Welcome to our Change for Leaders Reading List
Welcome to a handpicked selection of books that explore the theme of change specifically geared towards leaders. From timeless classics to modern insights, these reads offer practical guidance and inspiration for navigating the evolving landscape of leadership. Whether you're steering a company or shaping your personal path, these books provide valuable perspectives on leveraging change for growth and lasting impact. Join us on this journey through the essential literature for leaders in a dynamic world.
Culture
Books on culture delve into the rich tapestry of human societies, traditions, and beliefs, offering insights into how culture influences our lives and interactions with the world. Ideal for all of us to work successfully in complex international companies with the inevitable cultural complexities (thriving in which is a particular passion of mine).
‘Organizational Culture and Leadership’ by Edgar Schein click here the all-time classic on organisational culture
‘The Culture Map: Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done Across Cultures’ by Erin Meyer click here
‘The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups’ by Daniel Coyle click here
‘What lies beneath: how organisations really work’, by Ajit Menon and Trevor Gough, click here. Part culture, part organisational psychodynamics. If you work corporate (I did for 30 years) you will love this.
Leadership
In 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There,' Marshall Goldsmith, a leading executive coach, delves into the habits holding back success. Offering practical insights, Goldsmith guides readers to overcome these barriers, emphasizing self-awareness and intentional change as key drivers for personal and professional growth click here.
‘The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations’, James M. Kouzes, Barry S. Posner, click here
‘Leadership: Theory and Practice’ By Peter G. Northouse’. The classic text full of the key leadership theories and models as well as exercises to explore your unique style Click here
‘Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader’, by Herminia Ibarra, click here
‘Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done’, by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan, click here
In 'Good to Great: why some companies make the leap … and others don’t,' Jim Collins unveils the secrets behind the transformation of good companies into great ones. Through rigorous research and insightful case studies, the book distills timeless principles of visionary leadership and disciplined strategies that moves organizations to enduring greatness click here.
‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition’, by Stephen R. Covey, Jim Collins, click here. Is this the book that began the self-improvement movement, perhaps, but it is still massively relevant today.
‘Change (the) Management: Why We as Leaders Must Change for the Change to Last’, by Al Comeaux, dives into the critical concept that successful organizational change begins with personal transformation within leadership. Comeaux explores the imperative for leaders to adapt and evolve alongside the changes they seek to implement, highlighting how personal growth and change management are inherently intertwined click here
‘Built To Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies’, By James Collins, Jerry Porras and Jim Collins click here
‘How to be a Productivity Ninja: UPDATED EDITION Worry Less, Achieve More and Love What You Do’, by Graham Alcott, click here
‘Never Split The Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depends On It’, By Chris Voss, Tahl Raz click here. Chris was the former chief negotiator for the FBI hostage negotiation team. Since life has so many negotiations within it- a must read.
‘Outliers: The Story of Success’, by Malcolm Gladwell, click here , ever heard the expression - progress is not possible without deviation from the norm? If that resonates with you, you will enjoy this book.
‘Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter’ by Liz Wiseman, click here
Top Books on High Performing Teams
Books about high-performing teams provide valuable insights and strategies for individuals and organisations striving to achieve excellence in their collaborative efforts. These books explore the dynamics of successful teams, effective leadership, communication, and the cultivation of a culture that fosters innovation and productivity.
‘The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth’ by Amy C. Edmondson Click here
‘The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation’, by Timothy R. Clark, click here
‘Coaching the Team at Work 2: The definitive guide to Team Coaching’, by David Clutterbuck, click here
‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, 20th Anniversary Edition’ by Patrick Lencioni Click here
‘Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy’, by Amy C. Edmondson, click here
Coaching, Habits, Behaviour
‘The Coaching Buyers' Handbook: A practical guide for HR managers, coach commissioners and coachees to get the best from coaching’, by Jonathan Passmore and Sam Isaacson. Anything written by Jonathan Passmore on coaching and coaching psychology is well worth a read (often writing for professional coaches and coach psychologists). This particular book is helpful for coaching buyers etc. on how to get the most out of coaching. Click here
‘Coaching for Performance: The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership FULLY REVISED 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION’, by Sir John Whitmore, click here. The all-time classic introduction to coaching and the GROW model. The best point to start a coaching development journey.
‘The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever’ by Michael Bungay Steiner. If our are looking to grow your coaching muscles as a leader this is a top read!!! click here
‘Listening Well: The Art of Empathic Understanding’ by William R. Miller, click here, an excellent book on listening well and empathic understanding, a skill that everyone can develop further and farther. Are you listening to understand or listing just enough to respond back? This could be for you!
‘Mindset - Updated Edition: Changing The Way You think To Fulfil Your Potential’ by Carol S. Dweck click here
In 'The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change The Way You Lead Forever' Michael Bungay Stanier challenges traditional coaching approaches, exposing the pitfalls of excessive advice-giving. Through practical insights and humor, the book advocates for fostering a culture of curiosity to enhance leadership and coaching conversations, click here.
Angela Duckworth's 'Grit: why passion and resilience are the secrets to success' is a powerful examination of the role of passion and perseverance in achieving success.’ Backed by research and compelling stories, Duckworth advocates for the significance of grit, emphasizing its impact on surpassing talent and overcoming challenges for long-term achievement, click here.
