The best 74 Teamwork books

1
Trust

Trust

Dr. Henry Cloud
Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken
4.5 (23 ratings)

What's Trust about?

Trust (2023) is a sensitive and practical guide to this essential part of human relationships. It reveals the deep significance of trust as a factor in our lives and outlines the five essential elements for building and maintaining it.

Who should read Trust?

  • Leaders who wish to create trust within organizations
  • Those looking to establish deeper personal and familial relationships
  • People who want to rebuild trust after it has been broken

2
Who Not How

Who Not How

Dan Sullivan with Benjamin Hardy
The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
4.5 (481 ratings)

What's Who Not How about?

Who Not How (2020) introduces a new way of thinking about entrepreneurship, goal setting, and collaboration. Developed by business coach Dan Sullivan, the Who Not How mindset shows the importance of delegating tasks to others. By inviting them to help you achieve your goals, you’ll gain more free time, increase your income, and develop valuable, lasting professional relationships.

Who should read Who Not How?

  • Aspiring entrepreneurs looking to realize a business idea
  • Burned-out professionals with a desire for more free time
  • Perfectionists on the hunt for procrastination cures

3
Robert's Rules of Order

Robert's Rules of Order

Henry M. Robert III
Using Parliamentary Procedure for More Efficient Meetings

What's Robert's Rules of Order about?

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (2020) is the 12th and only current authorized edition of the widely accepted standard reference for parliamentary procedure, replacing all previous editions that date to 1876. It outlines principles and guidelines that establish equal rights among members of deliberative and decision-making groups to improve the fairness and efficiency of meetings.

Who should read Robert's Rules of Order?

  • Anyone looking to lead better meetings
  • People who serve organizations that use Robert’s Rules of Order
  • People with an interest in procedures used by governing bodies

4
The Leader In You

The Leader In You

Dale Carnegie
How to Win Friends, Influence People & Succeed in a Changing World
4.8 (395 ratings)

What's The Leader In You about?

The Leader in You (1993) reveals how tapping into your enthusiasm and creativity can help you connect more effectively and work more productively. Drawing on insights from leaders across a wide range of fields, this practical guide includes strategies to hone your leadership strengths, boost your self-confidence, and achieve your personal and professional goals.

Who should read The Leader In You?

  • Managers or employees striving to become effective leaders
  • People craving better relationships with friends and colleagues
  • Perennial worriers who want to reenergize their outlook on life

5
Rising Strong

Rising Strong

Brené Brown
Everybody falls, but the key is knowing how to get up again
4.4 (386 ratings)

What's Rising Strong about?

Rising Strong (2015) is your guide to picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after a failure – and to becoming stronger, braver and kinder because of it. Whether you dream of being an entrepreneur or maintaining a loving relationship, these blinks supply you with the three vital steps to dealing with any struggle.

Who should read Rising Strong?

  • Entrepreneurs struggling with a fear of failure
  • Team leaders looking for new ways to improve communication
  • Individuals seeking guidance in dealing with disappointment, resentment and guilt

6
Leaders Eat Last

Leaders Eat Last

Simon Sinek
Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t
4.3 (582 ratings)

What's Leaders Eat Last about?

Leaders Eat Last explores the influence that neurochemicals have on the way people feel and consequently act, and examines the discrepancies between how our bodies were designed to function and how they function today. Ultimately, we need true leaders to direct us back on the right path.

Who should read Leaders Eat Last?

  • Any leader, CEO or manager of a business or organization
  • Anyone interested in how biological evolution affects our behavior today
  • Anyone interested in leadership techniques

7
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Patrick M. Lencioni
A Leadership Fable
4.6 (611 ratings)

What's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team about?

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (2002) presents the notion that teams are inherently dysfunctional, so deliberate steps must be taken to facilitate great teamwork. A knowledgeable team leader can do a great deal to make his or her team effective, and the book outlines practical tools for achieving this.

Who should read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team?

  • Anyone interested in the prerequisites of great teamwork
  • Anyone interested in the kind of leadership and management that facilitates great teamwork
  • Anyone interested in the interpersonal dynamics of the workplace

8
Multipliers

Multipliers

Liz Wiseman
How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
4.7 (187 ratings)

What's Multipliers about?

Multipliers (2010) examines the difference between good leaders, known as Multipliers, who can join any team and make it flourish, and bad leaders, known as Diminishers, who can drain any team of its energy and drive. Author Liz Wiseman explains how to recognize the different types of Multipliers and Diminishers, while comparing the skills you should strive to develop with the ones you should avoid at all cost.

Who should read Multipliers?

  • Leaders and managers looking to get the best from their team
  • Workers concerned about their managers’ leadership practices
  • Anyone looking to understand the dynamics of leadership

9
The Enneagram at Work

The Enneagram at Work

Jim McPartlin with Anna Akbari
Unlocking the Power of Type to Lead and Succeed
4.4 (380 ratings)

What's The Enneagram at Work about?

The Enneagram at Work (2021) reveals how applying the Enneagram – an emotional intelligence metric – can elevate leadership in the modern workplace. It explores the different Enneagram types and shows how tapping into self-awareness can make teams stronger and spark innovative solutions. From managing conflict and building mentorships to giving and receiving criticism, it provides the tools to foster personal growth and long-lasting success in the office.

Who should read The Enneagram at Work?

