaders must be scalable, open, and sensitive to everyone’s needs, whatever the circumstances and challenges they may face.
This product was recommended by John Li from Fig Loans
Developing leaders need to read this book on leadership to boost their confidence through the journey. Young shares that there isn’t a single best path to leadership but that our unique backgrounds, which may make us feel less-than in a room full of Harvard grads, bring unique individual strengths to the role. You can use these principles to develop a leadership philosophy that allows for elite performance while maintaining your personal values.
In turbulent times, King David united a nation—and his hard-earned wisdom can bring us together today. This new 30 Days With book offers a month of readings plus ideas for small-group discussion. David ranks among the world’s greatest heroes for defeating Goliath and best-selling authors for writing Psalms. He is honored by Jews, Christians and Muslims. In this book, pastor, educator and leadership coach Larry Buxton shows us how David embodies 14 crucial values shared by effective leaders to this day. Just as the first volume in this series invites readers to spend 30 Days With Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest unifying figures in American history, Buxton’s book is a call for all of us to remember values that unite us. Buxton dedicates “this book to everyone who believes that the character of any leader is of critical importance to our nation, our institutions, our congregations and our homes; and to all those who seek to let God shape their character as more virtuous human beings, that their influence may spread to heal our world.” Answering that call in the opening pages are two nationally known political leaders—one a Democrat and one a Republican, who came together in these pages to urge all of us to read these 30 short stories drawn from David’s often tragically learned lessons about life. In his Foreword, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine writes: “From the blockbuster arc of David’s life, Larry Buxton assembles 30 short chapters on key leadership traits—patience, vision, humility, integrity, openness, tenderness, forgiveness, courage, gratitude, self-control, surrender, perseverance, calmness, justice. Buxton helps us see how David either exhibited these values or catastrophically failed to achieve them. The chapters are probing and conversational—with references from the worlds of literature, sports, politics and entertainment to illustrate how to apply these lessons to our everyday challenges.” In his Preface, Andrew H. Card, who served in Washington D.C. during two Bush administrations, writes: “No matter what your faith or tradition of worship—and, no matter your role in business, management, philanthropy, sports, politics, government or family—you will find the adventures in these 30 daily readings extremely relevant and highly motivating. We need to meet David again through Larry Buxton’s wise retelling of these stories—so that we all can lift up the best values in leadership in our institutions, our nation and our world.”