“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)
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)
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)
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)
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)