10 Insightful Books for Professionals Looking for Insights on Becoming Inspiring Leaders  

Developing leadership skills is key to becoming a great leader, and requires a commitment to learning and developing those skills as an aspiring leader, but also once you’ve become a leader. We’ve pulled together a list of new books and also some of our best-selling favorites.

Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts–Becoming the Person You Want to Be  
Published: May 19, 2015
By Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter
From the author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful, Marshall Goldsmith offers an insightful “how-to” book with a wealth of practical, actionable steps for leaders to be more effective. If you are good at setting goals but not very good at achieving them, then this is a good read for you. It gives valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to changing human behavior, allowing you to be a more effective leader: “When we dive all the way into adult behavioral change-with 100% focus and energy – we become an irresistible force rather than the proverbial immovable object. We begin to change our environment rather than be changed by it. The people around us sense this. We have become the trigger.”

Peoplework: How to run a people-first business in a digital-first world   
Published: Feb 12, 2014
By Austin Allison and Chris Smith
Written by two entrepreneurs, this book is a quick read that reviews 10 business principles:

1. P2P Replaces B2B and B2C – Services and goods are no longer sold from business-to-business or business-to-consumer, they are sold people-to-people.
2. Human Companies Win – People connect with humanity, be yourself and show that you care, and your business will be magnetic.
3. Change Needs a Blueprint – The best businesses embrace and drive a “change strategy” for massive growth.
4. Purpose Before Technology – Start every project or relationship by understanding the purpose, technologies should merely enable that purpose, not define it.
5. Quality Create Quantity – In Peoplework, lead generation focuses only on quality. Only quality, brings quantity and more importantly, loyal customers.
6. Service Marketing – Service isn’t overhead, it’s marketing. It also may be the only marketing that works in the People Revolution.
7. Businesses are Built on Communities – The greatest companies grow by creating an audience and culture of their own. It doesn’t happen by accident.
8. Passion Powers Profit – Investing in passion produces significant profits and exponential return over time.
9. Stars are Made in Hollywood – The best only surround themselves with the best. Your business is only as great as the people that comprise it; who you associate with defines who you are.
10. Only You Write Your Story – Never quit what you believe in. If you quit, you are finished. If you never quit, one of two things will happen: 1) you will succeed, or 2) you will learn and grow.

In a world where technology and social connection is a part of everything we do, the core principle is simple to be a good leader and lead a successful business: PUT PEOPLE FIRST.

People over Profit: Break the System, Live with Purpose, Be More Successful  
Published: May 5, 2015 | Unabridged
by Dale Partridge
In a world where money rules, Dale Partridge reiterates in this book the importance that “People Matter.” He discusses the seven core beliefs shared by consumers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders behind the rise over the past decade of building compassionate, socially responsible organizations, “good companies”, from start-up to corporate transformations. This book challenges readers to think differently on how they conduct business and also who they do business with.

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World  
Published: May 12, 2015
by General Stanley McChrystal and Tantum Collins
Team of Teams offers insights into the modern practice of leadership and management required to navigate and succeed in today’s ever-changing world with a collection of insightful ideas told through entertaining stories ranging from corporations to hospitals. The book focuses not on becoming a great leader, but on inspiring and building an entire workforce of great leaders. It takes the reader on a journey that outlines typical management practices, with a traditional focus on efficiency and scientific management, discusses the shortcomings of this type of thinking in today’s increasingly complex world, and provides principles for effective leadership derived from lessons learned in military practice.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable  
Published: Apr 11, 2002
by Patrick Lencioni
From the Author of two best-selling books – The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive – Patrick Lencioni offer in his last book of the trilogy an easy read filled with useful information and effectively conveying the core issues with dysfunctional teams:

1. Absence of Trust: stemming from an unwillingness in the team members to be vulnerable and genuinely open up with one another about their mistakes and weaknesses.
2. Fear of Conflict: inability to engage in unfiltered, passionate (yet constructive, though it may strike you as odd) debate.
3. Lack of Commitment: no buy in and commitment can be expected when ideas and opinions have not been aired and genuinely taken into consideration prior to a decision.
4. Avoidance of Accountability: without commitment to a clearly defined set of goals, team members will hesitate to call their colleagues on their actions and behaviors that are counterproductive for the team.
5. Inattention to Results: Avoidance of accountability leads to a state where team members tend to put their individual needs above the team’s collective goals.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition  
Published: Dec 26, 2006
by Robert B. Cialdini
In this classic book on persuasion, Cialdini argues that influence isn’t an art, but science. He explains the psychology of why people say “yes” with six principles of ethical persuasion: reciprocity, scarcity, liking, authority, social proof, and commitment/consistency. He shares with the readers how to use these principles to become a skilled persuader—and how to defend yourself against them. A well-written, intelligent, and entertaining read.

The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Updated and Expanded  
Published: May 14, 2013
by Michael D. Watkins
Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success. The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins offers a detailed, actionable breakout of the strategies to use during the first 30, 60 and 90 days for conquering the challenges of transitions—no matter where you are in your career.  The First 90 days is a must-read for any new mangers or anyone starting a new role.

Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow  
Published: Jan 6, 2009
by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie
Before reading this book, it is important that you (and your team) first take the online Strengthsfinder assessment that comes with this book, to identify your Top 5 Strengths from a total of 34 (See also Now Discover Your Strengths). Once you’ve identified your Top 5 Strengths and the Top 5 Strength of your team members, this book helps leaders and individuals understand how to be more effective leaders based on those strengths. In this book, Tom Rath and Barry Conchie use firsthand accounts from highly successful leaders — including the founder of Teach For America and the president of The Ritz-Carlton — to show how each person’s unique strengths can drive their success.

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t  
Published: Jan 7, 2014
by Simon Sinek
In researching why some teams succeed and others don’t, a Marine Corps general he explains, “Officers eat last,” meaning great leaders sacrifice their own comfort—even their own survival—for the good of those in their care. Sinek illustrates with a wide range of examples, how the best organizations foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a Circle of Safety, which leads to stable, adaptive, and confident teams.

Career Growth 

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2015: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers  
Published: Aug 12, 2014
by Richard N. Bolles
One of is the world’s most popular job-hunting guide with more than ten million copies sold and widely recognized as the top guide to finding a job, this book offers practical and useful advice for getting through periods of unemployment, finding a career counselor, discovering personal skills, interviewing, negotiating a salary and benefits, and so many other things. The new 2015 edition includes up-to-date research and tips about writing impressive resumes and cover letters, doing effective networking and confident interviewing, and negotiating the best salary possible.