  • Would-be collaborators who want to better understand themselves and others
  • Individuals seeking awareness of their strengths and blindspots in the workplace
  • Go-getters who want to build stronger teams and become more effective leaders

10
Handbook of Strategic 360 Feedback

Handbook of Strategic 360 Feedback

Allan H. Church
Useful Tools and Strategies to Optimize Performance Management
3.6 (117 ratings)

What's Handbook of Strategic 360 Feedback about?

The Handbook of Strategic 360 Feedback is a guide to the pros and cons of 360 Feedback, including detailed guidance on how to implement the process as well as how to avoid pitfalls such as unconscious bias or people who try to game the system. 

Who should read Handbook of Strategic 360 Feedback?

  • Company leaders
  • HR managers
  • Team leaders

11
Humor, Seriously

Humor, Seriously

Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas
Why Humor Is a Superpower at Work and in Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.)
4.1 (388 ratings)

What's Humor, Seriously about?

Humor, Seriously (2021) explores the value of a human-centered approach to business, and of the funny that can be found and created in any environment. It relies on science, psychology, and humorous anecdotes from experts in the field to show how using humor can create a culture of levity, build trust, and unlock creativity.

Who should read Humor, Seriously?

  • Leaders looking to build trust
  • Managers who want to enhance creativity
  • Anyone seeking more joy in work and life

12
The Culture Code

The Culture Code

Daniel Coyle
The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
4.4 (251 ratings)

What's The Culture Code about?

Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code (2018) digs into the findings of psychologists, organizational behavior theorists and his own firsthand knowledge of the contemporary business world to provide answers. What makes a group tick? Why do some teams outperform other seemingly evenly matched competitors? As well-researched as it is practical, this study of group dynamics is packed full of illuminating ideas and considered, hands-on advice about getting the best performance out of groups.

Who should read The Culture Code?

  • Managers and executives looking to hone their leadership skills
  • Employees of large organizations curious about the group dynamics around them
  • Members of sports teams interested in boosting their on-field performance

13
Simple Truths of Leadership

Simple Truths of Leadership

Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley
52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust
4.7 (289 ratings)

What's Simple Truths of Leadership about?

Simple Truths of Leadership (2022) explores simple principles that elevate leaders from good to great. It reveals the common mistakes that leaders make – and uncovers the behaviors that result in better team performance and closer working relationships. 

Who should read Simple Truths of Leadership?

  • New managers eager to build strong relationships with their teams
  • Seasoned leaders looking for a fresh perspective
  • Entrepreneurs hoping to brush up on their people skills

14
The Fearless Organization

The Fearless Organization

Amy C. Edmondson
Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth
4.6 (323 ratings)

What's The Fearless Organization about?

The Fearless Organization (2018) delves into psychological safety and how the workplace can become an environment in which everyone feels confident enough to pitch in and do their best. These blinks explain why people hold back on sharing their ideas at work, how this harms businesses, and how leaders can encourage a culture of openness, questioning, and experimentation that leads to learning and innovation. 

Who should read The Fearless Organization?

  • Forward-thinking leaders who want to encourage innovation and learning
  • Human resources managers looking to get the most out of their talent
  • Team players interested in creating a supportive workplace

15
The Ideal Team Player

The Ideal Team Player

Patrick Lencioni
How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues. A Leadership Fable
4.5 (157 ratings)

What's The Ideal Team Player about?

The Ideal Team Player (2016) explores the role teamwork plays in today’s business environment and shows you how to build a team geared for success. These blinks explain what makes a good team player, how to find them and which strategies you’ll need to build a company around the concept of teamwork.

Who should read The Ideal Team Player?

  • Human resources specialists and business leaders
  • Professionals curious about their capacity teamwork
  • Employees struggling with team relations at work

16
Collaborative Intelligence

Collaborative Intelligence

Dawna Markova
Thinking with People Who Think Differently
4.4 (100 ratings)

What's Collaborative Intelligence about?

Collaborative Intelligence (2015) is a guide to developing your own personal form of intelligence by utilizing your unique ways of thinking. These blinks will teach you how to identify and build on your strengths as well as those of others, while adjusting your communication accordingly.

Who should read Collaborative Intelligence?

  • Anyone working in a team
  • Every manager, leader and executive
  • Anybody who has ever been frustrated by a boring meeting

17
Six Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats

Edward de Bono
A revolutionary approach to get the most out of working in a group
4.5 (172 ratings)

What's Six Thinking Hats about?

Six Thinking Hats offers you valuable tools for group discussions and individual decision making. The book shows ways to compartmentalize different ways of thinking to help you and your group use your brains in a more detailed, cohesive and effective way.

Who should read Six Thinking Hats?

  • Anyone in a position of leadership
  • Anyone responsible for facilitating effective communication
  • Anyone who wants to make better decisions and improve their thinking

18
The Eight Essential People Skills for Project Management

The Eight Essential People Skills for Project Management

Zachary Wong
Solving the Most Common People Problems for Team Leaders
4.4 (130 ratings)

What's The Eight Essential People Skills for Project Management about?

The Eight Essential People Skills for Project Management (2018) is a hands-on guide designed to help team leaders diagnose and solve people problems in today’s increasingly horizontal workplaces. The fruit of years of first-hand experience, Zachary Wong’s playbook for effective leadership is packed full of actionable advice on how to boost motivation, confront underperformers and push through fear of failure.

Who should read The Eight Essential People Skills for Project Management?

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Leaders and managers
  • Anyone fascinated by workplace psychology

19
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

Timothy R. Clark
Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation
4.3 (246 ratings)

What's The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety about?

