Books About Leadership

Looking to round out a syllabus for a government or business class? Need inspiration and advice on how to lead with integrity, empathy, and bravery? Read on to discover analyses and discussion topics on titles focusing on leadership, self-help, and management.

Leadership

by Henry Kissinger

Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nation, Politics & Government, War

Tags Philosophy, Biography, Politics & Government, Leadership, World History, Business & Economics, Philosophy

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Lead from the Outside

by Stacey Abrams

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Race, Gender Identity, Justice

Tags Politics & Government, Leadership, Self-Improvement, Gender & Feminism, Social Justice, Business & Economics, Biography

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Lean In

by Sheryl Sandberg, Nell Scovell

Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Economics

Tags Business & Economics

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (2013) is a nonfiction book written by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Drawing on both research and her own experiences, Sandberg describes how and why gender inequality continues to operate in the modern workforce, and offers advice for women seeking to balance a career and family. Ultimately, Sandberg argues that full equality will only come about when women "lean in," pushing past their own fears and misgivings to... Read Lean In Summary

Legacy

by James Kerr

Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Teamwork, Community, Wins & Losses

Tags Leadership, Sports, Business & Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Biography

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Lincoln in the Bardo

by George Saunders

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, Community, Forgiveness, Memory, Guilt, War, Fathers, Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, American Civil War, Religion & Spirituality, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History

The novel Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, published by Random House in 2017, offers a portrait of an American legend in mourning, surrounded by a poignant but funny cast of 166 characters. It is Saunders’s debut novel, though he has been a notable author of short story collections for decades. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was a New York Times best seller.Set in 1862, Lincoln in the Bardo is... Read Lincoln in the Bardo Summary

Lore

by Alexandra Bracken

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Gender Identity, Teamwork

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, American Literature, Romance

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Make Your Bed

by William H. Mcraven

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Teamwork, Masculinity

Tags Self-Improvement, Inspirational, Psychology, Leadership, Military & War, Business & Economics, Psychology, Biography

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World is a work of self-help psychology by Admiral William H. McRaven. The book is a continuation and expansion of a commencement speech McRaven delivered at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014, which went viral on the internet. Formerly a high-ranking officer of the US Navy and Commander of US Special Operations Command, McRaven relates his experiences in Navy SEAL training to... Read Make Your Bed Summary

Mastery

by Robert Greene

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Self Discovery, Perseverance

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Business & Economics, Philosophy, Leadership, World History, Psychology, Philosophy

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Mindset

by Carol S. Dweck

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Self Discovery, Perseverance

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Education, Education, Leadership, Business & Economics, Parenting, Psychology

In 2006, psychologist Carol S. Dweck, PhD, the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, released the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, as a layperson’s guide to her decades of academic research. Initially interested in areas of motivation, personality, and development, the author gravitated toward research in cognitive motivation theory. She eventually discovered that the concepts of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets explain what motivates some people to embrace challenges and... Read Mindset Summary

Never Finished

by David Goggins

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Perseverance, Shame & Pride

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Inspirational, Sports, Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Biography

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Never Split the Difference

by Chris Voss

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Power & Greed, Teamwork, Language

Tags Business & Economics, Self-Improvement, Leadership, Psychology, Psychology

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It is a 2016 nonfiction book cowritten by Chris Voss, an international hostage negotiator turned business consultant and professor, and journalist Tahl Raz. In this book, which straddles the line between the business and self-help genres, Voss shares principles gleaned from decades of experience in high-stakes negotiations. Citations in this guide correspond with the first edition published by Harper Collins. Although Raz is credited... Read Never Split the Difference Summary