‘Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth’, by Richard Boyatzis, Melvin Smith and Ellen Van Oosten. The authors provide valuable insights and practical strategies for facilitating positive personal and professional change in others through compassionate and effective coaching practices. click here
‘Atomic Habits’, by James Clear, click here a transformative book that delves into the science of habit formation and offers practical strategies for making small, sustainable changes that lead to significant personal and professional growth.
‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life’, by Mark Manson, click here a thought-provoking and unconventional self-help book that challenges conventional wisdom about happiness and success. Mark Manson's irreverent style offers a refreshing perspective on living a meaningful life by focusing on what truly matters and letting go of the need for constant positivity and external validation.
‘Thinking, Fast and Slow,’ by Daniel Kahneman, a groundbreaking book written by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. In this highly acclaimed work, Kahneman explores the dual systems of thinking that drive our decision-making processes, shedding light on the intricate interplay between our intuitive, fast-thinking system and our deliberate, slow-thinking system. click here
‘Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement’, by Daniel Kahnemen, Olivier Sibony and Cass R. Sonstein, Building on their expertise in decision-making and behavioral economics, the authors explore the concept of "noise," which refers to random variability in judgments and decisions. The book offers a comprehensive examination of how noise can impact various fields, from law and medicine to business and public policy, and provides insights on how to reduce it for more accurate and consistent decision-making. click here
‘An Introduction to Coaching Skills: A Practical Guide’, by Christian van Nieuwerburgh click here A great foundational, practical book on coaching for those starting out and wishing to develop their skills.
‘Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead’, by renowned author and vulnerability researcher Brené Brown, explores the power of vulnerability and courage, encouraging readers to embrace their imperfections and step into the arena of life with authenticity. Through personal stories and research findings, Brown inspires individuals to dare greatly by confronting their fears and shame, ultimately leading to a more wholehearted and fulfilling life. Click here
Career Change
Books on career change serve as valuable guides for individuals looking to navigate transitions in their professional lives. These insightful works offer practical advice, strategies, and inspiration for making successful career shifts, whether it's pursuing a new passion, transitioning to a different industry, or exploring entrepreneurial ventures. An area I regularly work with coachees in a personal way.
‘Working Identity, Updated Edition, With a New Preface: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career’, by Herminia Ibarra, click here
‘First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels: Proven Strategies for Getting up to Speed faster and smarter’, by Michael D. Watkins, click here
‘What Color Is Your Parachute? 2023: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success’, by Richard N. Bolles, click here . A classic full of many exercises!
‘Pivot: The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life’, by Adam Markel, click here
‘Changing Gear: Creating the Life You Want After a Full On Career’ by Jon Stokes, click here
‘You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself’, by Harry Beckwith and Christine K. Clifford, a classic book on branding yourself click here
Innovation
After working in technical leadership in one of the worlds most innovative companies I believe no ‘top books on change’ guide should be without a section on and an understanding of innovation. After all, the worlds, and your, most interesting challenges are unlikely to be solved without a modicum of doing things differently. Whether its your own personal strategy or your business read on….
‘The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth (Creating and Sustainability Successful Growth)’, by Clayton M. Christensen and Michael E. Raynor click here
‘The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change), by Clayton M. Christensen click here
‘Crossing The Chasm With Category Science: 7 Ways To Use Historical Data To Spot Future Exponential Growth’, by Category Pirates, Christopher Lockhead and Eddie Yoon click here
‘The Lean Startup: The Million Copy Bestseller Driving Entrepreneurs to Success’, by Eric Ries click here
‘Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant’, by W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborne click here
‘Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice’, by Clayton M. Chrsitensen, Karen Dillon, Taddy Hall and David S. Duncan click here
‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’, Peter F. Drucker click here
‘Ten Types of Innovation: The Discipline of Building Breakthroughs’, by Larry Keeley, Helen Walters, Ryan Pikkel and Brian Quinn click here
‘Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality’, by Scott Belsky click here
‘Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works’, by A.G. Lafley, Roger L. Martin, click here
Conflict and Change Books
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Third Edition , by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Paterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, and Emily Gregory click here
Crucial Confrontations: Tools for talking about broken promises, violated expectations, and bad behavior, by Kerry Paterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, click here
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most, by Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, Sheila Heen and Roger Fisher click here
Wellbeing Books
‘Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World’, Professor Mark Williams and Dr Danny Penman, click here. An excellent book that explains the science behind mindfulness as well as providing a 12 week program .
‘The Ikigai Journey: A Practical Guide to Finding Happiness and Purpose the Japanese Way’, Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, click here
‘Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience’, By Brene Brown, click here, the excellent Brene Brown, always well worth a read!
‘Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams’, by Matthew Walker, click here
‘The Happiness Project, Tenth Anniversary Edition: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun’, by Gretchin Rubin click here
‘The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest’ by Dan Buettner, click here
Philippa Perry Gets Her Own Category…
Philippa Perry is a highly respected British psychologist, author, and public speaker. With a warm and engaging approach, she has become a prominent figure in the world of psychology, offering valuable insights and guidance on relationships, emotional well-being, and personal development….
‘The Book You Want Everyone You Love* To Read *(and maybe a few you don’t)’ by Philippa Perry click here
‘The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read: (And Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did)’, by Philippa Perry click here
What author would you give their own category in your book list?
PS As a helpful bonus, see my page on favourite change presentations and videos