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety (2020) is a practical handbook for creating and maintaining psychological safety in the workplace. In order for employees to take risks, ask questions, challenge the status quo, and make mistakes – all while learning and growing – they have to feel included and safe. This book shows how leaders can reduce social friction while encouraging collaboration and innovation.

Who should read The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety?

  • Managers and CEOs trying to boost employee well-being and productivity
  • Leaders tired of dusty corporate hierarchies
  • Anyone interested in practical approaches to workplace inclusion

20
Lead Like a Coach

Lead Like a Coach

Karen Morley
How to Get the Most Out of Any Team
4.4 (192 ratings)

What's Lead Like a Coach about?

Lead Like a Coach (2018) is a how-to guide to the coaching model of leadership. Packed with advice and insight, these blinks are the perfect companion for any leader looking to up their game. Making a clear case for the benefits of coaching over older managerial styles, they explain why coaching is so relevant today and why many organizations are opting to switch to this model.

Who should read Lead Like a Coach?

  • Leaders who care about the people they lead
  • Executives who want to improve company work culture
  • People who want to develop more personal and supportive relationships

21
The Advantage

The Advantage

Patrick M. Lencioni
Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
4.6 (135 ratings)

What's The Advantage about?

These blinks outline the key principles for building a healthy organization where all the employees pull together in the same direction following the same objectives. This enables organizations to achieve their full potential, while unhealthy competitors waste resources in internal squabbles.

Who should read The Advantage?

  • Leadership team members in any type of organization
  • Anyone working in human resources
  • Consultants in the fields of leadership, organizational learning and team building

22
The Introverted Leader

The Introverted Leader

Jennifer Kahnweiler
Building on your Quiet Strength
3.8 (145 ratings)

What's The Introverted Leader about?

Kahnweiler explores the specific challenges introverts face in an extroverted business world. She then sets out to show how introverted executives can push their limits, employ their characteristic strengths and still become great leaders.

Who should read The Introverted Leader?

  • Anyone who is introverted and interested in leadership
  • Anyone who is extroverted and wants to better understand their introverted colleagues
  • Anyone coaching or mentoring prospective leaders

23
No Bullsh*t Leadership

No Bullsh*t Leadership

Christ Hirst
Why the World Needs More Everyday Leaders and Why That Leader Is You
4.3 (200 ratings)

What's No Bullsh*t Leadership about?

No Bullsh*t Leadership (2019) dispels the myths we often hear about what makes a great leader. Whether you’re managing a company, school or sports team, the principles behind effective leadership aren’t rocket science. Nor do they require impressive titles or expensive suits. In this timely volume, experienced leader Chris Hirst explains how any of us can learn the philosophy behind great leadership if we put our minds to it.

Who should read No Bullsh*t Leadership?

  • Aspiring leaders looking to up their game
  • Experienced managers in need of refreshing ideas
  • Anyone interested in the science – or lack thereof – behind leadership

24
The Fifth Discipline

The Fifth Discipline

Peter M. Senge
The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
4.5 (160 ratings)

What's The Fifth Discipline about?

The Fifth Discipline (1990) is a comprehensive guide to creating learning organizations – workplaces that nurture innovation and personal growth. The author argues that, in our rapidly changing world, companies can only succeed if they change the way in which they deal with problems. In his view, a reactive approach, based on constantly putting out fires, no longer works. Instead, businesses need to adopt what he calls a systems thinking method. This method is proactive, and its purpose is to identify underlying patterns and generate innovative solutions. But this approach only works if you have motivated staff who share the company’s vision. 

Who should read The Fifth Discipline?

  • Entrepreneurs who want to uncover blind spots in their thinking
  • Disgruntled employees seeking satisfaction in their work
  • Team members who want to learn to speak their minds

25
The Effective Executive

The Effective Executive

Peter F. Drucker
The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
4.2 (178 ratings)

What's The Effective Executive about?

In The Effective Executive, author Peter Drucker offers a step-by-step guide to becoming a more productive and effective executive. By mastering a few procedures and principles, you can develop your own capacities as a leader and also support your employees’ strengths, with the goal of improving results across your organization.

Who should read The Effective Executive?

  • Anyone interested in becoming a more effective manager
  • Anyone who wants to improve their performance both personally and at work
  • Anyone wondering how to create a more cooperative working environment

26
The Power of a Positive Team

The Power of a Positive Team

Jon Gordon
Proven Principles and Practices that Make Great Teams Great
4.3 (95 ratings)

What's The Power of a Positive Team about?

The Power of a Positive Team (2018) shares proven principles that help good teams become great. Using real-life examples from the author’s many years of work in business consulting, the blinks explain how you can improve your team’s communication and commitment while dispelling negativity.

Who should read The Power of a Positive Team?

  • Anyone wanting to build a better team
  • Leaders looking to brush up on their management skills
  • Business owners wanting to improve their company’s culture

27
Team of Teams

Team of Teams

General Stanley McChrystal with Tantum Collins
New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
4.4 (151 ratings)

What's Team of Teams about?

Team of Teams (2015) lays out the many ways that even large organizations can benefit from the agility and savvy of small teams. By building a team of teams, companies can better manage the complex, interconnected issues that often mean life or death for a company.

Who should read Team of Teams?

