I co-host a podcast called 5 Leadership Questions with Todd Adkins. Todd is the director of Leadership at LifeWay Christian Resources and my boss. On a recent episode we spoke with Eric Geiger, the VP of Lifeway’s Resources Division – and therefore Todd’s boss – about good reading habits and practices for leaders and the best leadership books. Todd and Eric are like machine guns when it comes to rattling off leadership resources of all kinds, and the episode referenced over thirty books in all – all of which are worth grabbing. You should really listen.
At the end, though, we went around and listed our favorite leadership books in specific categories. If you’re a leader looking to grow or your library needs bolstering this list is phenomenal.
Favorite Overall
Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
Leading Change
Leading Change Step-by-Step by Jody Spiro
Leading Change by John P. Kotter
Transitions by William Bridges
Switch by Chip & Dan Heath
Communication
The Seven Laws of the Learner by Bruce Wilkinson
Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
On Writing by Stephen King
Communicating for A Change by Andy Stanley
Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley
The Soul of a Leader
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman
Rescuing Ambition by Dave Harvey
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
Work of the Heart by Reggie McNeal
Leading a Team
Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard
5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Churchill by Paul Johnson
Michael Jordan by Roland Lazenby