By Amber Van Schooneveld
At the Global Leadership Network, we are obsessed with leadership. Each year, we have the tremendous privilege of hosting the world’s top leadership thinkers at the Global Leadership Summit. And year round, we soak up the latest insights, trends and research on leadership, while always returning to the seminal works that first sparked our leadership journey. So, we asked our staff: What are the best leadership books you’ve ever read? And here’s what they had to say.
Of course, any list of this type is subjective — but these are the books that made a fundamental difference for the leaders at the Global Leadership Network. We hope this list helps you discover your next leadership epiphany!
“How to Win Friends and Influence People” By Dale Carnegie
Published nearly a century ago in 1936, the truths contained in Carnegie’s book are simple but timeless. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” helps you learn how to make people like you, how to win people to your way of thinking and how to change people without arousing resentment. Critics have said the book teaches people how to be manipulative, but it heralds wisdom such as: be sincere, listen well, respect others’ ideas and make others feel important — and those are things we can get behind.
We think this is one of the greatest leadership books of all time because it created the modern framework of winsome and sincere leadership.
“This book gave me life lessons that taught me to always put people first.” — Krista Budzisz, Global Leadership Network, Women Leaders Network North American Cohort Director
“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t” by Jim Collins
Originally published in 2001, “Good to Great” coined the term “Level 5 Leader.” For five years, Jim Collins studied organizations that made the leap from mediocre to great. What he found shocked him and his team: The leaders that transform their companies have a surprising combination of personal humility and dogged determination.
We think this is one of the top leadership books of all time because it champions both humble and hungry leadership.
“Jim’s book taught me that character and humility are the key to organizational health and growth.” — Dave Thornton, Global Leadership Network SVP of Church and Marketing Engagement
“Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts” By Brené Brown
Brené Brown has spent decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. In writing “Dare to Lead,” she conducted new research with leaders, change makers and culture shifters. She writes about the four skill sets a leader must possess to lead courageously: rumbling with vulnerability, living into our values, braving trust and learning to rise.
We think this is one of the best leadership books of all time because it combines research with practical tools to help teams grow deeper together.
“Our team worked through ‘Dare to Lead together.’ It helped empower us to rumble with vulnerability, live into our values and trust more as a team.” — Lori Hermann, Global Leadership Network SVP of Content and Experiences
“Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High” by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, et al
Another oldie but a goodie, “Crucial Conversations” was originally published in 2002. It helps leaders move from being “nice” — while burying the issues they desperately need to address on their teams — to mastering challenging conversations, “when stakes are high, opinions vary and emotions run strong.”
We think this is one of the top leadership books of all time because healthy candor is indispensable in moving any team forward.
“This book equipped me to create a team culture in which we can learn from one another and challenge one another in healthy, productive ways.” — Amber Van Schooneveld, Global Leadership Network Senior Writer
“The Making of a Christian Leader: How to Develop Management and Human Relations Skills” by Ted W. Engstrom
Originally published in 1978, “The Making of a Christian Leader” by former World Vision CEO Ted W. Engstrom gives readers tested principles of management and human relations. While in some contexts, church and ministry leaders receive the message that all they need to lead well is spiritual depth, this book provides the practical leadership skills needed to lead well in any context.
We think this is one of the greatest leadership books of all time because it brings together marketplace and ministry wisdom, and that’s one of our goals at the Global Leadership Network.
“Ted W. Engstrom’s ‘The Making of a Christian Leader’ prompted me to reevaluate my leadership through the lens of spiritual principles, enabling me to lead from a place of accountability and humility.” — Francis Olubambi, GLS West & Central Africa Regional Director
“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable” by Patrick Lencioni
Distinct from other leadership books, Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is told in the form of a story of a CEO who finds that her new team is highly dysfunctional. Through this “fable,” Lencioni unravels the five behavioral tendencies that make teams struggle: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results.
We think this is one of the best leadership books of all time because of its deep wisdom into the nature of teams, along with step-by-step guidance on how to resolve issues in even the most challenging teams.
“I read 5 Dysfunctions early in my leadership journey and fell in love with the way Patrick writes. The leadership allegory pulled me in and gave me a picture of what a healthy team could look like — and that was the kind of team I wanted to lead.” — Lori Hermann, Global Leadership Network SVP of Content and Experiences
“See You at the Top” By Zig Ziglar
First published 50 years ago, “See You at the Top” by motivational speaker Zig Ziglar focuses on the character development of true leaders: honesty, loyalty, faith and integrity. Ziglar walks you through the “steps” to success, such as healthy relationships, the right attitude and goal setting.
We think “See You at the Top” is one of the best leadership books of all time because, although some of his advice is outdated, his focus on others-centric leadership is a counterpoint to aggressive, self-serving leadership.
“I learned that no matter the leadership context, putting people first and asking how I can serve others always gets us where we want to go!” — Krista Budzisz, Global Leadership Network, Women Leaders Network North American Cohort Director
“Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect” By Will Guidara
One of the newer books on our list, “Unreasonable Hospitality” was published in 2022, but we still think it deserves a place on the list of the best leadership books we’ve read. The story of Will Guidara’s quest to make Manhattan restaurant Eleven Madison Park the number one restaurant in the world, “Unreasonable Hospitality” goes well beyond principles of the hospitality industry into the leadership strategies that took his restaurant to number one.
We think this is one of the top leadership books of all time because it teaches leaders the importance of intention, excellence and care through his fun-to-read story.
“The smallest details matter. The minute, whimsical details that many overlook, are the exact details that will make someone feel valued. And when you can make someone feel valued, you create a connection that transcends the work itself. And that is something worth impacting, no matter your field.” — Whitney Putnam, Global Leadership Network VP of Marketing
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Are you looking for ways to keep growing in your leadership? One of the best ways to get refreshed, inspired and challenged is to attend the Global Leadership Summit. Held in South Barrington, IL, and in hundreds of host sites around the country, you’ll get fresh, actionable leadership insights from world-class experts.
Learn more about the Global Leadership Summit.