  • Anyone in charge of organizing groups of people
  • Ambitious entrepreneurs
  • Anyone interested in working in a team

28
Leading Without Authority

Leading Without Authority

Keith Ferrazzi with Noel Weyrich
How the New Power of Co-Elevation Can Break Down Silos, Transform Teams, and Reinvent Collaboration
4.3 (173 ratings)

What's Leading Without Authority about?

Leading without Authority (2020) explores how non-managerial employees can drive change and influence their coworkers. These blinks outline simple techniques for making a big impact in the workplace, regardless of your official title.

Who should read Leading Without Authority?

  • Employees looking for their next promotion
  • Managers seeking fresh insights 
  • Executive coaches wanting a new perspective

29
Getting Along

Getting Along

Amy Gallo
How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)
3.3 (196 ratings)

What's Getting Along about?

Getting Along (2022) describes the importance of workplace interactions and their effects on productivity and creativity.

Who should read Getting Along?

  • Managers who want to create positive work environments
  • People unhappy with their colleagues
  • Anyone interested in workplace relationships

30
Leading from Anywhere

Leading from Anywhere

David Burkus
Unlock the Power and Performance of Remote Teams
4.4 (165 ratings)

What's Leading from Anywhere about?

Leading from Anywhere (2021) is a guide to leading a remote team, covering everything from building a company culture, managing performance, and running virtual meetings to providing feedback to team members. In addition to setting out the best way to manage a team remotely, it makes a strong case for remote work in general. 

Who should read Leading from Anywhere?

  • CEOs and team leaders
  • Remote workers in dysfunctional organizations
  • Anyone interested in setting up a remote business

31
Serve Up, Coach Down

Serve Up, Coach Down

Nathan Jamail
Mastering the Middle and Both Sides of Leadership
4.3 (131 ratings)

What's Serve Up, Coach Down about?

Serve Up, Coach Down (2018) is a corporate leadership guide for middle managers. It empowers workers to “master the middle” by sharing the strategies they need to effectively manage both their team and their boss.

Who should read Serve Up, Coach Down?

  • Middle managers hungry to hone their leadership skills
  • Team leaders who want to inspire their staff to do great work
  • Employees aiming to get the most out of their professional relationships

32
Everyone Deserves a Great Manager

Everyone Deserves a Great Manager

Scott Jeffrey Miller
The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team
4.5 (254 ratings)

What's Everyone Deserves a Great Manager about?

Everyone Deserves a Great Manager (2019) provides business leaders with six crucial practices that will transform team members into high performers. Offering practical solutions, it fills in the gap many new managers encounter when they’re promoted without receiving any leadership training. 

Who should read Everyone Deserves a Great Manager?

  • Newly promoted managers who have no idea what they’re doing
  • Fledgling managers wanting better outcomes
  • Senior managers looking to update their skills

33
The Scrum Fieldbook

The Scrum Fieldbook

J.J. Sutherland
A Master Class on Accelerating Performance, Getting Results, and Defining the Future
4.5 (118 ratings)

What's The Scrum Fieldbook about?

The Scrum Fieldbook (2019) is a practical, hands-on guide to the scrum organizational framework within the Agile mindset. This concise manual recaps how scrum works to increase work velocity and to ensure any team delivers the right impact for the business. It also explains how to implement Scrum in any organization across all industries from software to home renovation and even to the military.

Who should read The Scrum Fieldbook?

  • Small companies looking for big results
  • Managers aiming to streamline their team
  • Anyone interested in cutting-edge organizational techniques

34
The Leadership Challenge

The Leadership Challenge

James Kouzes and Barry Posner
How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations
4.3 (85 ratings)

What's The Leadership Challenge about?

In The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner explain how anyone can become a better leader. Citing various examples from their 25 years of experience and extensive research, the authors present their theories on what makes a successful leader, and give practical advice on how to learn good leadership behavior.

Who should read The Leadership Challenge?

  • Anyone in a management position
  • Anyone leading a team of any size
  • Anyone interested in becoming a better leader

35
The Elements of Scrum

The Elements of Scrum

Chris Sims and Hillary Louise Johnson
A guide to every aspect of Scrum
4.0 (100 ratings)

What's The Elements of Scrum about?

The Elements of Scrum (2011) explains how outmoded software development processes are holding companies back in an ever-changing market. Today’s successful teams need to be agile and flexible; and the best companies do this by adopting a methodology called scrum. This book gives you everything you need to know to start a scrum-based process in your own organization.

Who should read The Elements of Scrum?

  • Project managers
  • Software developers and designers
  • Anyone interested in agile organizational processes

36
Boost!

Boost!

Michael Bar-Eli
How the Psychology of Sports Can Enhance your Performance in Management and Work
4.2 (48 ratings)

What's Boost! about?

In his book Boost! (2017), author Michael Bar-Eli uses decades of experience with world-class athletes, and the many hard-won lessons he’s learned along the way, to explain the dynamic power of sports psychology. The author not only shows how athletes can use psychology to their advantage, but how this element can be used to improve the performance of any team player, whether on the court or in the office.

Who should read Boost!?

  • Leaders and aspiring leaders
  • Readers interested in how psychology can improve performance
  • Athletes and former athletes

37
How to Be a Positive Leader

How to Be a Positive Leader

Jane E. Dutton & Gretchen M. Spreitzer
Small Actions, Big Impact
4.2 (93 ratings)

What's How to Be a Positive Leader about?

How to Be a Positive Leader examines cutting-edge research from the field of positive organizational behavior, in which companies aim to foster both a positive attitude to work and high performance among employees. The research is complemented with vivid examples from real organizations.

