The Five Leadership Books A Leader Should Have On Their Bookshelf/Audible List
People often ask me what leadership books I recommend.
I've read hundreds over the years (my annual goal is 2 per month, reading & listening). Some were inspiring for a weekend. Others changed the way I think, coach, parent, and lead.
When I looked at the five books I recommend most often, I realized something. They're not just my favorite leadership books. Together, they describe the leadership journey I believe every leader should take.
Purpose → Clarity → Relationships → Empowerment → The Power of Peers.
Here's why.
1. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Everything begins with purpose.
Before deciding what to do, leaders need to understand why they're doing it. Purpose gives people something to believe in. It creates direction when decisions become difficult and uncertainty creeps in.
One of the principles I often share with leaders is that purpose creates clarity. Clarity creates alignment. Alignment creates accountability.
Whether I'm coaching an executive, facilitating a leadership team, or designing a Peer-to-Peer learning experience, I always start with purpose. Without it, everything else feels like another initiative.
2. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Once you know your purpose, the next challenge is protecting it.
Today's leaders are surrounded by constant noise. Meetings. Emails. New initiatives. Endless priorities.
Essentialism reminds us that leadership isn't about doing more. It's about having the discipline to focus on what matters most.
The leaders I admire aren't the busiest people in the room. They're the ones who create clarity for themselves and for everyone around them.
3. The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute
Once purpose and clarity are in place, leadership becomes about relationships.
This book has influenced both my coaching and my personal life more than almost any other.
It reminds us that every relationship begins with how we choose to see another person. Especially during conflict.
When something isn't working, our first instinct is often to change the other person.
This book challenges us to start somewhere much harder.
Ourselves.
I've seen over and over again that when leaders shift how they see people, conversations change. Trust grows. Collaboration becomes possible.
4. Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet
One of my favorite leadership stories comes from former U.S. Navy Captain David Marquet.
Instead of creating followers who waited for instructions, he created leaders who took ownership.
That idea fundamentally changed how I think about leadership.
Too often, leaders become the bottleneck because everyone waits for them to solve the problem.
The best leaders don't create dependence.
They create more leaders.
This philosophy continues to shape the way I coach executives and design leadership experiences. My goal isn't to help leaders become better problem solvers. It's to help them build teams full of problem solvers.
5. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Many people think this is a book about money.
For me, it's a book about people.
Specifically, the Mastermind principle.
The idea that we grow faster when we intentionally surround ourselves with people who challenge us, support us, and expand our thinking.
Years ago, this book inspired me to start my own Mastermind group. Since then, I've always tried to be part of communities where leaders learn with and from one another.
That experience eventually became one of the foundations of ADVAgo.
Today, we design Peer-to-Peer learning experiences because I believe one of the greatest resources inside any organization is already there.
Its people.
When leaders stop believing they have to carry every answer themselves and begin learning alongside their peers, something remarkable happens.
Peers become multipliers.
One Final Thought
Looking back, I realized these books aren't just books I recommend.
They've become the framework that shapes how I lead and how I work with organizations.
Start with purpose.
Create clarity.
Build relationships.
Empower others.
Grow through peers.
Leadership isn't about having all the answers.
It's about creating the conditions where people can discover the answers together.
I'd love to hear from you.
Which leadership book has had the greatest impact on your journey?
