The 8 Leadership Must-Read Books for 2021
Updated: Nov 10, 2021
Recently I have been exploring the must-read books you would recommend. And you really came through! Since I have already grabbed several of your top choices for myself, and found them exceptional, I can’t help sharing your favorites (and one of my own!) to life up those of us in need of some inspiration right now.
Most CEOs read 3-4 books a month. If you are like me, that’s because we are always looking for innovative ways to amplify our effectiveness, accelerate growth and not kill ourselves in the process. This is even truer for 2021 than in recent history. It will be a time to look within for our power and our greatness, reclaiming our vision and our drive at a time when the world needs a fresh breed of leader.
Here are the ones that can change your world in the next 6-8 weeks – see which ones you have read already and which might become your fresh inspiration:
Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen by Rita McGrath
Rita McGrath is a long-time member of the Columbia Business School faculty, she is recognized consistently as one of the top 10 management thinkers by Thinkers50 and is a highly sought-after speaker at corporate events such as the Yale CEO Summit, the Innosight CEO Summit and at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. She writes regularly for Fortune, is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and blogs regularly at HBR.org.
Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future by Dorie Clark
A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant and professional speaker who teaches at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is the author of other books, including Reinventing You and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine, one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes, and a Washington Post bestseller.
Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, And Why The Answers Matter more Than We Think by Tasha Eurich
This book is a must-have for leaders ready to break through to the next level of their success.
Dr. Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, researcher, New York Times bestselling author. Dr. Eurich has contributed to Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, and TED.com, and has been featured in outlets like Fortune, Forbes, The New York Times, Fast Company, and Business Insider.
Own Your Own Shift: The Passion, Power & Freedom to Be Unstoppable by Stacey Ruth
I couldn’t resist. My new book is available now. When you go to my book page and enter your Amazon receipt number, you can receive a free Find Your Purpose Workbook.
Even highly successful leaders have areas of their lives where they find themselves stuck without understanding why. This book takes you through the universal stages of difficult transformations, with powerful exercises to anchor each stage in your awareness and habits.
I am a certified leadership coach, marketing consultant, minister, and have been a successful entrepreneur for over three decades. I was named one of the Top 50 Entrepreneurs in Atlanta Under 50, twice awarded the Top 100 “It” Agencies by Experiential Marketer Magazine.
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brene Brown
Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston. She is also a visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. Brown has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy and is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and her latest book, Dare to Lead, which is the culmination of a seven-year study on courage and leadership.
The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks
Gay Hendricks has coached more than eight hundred executives, including the top management at firms such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, and KLM. Along with his wife, Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks, he has coauthored many books including Conscious Loving, The Corporate Mystic, and his latest, the New York Times bestseller Five Wishes, which has been translated into seventeen languages.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones By James Clear
Rising star, James Clear is an author and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning.
Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life by Jim Kwik
Jim Kwik is a world-renowned expert in memory improvement, brain optimization, and accelerated learning. After a childhood brain injury left him learning-challenged, Kwik created strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance.
Happy Holidays, and give yourself the priceless gift of personal growth this year. As “learning opportunities” go, 2020 has been a doozy. Make it count, and I’ll see you on the other side!