Who should read How to Be a Positive Leader?

  • Anyone interested in the concept of happiness at work
  • Leaders who want to build thriving, successful organizations
  • Employees who want to be happier and more productive

38
Teams That Work

Teams That Work

Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas
The Seven Drivers of Team Effectiveness
4.5 (92 ratings)

What's Teams That Work about?

Teams That Work (2020) presents the seven drivers that make any team effective. Packed with the latest research and real-world examples, this practical guide draws on the many years of experience of coauthors Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas in helping teams succeed.

Who should read Teams That Work?

  • Managers or leaders who want to boost team performance
  • Anyone who wants to be a better team player
  • Teamwork skeptics who’ve tried it all

39
High-Impact Tools for Teams

High-Impact Tools for Teams

Stefano Mastrogiacomo and Alexander Osterwalder
5 Tools to Align Team Members, Build Trust, and Get Results Fast
4.1 (162 ratings)

What's High-Impact Tools for Teams about?

High Impact Tools for Teams (2021) offers flexible tools for project planning, assessment, and creating an empowering environment for your team members. At the center is the Team Alignment Map, a simple chart that will transform the way you conduct meetings, track progress, and identify problems before they occur.

Who should read High-Impact Tools for Teams?

  • Leaders and project managers looking for better results
  • Anyone trying to get an ambitious project off the ground
  • Team members who long for a better work environment

40
Making Ideas Happen

Making Ideas Happen

Scott Belsky
Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality
4.3 (84 ratings)

What's Making Ideas Happen about?

Making Ideas Happen deals with the obstacles that lie between your ideas and their implementation. It offers insight into the ways in which successful individuals and creative departments overcome these obstacles, by offering real-life examples from some of the world’s leading brands and creative minds.

Who should read Making Ideas Happen?

  • Anyone working in the creative industry
  • Anyone who runs a start-up
  • Anyone who has had awesome ideas that never became a reality

41
Team Genius

Team Genius

Rich Karlgaard and Michael S. Malone
The New Science of High-Performing Organizations
3.8 (44 ratings)

What's Team Genius about?

Team Genius (2015) is a comprehensive guide to teamwork in business. These blinks explore the different forms of teamwork and how you can optimize your teams to keep them productive, motivated and innovative.

Who should read Team Genius?

  • Group leaders
  • Team builders and team players
  • Anyone interested in what makes a team work

42
Staring Down the Wolf

Staring Down the Wolf

Mark Divine
7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams
4.4 (287 ratings)

What's Staring Down the Wolf about?

Staring Down the Wolf (2020) is a leadership guide to forging great teams in the face of adversity. Drawing upon the teachings of the Navy SEALs, one of the world’s most elite military units, it shows what it takes to command an elite team.

Who should read Staring Down the Wolf?

  • Leaders seeking to align and strengthen their teams
  • Military aficionados
  • Anyone who needs inspiration to push past their plateau

43
Rapid Growth, Done Right

Rapid Growth, Done Right

Val Wright
Lead, Influence and Innovate for Success
4.1 (53 ratings)

What's Rapid Growth, Done Right about?

Rapid Growth, Done Right (2020) sets out a blueprint for leading an organization focused on growth. It explains how a symbiotic relationship among creative, technical, and business minds is a prerequisite for success. To achieve this success as a leader, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with each of these different areas, communicate fluently, and inspire innovation. 

Who should read Rapid Growth, Done Right?

  • Leaders looking to kick-start a growth revolution
  • Struggling companies in need of fresh ideas
  • Those interested in improving their influence within their company

44
Doing the Right Things Right

Doing the Right Things Right

Laura Stack
How the Effective Executive Spends Time
4.2 (69 ratings)

What's Doing the Right Things Right about?

Doing the Right Things Right (2015) cuts to the core of successful leadership. It teaches you how to manage a team and how to work with others to achieve profitable and productive results. Get ready to feel confident and lead your team to success.

Who should read Doing the Right Things Right?

  • Executives who want to boost their leadership skills
  • Leaders on the lookout for new time-management strategies
  • Anyone who wants to improve their productivity

45
Spark

Spark

Angie Morgan
How to Lead Yourself and Others to Greater Success
4.5 (55 ratings)

What's Spark about?

Spark (2017) is a how-to guide on transforming yourself into the most valuable asset in your organization. It shows how anyone, from administrative assistants to executive officers, can inspire others to greatness and ignite the spark that will take their team to amazing heights.

Who should read Spark?

  • People who want to take their career one step further
  • Managers who want to boost their team performances
  • Readers interested in the skills that make great leaders

46
Twelve and a Half

Twelve and a Half

Gary Vaynerchuk
Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success
4.3 (291 ratings)

What's Twelve and a Half about?

Twelve and a Half (2021) is a frank, straight-talking guide to the twelve emotional skills that will bring you success in business and in life. Combining anecdotes from the author’s experience as well as typical business scenarios, it shows how, in the grand scheme of things, “soft” skills can actually be more important than the oft-prioritized “hard” skills. With a strong foundation in emotional intelligence, executives, founders, and entrepreneurs can navigate even the most difficult of situations with poise and confidence.

Who should read Twelve and a Half?

  • Aspiring entrepreneurs, founders, and executives
  • Employees dissatisfied with their jobs, employers, or lines of work
  • Anyone seeking a quick and dirty guide to emotional intelligence

47
Power

Power

Jeffrey Pfeffer
Why Some People Have It And Others Don’t
4.2 (86 ratings)

What's Power about?

