It’s never too late to learn leadership skills.
2021 has been a year of growth and reflection. It's also been a year full of reading! The following are five of my favorite ones that have stood the test of time and will continue to be useful well into the future:
- "Leadership and Self-Deception" by Arbinger Institute. This book helps leaders recognize when they're being manipulated by their own self-deceptions so they can take corrective action before it's too late. It is especially relevant for leaders who think they've reached their full potential and there's nothing more left to learn or do (aka complacency). - "The Leadership Moment" by John Kotter. This book helps leaders recognize the signs that point to an opportunity for leadership, which others don't see or haven't yet noticed. Leaders who are equipped with this knowledge will be able to lead at just the right time, not too soon and not too late.
- "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni. This book shows how to build in-team trust and strength by removing what hinders progress. Leaders who attend to the root causes of dysfunction within their teams will be able to bring about tangible, lasting change that leads to greatness.
- "Good Strategy Bad Strategy" by Richard Rumelt. This book helps leaders define what good strategy is and isn't, so they can craft a strategy that meets their goals rather than striving for strategies that have no real connection to the future needs of an organization.
- "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth. This book helps leaders cultivate the mindset of a champion, from its emotional roots to the mental and physical habits that it cultivates. Leaders who learn how to develop grit will have an almost unshakable sense of purpose in their endeavors.
- "Leading Change" by John Kotter. This book shows us where change really resides: with the people affected by it. Leaders must tap the power and leadership ability of everyone to lead a successful transformation, and this begins with the leader setting an example through their own actions.
In today's world of frenetic change, it seems that everything is up for grabs. Businesses are full-on sprinting to keep pace with the changing needs and wants of their customers. And leaders? Leaders have always been tasked with navigating uncertainty, but now they're expected to do so while also maintaining a sense of purpose in their work. That's why these leadership books will continue to be useful well into the future--they identify what good leadership looks like and how organizations can cultivate an environment where people want to lead themselves forward together towards success.
Hopefully these five will be as helpful and valuable to you as they have been to me.
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