Top Five Books For Your Must Read List
Last Friday I published a long list of books that I referenced in a recent presentation. A reader asked if I might narrow the list.
Here are my top five recommendations from that list of 23 resources I listed last week. The following books changed me.
#1. Mindset, Carol Dweck. – “What did you learn?”
Carol taught me that our response to failure is more important than the failure itself.
#2. Focus, Heidi Grant. Insights into promoters and protectors.
Read this book to understand people who promote ideas collide with people with a protector’s orientation. It will help you understand tensions between people on your team.
#3. Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman. “Nothing is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it.”
If you only read one book this summer, read this one. It’s not always an easy read. But it’s an essential read for all decision-makers.
You can feel highly confident and be completely wrong.
#4. Start with Why, Simon Sinek. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
#5. Scaling Up Excellence, Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao. – “What if I’m wrong?”
I like Bob Sutton’s approach. Chapter 7: Bad is Stronger than Good – Clearing the Way for Excellence, is worth buying, “Scaling Up Excellence.”
Please note that I can’t give you an all-time top five list of leadership books. The above list names the top five books I referenced in a recent presentation.
Books suggested by others:
The Best Leadership Books To Read [2019] from CMOE
24 Leadership Books To Read Before You Die from CEO.com
Best Leadership Books of All Time from Inc
Mindset by Dr, Carol Dweck changed me as a person, made me a better parent and allowed me to lead in a different (better) way. As I type this at my desk at work, I have two books on my shelf, Mindset and Start with Why. I will be purchasing the other three very soon. Thanks for the suggestions.
I think you left a great one off of your list…QBQ by John Miller!
Mindset by Dr, Carol Dweck is a book that made me a better person, a better parent and a better, more understanding leader. Most of my books are at home, but I have two in my shelf at work, Mindset and Start with Why. Both are a must read. I will be purchasing the other three very soon.
Dan, I love your emails and the content you share. Many times I only have few moments to glance at an email, but I know your emails will be bite size, content rich and motivational. Rock On, Dude. I will mention Good to Great – Jim Collins because a mentor of mine recommended it, it was my genre of reading, I didn’t want to read it and resisted reading it. I read it. I loved it!!! I’m referring back to it years later as I’m starting my new business and attempting to get it off the ground.
I enjoy comparing reading lists with other’s. It generally amazes me how often we value similar titles. Your list is short, but I have read 20% of it already.
Thanks for sharing Dan, we’ll follow through on those.
Thanks Richard and happy anniversary to you and your wife.
Thanks Dan!
Thanks for sharing. I’ve read “who’s moved my cheese?” earlier this year as something light-hearted I had received from a coworker. But even thought it was a short read, I learned a lot and reinforced what I should be doing in a dynamic work environment. Really enjoyed the symbolism.
Nothing by Robert Greenleaf? Is Servant Leadership now passe’?
I don’t think servant leadership is passe’. These were just key references from a recent presentation.
John Maxwell has several podcasts that discuss all of the mentors he has never met because he read their books and gained knowledge and insight. Thank you for reinforcing this!!!