Power (2010) is a realpolitik guide to leading a successful career. It offers unusual insights and advice you wouldn’t normally find in other career literature, with tips and techniques you can start using now to achieve long-term success.

Who should read Power?

  • Anyone who is launching a career
  • Anyone who wants to get promoted
  • Anyone who works in politics

48
Winning

Winning

Jack Welch with Suzy Welch
How to successfully run a company, manage people and build a career
4.5 (67 ratings)

What's Winning about?

Winning (2005) is a collection of no-nonsense advice and original thinking on successfully running a company, managing people and building a career. It answers the toughest questions people face both in and outside their professional lives.

Who should read Winning?

  • CEOs, managers, team leaders, anyone in a leadership position
  • Anyone tired of fluffy, complicated management theories
  • Anyone in need of solid career advice, whether just starting out or switching jobs

49
Humble Inquiry

Humble Inquiry

Edgar H. Schein
The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling
4.2 (63 ratings)

What's Humble Inquiry about?

Humble Inquiry (2013) sets out the basic principles of the art of asking the right questions in the right way. It examines how your approach to inquiry affects your relationships at the office, your ability to get quality work completed and, ultimately, your success as a leader.

Who should read Humble Inquiry?

  • Anyone who wants to improve how they communicate at work
  • Anyone who wants to be a great leader
  • Anyone who wants to learn how to ask the right questions

50
I Don't Agree

I Don't Agree

Michael Brown
Why we can’t stop fighting – and how to get great stuff done despite our differences
4.0 (220 ratings)

What's I Don't Agree about?

I Don’t Agree (2020) is a practical guide to improving your conflict resolution skills. Disagreement is seen as bad, and even scary. But, actually, conflict can be a powerful engine for growth if you know how to deal with it effectively. I Don’t Agree provides ten practical strategies that will help you become an expert in dealing with conflict in all areas of your life.

Who should read I Don't Agree?

  • Employees seeking to improve their collaborations
  • Anyone wanting to resolve a bitter argument
  • Parents who want to learn how to teach conflict resolution skills to their kids

51
Meltdown

Meltdown

Chris Clearfield & András Tilcsik
Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It
4.4 (72 ratings)

What's Meltdown about?

Meltdown (2018) unpacks the weaknesses shared by local and global systems. With diverse and astonishing examples, it provides empowering solutions to avoid failure. The Financial Times named it one of their best books of 2018, and the book’s message is ultimately hopeful – that the answers are easily within reach if we look for them. 

Who should read Meltdown?

  • Curious individuals seeking a new perspective on how the world works
  • Leaders and staff who want to build stronger teams and better handle or prevent crises
  • Whistleblowers, dissenters and diversity champions

52
Meetings Suck

Meetings Suck

Cameron Herold
Turning One of The Most Loathed Elements of Business into One of the Most Valuable
3.6 (48 ratings)

What's Meetings Suck about?

Meetings Suck (2016) is a guide that’ll help your company save time and money by eliminating the common pitfalls of boring, unproductive meetings. Meetings needn’t be dreary and dreadful; they can be a true delight. After all, meetings are where ideas are born, information is shared and people gain the skills they need to become tomorrow’s inspiring leaders.

Who should read Meetings Suck?

  • Entrepreneurs trying to improve their business
  • Managers and CEOs
  • Anyone in charge of organizing meetings

53
Conscious Business

Conscious Business

Fred Kofman
How to Build Value Through Values
4.3 (56 ratings)

What's Conscious Business about?

Conscious Business (2006) pushes beyond conventional measures of success to show you how to create a dynamic organization based on core human values. You’ll learn why companies that empower employees to align their work with the values they hold dear are the companies that succeed in today’s marketplace.

Who should read Conscious Business?

  • People looking to make work more fulfilling
  • CEOs and managers wanting to create space for values in their organizations
  • Entrepreneurs who value more enlightened measures of success

54
Beyond Measure

Beyond Measure

Margaret Heffernan
The Big Impact of Small Changes
4.5 (26 ratings)

What's Beyond Measure about?

Beyond Measure (2015) shows that transforming a struggling company into a thriving one is a simple matter of making small systemic changes that empower people to speak up, collaborate and share. Discover you can stop your company from being controlled by one overworked CEO and make it into an innovative powerhouse where ideas can flourish.

Who should read Beyond Measure?

  • Employees who want to be more assertive within their own company
  • Business leaders who want to empower their coworkers and foster creativity
  • Start-ups looking for some basic principles around which to build their company

55
Rituals Roadmap

Rituals Roadmap

Erica Keswin
The Human Way to Transform Everyday Routines Into Workplace Magic
4.3 (37 ratings)

What's Rituals Roadmap about?

Rituals Roadmap (2021) is a modern-thinking guide about how to create workplace rituals that increase employee engagement and strengthen team commitment. It’s an essential piece of wisdom for the human workplace.

Who should read Rituals Roadmap?

  • Managers looking to learn a more human touch
  • Team leaders seeking to instill team spirit
  • Those who want the magic of ritual to transform their work lives

56
Attitude Reflects Leadership

Attitude Reflects Leadership

Leo Hamblin
The difference between managing and leading and more
4.1 (43 ratings)

What's Attitude Reflects Leadership about?

