You can become a better leader through books. Yes, courses of study are more available than ever, but most require large investments of time and/or money. Yes, mentors are priceless, but maybe you don’t currently have access to just the right one to help you with your audacious goals. Turn to books. That’s plural. For example, if you plan to advance your career by gaining more depth of knowledge on people management, search for books on that topic (there are multitudes) and select the first three that hook you.
Management can be very challenging, but you don’t have to rely only on trial-and-error learning—it’s smart to learn from others’ mistakes and to study their best tips. Fortunately, plenty of people have taken the time to write a book that can be of immense help to others. (I hope you will write one, too!)
Here are a few books that are recognized as excellent for managers who want to become better leaders:
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (Daniel Pink)
- Building Your Leadership Legacy: It’s All About Character (Robert C. Carroll)
- Extreme Ownership (Jocko Willink & Leif Babin)
- Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (Adam Grant)
- Nudge (Richard Thaler)
- People-Centered Leadership (David Kauffman)
- The Making of a Manager (Julia Zhuo)
- Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future (Ashlee Vance)
Notice which have the most appeal to you. As the “ancient saying” goes, “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
Just as reading will help you, writing will help you to expand your depth of knowledge and experience, and reach a larger audience that you have ever imagined.
Discover the smartest and easiest way to plan and write a best-selling book.
