Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

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Mar 31 2012

15 Best Books for Leaders

“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” (Abraham Lincoln)
As a basketball coach, I have a tremendous opportunity to lead and influence people every day.  Certainly leadership involves a great many things, however, I have found that constantly learning and re-learning methods, strategies, and insights gives me a better chance to lead in a positive manner.  Reading books is one of the key resources that I utilize in trying to sharpen my leadership skills.  Every once in awhile, I’ll even read a book again because it was so good.  Below are some of the books that I’d recommend highly for anyone seeking to be a better leader.

These are not necessarily coaching books, but a variety of books that hit upon a number of key leadership areas. With summer fast approaching, maybe go to your local library or go online and get a copy of any of these books that you haven’t read.  You won’t be disappointed with the valuable insights in these books.
 
1. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” (Dale Carnegie) 
2. “Good to Great”  (Jim Collins) 
3. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”  (Stephen Covey)    
4. “Leadership Is An Art”  (Max De Pree)
5. “Leadership”   (Rudolph Giuliani)
6. “The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell”  (Oren Harari) 
7. “War Room: The Legacy of Bill Belichick & the Art of Building the Perfect Team” (Michael Holley)
8.  “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”   (Doris Kearns Goodwin)
9.  “Leading with the Heart”   (Mike Krzyzewski) 
10. “Reach for the Summit”   (Sally Jenkins)
11. “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty”   (Harvey Mackay) 
12. “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”  (John Maxwell)
13. “Joe Torre’s Ground Rules for Winners”  (Joe Torre)
14. “The Paradox of Power”  (Pat Williams)
15. “It’s Called WORK For A Reason”   (Larry Winget)
16. “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”  (Patrick Lencioni)
17. “The 4 Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich”  (Timothy Ferris)
18. “The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy”  (Jon Gordon)
19. “LEAD…for God’s Sake! A Parable for Finding the Heart of Leadership”  (Todd Gongwer)
20. “Soup: A Recipe to Create a Culture of Greatness”  (Jon Gordon)
 
 
Jamy Bechler is a professional speaker and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. He the author of The Leadership Playbook and The Bus Trip, a modern-day sports leadership fable. Bechler also hosts the Success is a Choice Podcast. He spent 20 years as an administrator and college basketball coach. To connect with him or find out how he can help your team, please contact speaking@JamyBechler.com or follow him on twitter at @CoachBechler. You can also subscribe to leadership insights by clicking here.

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Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Personal Growth · Tagged: Abe Lincoln, Bill Belichick, Books, Coach K, Coaches, Colin Powell, Good Leader, Harvey Mackay, John Maxwell, Larry Winget, Leadership, Pat Summitt, Pat Williams, Resources, Self-Improvement, Stephen Covey

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