Attitude Reflects Leadership (2015) exposes why the modern world of work is rife with bad bosses. These blinks illuminate the elements of leadership that drive top performance, from knowing the difference between managing and leading to fostering the right attitude in your team. You’ll learn that while exceptional leadership is rare, it is something you can learn.

Who should read Attitude Reflects Leadership ?

  • Managers working in leadership positions
  • Students of management programs or MBAs
  • Employees wondering why their boss is sub par

57
Move

Move

Patty Azzarello
How Decisive Leaders Execute Strategy Despite Obstacles, Setbacks, and Stalls
4.0 (24 ratings)

What's Move about?

Move (2017) provides an actionable framework for establishing long-term organizational change and introduces the MOVE model, which helps businesses overcome chronic issues ranging from employee skepticism and task prioritization to making restructuring an integral part of company culture.

Who should read Move?

  • Change agents
  • CEOs
  • Managers at all levels

58
Meetings That Get Results

Meetings That Get Results

Terrence Metz
A Facilitator's Guide to Building Better Meetings
4.2 (185 ratings)

What's Meetings That Get Results about?

Meetings That Get Results (2021) is a practical guide to the art of running more effective and efficient meetings. Designed for leaders tasked with facilitating meetings and group discussions, it emphasizes collaborative approaches to decision-making and problem-solving. 

Who should read Meetings That Get Results?

  • Leaders and organizers 
  • Tinkerers and optimizers 
  • Team players

59
The Wisdom of Crowds

The Wisdom of Crowds

James Surowiecki
Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few
4.5 (71 ratings)

What's The Wisdom of Crowds about?

The Wisdom of Crowds explores why, and under which circumstances, groups of people can come up with better solutions to problems than any one person – even if that person is an expert. By analyzing the way individuals and groups make decisions, the book gets to the bottom of the wisdom of crowds, and shows how this wisdom can be used to make reliable decisions.

Who should read The Wisdom of Crowds?

  • Anyone who wants to know why a group of people can be wiser than individual experts
  • Anyone who wants to know which circumstances make groups’ decisions even more effective
  • Anyone who wants to know why working in groups makes sense in many situations

60
A Team of Leaders

A Team of Leaders

Paul Gustavson and Stewart Liff
Empowering Every Member to Take Ownership, Demonstrate Initiative, and Deliver Results
3.5 (32 ratings)

What's A Team of Leaders about?

A Team of Leaders (2014) provides companies facing internal problems, such as lost productivity, high turnover and low employee commitment, with a powerful solution. These blinks outline practical methods and tools, including the five-stage team development model, to guide you toward an engaged and high-performance work environment.

Who should read A Team of Leaders?

  • People seeking to improve employee engagement in their company
  • Teams, clubs and other organizations looking to boost their performance
  • Anyone interested in workplace dynamics

61
The Evolved Executive

The Evolved Executive

Heather Hanson Wickman
The Future of Work Is Love in Action
4.5 (27 ratings)

What's The Evolved Executive about?

The Evolved Executive (2018) offers today’s business leaders a step-by-step guide on how to revolutionize their leadership and workforces for the modern era. Author Heather Hanson Wickman provides advice on how to move away from the bygone business beliefs and structures that strike fear in the hearts of employees, and adopt a more sensible, effective and loving approach. With these tips you can create a more productive and flexible workplace filled with empowered and motivated employees. 

Who should read The Evolved Executive?

  • Leaders looking to adapt to the modern business world
  • Professionals who want a better way of working
  • Executives eager to accelerate the evolution of their leadership

62
Creative Acts for Curious People

Creative Acts for Curious People

Sarah Stein Greenberg
How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways
4.4 (231 ratings)

What's Creative Acts for Curious People about?

Creative Acts for Curious People (2021) collects insights about creativity and design taught in the classrooms of Stanford’s renowned Hasso Plattner School of Design, also known as the d.school. In addition to essays about the mindset and skills required for creative action, it offers over 80 practical exercises used by instructors from dozens of fields including medicine, education, and nonprofit to help improve your ability to solve problems, whether personal or on a global scale.

Who should read Creative Acts for Curious People?

  • Anyone who wants to boost problem-solving skills
  • Leaders seeking to improve teamwork
  • Creative practitioners from any field

63
Wellbeing at Work

Wellbeing at Work

Jim Clifton and Jim Harter
How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams
4.3 (226 ratings)

What's Wellbeing at Work about?

Wellbeing at Work (2021) explores how the different spheres of our lives contribute to our overall sense of well-being. It also outlines how leaders can positively impact their employees’ well-being, and sheds light on the link between employee well-being and organizational success. 

Who should read Wellbeing at Work?

  • Stressed-out workers
  • Managers learning how to lead in a pandemic
  • Wellness enthusiasts looking for inspiration

64
The Cactus and Snowflake at Work

The Cactus and Snowflake at Work

Devora Zack
How the Logical and Sensitive Can Thrive Side by Side
4.5 (160 ratings)

What's The Cactus and Snowflake at Work about?

The Cactus and Snowflake at Work (2021) offers a brand-new take on workplace relationships. It suggests that everyone falls into one of two personality types, the Cactus or the Snowflake, and that our types drive the way we think, feel, act, and collaborate. Learning your type – and how to deal with other types – can set you up for professional success.

Who should read The Cactus and Snowflake at Work?

  • Anyone who’s curious to learn if they’re a Cactus or a Snowflake
  • Workers who want to gel better with their teammates
  • Managers struggling to inspire their teams

65
Peopleware

Peopleware

Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
Productive Projects and Teams
4.1 (37 ratings)

What's Peopleware about?

Peopleware provides an in-depth look at the common mistakes project managers make, and offers concrete insight on the ways to correct them. By following a few simple steps, you can transform your development team into the productivity powerhouse that they’re waiting to become.

Who should read Peopleware?

  • Anybody who is interested in management
  • Anybody who is passionate about software development
  • Anyone who wants to get the most out of their team at work

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Holacracy

Holacracy

Brian J. Robertson
The New Management System that Redefines Management
4.4 (37 ratings)

What's Holacracy about?

Holacracy (2015) describes a revolutionary new management system championed by some of today’s most forward-thinking companies, like Zappos and Medium. These blinks explain how authority and responsibility are defined and distributed within a Holacracy – and why this system leads to a more effective and dynamic organization.

Who should read Holacracy?

  • Founders, CEOs, managers and HR professionals
  • Employees who feel undervalued within a hierarchical organization
  • Anyone who wishes their company were more flexible, dynamic and responsive

67
Extraordinary Influence

Extraordinary Influence

Tim Irwin
How Great Leaders Bring Out the Best in Others
4.2 (155 ratings)

What's Extraordinary Influence about?

Extraordinary Influence (2018) delves into the latest neuroscientific research to shed light on the secrets behind effective leadership. The key? Communication. Getting that right, clinical psychologist and corporate consultant Tim Irwin argues, doesn’t just keep team members motivated – it also drives them to go the extra mile and perform at their highest level. 

Who should read Extraordinary Influence?

  • CEOs and business leaders
  • Team leaders looking to up their game 
  • Coaches and communication experts

68
Superbosses

Superbosses

Sydney Finkelstein
How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent
4.2 (23 ratings)

What's Superbosses about?

Superbosses (2016) is the insider’s guide to understanding how charismatic, often controversial but unforgettable leaders tick. These blinks reveal the patterns and strategies of top-performing bosses, and explain how you can help your employees succeed by becoming a superboss yourself!

Who should read Superbosses?

  • Leaders struggling to improve business performance
  • Employees curious about what makes a good boss
  • Managers seeking strategies to encourage teamwork

69
Future Shaper

Future Shaper

Niamh O'Keeffe
How Leaders Can Take Charge in an Uncertain World
4.2 (72 ratings)

What's Future Shaper about?

Future Shaper (2020) describes the challenges leaders face in an increasingly fast-paced and technologically driven world. It’s the ultimate manual for leaders seeking to improve their leadership skills, embrace new ideas and innovations, and prepare for the future.

Who should read Future Shaper?

  • Business leaders stuck in a traditional way of thinking
  • Novice entrepreneurs wanting to learn the ins-and-outs of leadership
  • Future leaders entering the business world on the cusp of the digital revolution

70
The Power of Giving Away Power

The Power of Giving Away Power

Matthew Barzun
How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go
4.3 (238 ratings)

What's The Power of Giving Away Power about?

The Power of Giving Away Power (2021) explains how leaders, organizations, and businesses can harness power by giving it away. By replacing traditional ideas of hierarchy with a mindset centered around constellations, we can create flexible networks that allow us to get big things done, better. 

Who should read The Power of Giving Away Power?

  • Leaders and future leaders tired of gridlocked organizational structures
  • Activists and organizers looking to amplify their efforts
  • Anyone who’s ever questioned our hierarchical idea of power

71
Chief Joy Officer

Chief Joy Officer

Richard Sheridan
How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear
4.6 (29 ratings)

What's Chief Joy Officer about?

In Chief Joy Officer (2018), Richard Sheridan shares how he created a company culture built on joy. Sheridan’s book is packed with anecdotes from his own career and offers a clear guide to building a company with a purpose and a workplace that people can love.

Who should read Chief Joy Officer?

  • Anyone who cares about well-being and joy in the workplace
  • Leaders and aspiring leaders who want to build a better workplace culture

72
The Promises of Giants

The Promises of Giants

John Amaechi
How YOU can fill the leadership void
4.3 (30 ratings)

What's The Promises of Giants about?

The Promises of Giants (2021) offers a series of strategies that will transform you into an extraordinary leader. Regardless of what you do or where you are on your career journey, this series of practical tips will expedite your success while empowering those around you. 

Who should read The Promises of Giants?

  • Ambitious dreamers
  • Success hunters
  • Leaders wanting to drive change

73
Profit from the Positive

Profit from the Positive

Margaret Greenberg and Senia Maymin
Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business
4.4 (13 ratings)

What's Profit from the Positive about?

Profit from the Positive explains how leaders can increase productivity, collaboration and profitability by using the tools of positive psychology to boost their employees’ performance. It gives clear examples of how small changes can make big differences.

Who should read Profit from the Positive?

  • Business leaders, managers, executive coaches
  • Human resource professionals
  • Anyone who wants to get ahead by being positive

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Social Physics

Social Physics

Alex Pentland
How Good Ideas Spread: The Lessons from a New Science
4.2 (17 ratings)

What's Social Physics about?

Social Physics offers a crash course in the new self-declared field of science. It asks questions about how we can best use the treasure troves of data available to companies and researchers today to better understand human interaction and social organization, and hopefully create a better society.

Who should read Social Physics?

  • Anyone interested in social organization
  • Anyone who feels uneasy about sharing their personal data
  • Anyone who ever heard of Social Physics and wants to understand what it means

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