Top 15 Best Leadership Books Of All Time 2023

Do you know almost all the great leaders in the world read books? Well, this is a popular opinion that reading makes you a better person. We can learn so much from books and bring positivity to our lives. Whether you wanna burn yourself into the fictional world or you wanna motivate yourself, books are everything that you need.
Here we are going to talk about leadership books! Yes, reading books can enhance your leadership qualities and makes you a better leader. There are numerous books present on the subject of leadership or the ones that inspire you to become a better leader. These books are either fictional or nonfictional, some of them might be based on famous personality another consist of the human experiences that makes them a better leader.
Overall there are several books that you can find which can help you understand the true meaning of a leader. But the thing is choosing the best leadership book out of millions is no piece of cake and you would certainly like our help on this matter. So we have decided to bring you a list of 15 best leadership books that you must read if you want to be a leader!
Here are the best leadership books that you should read once in your life.

Best Leadership books

1. Meditation by Marcus Aurelius

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Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD. He was best known for his intelligence and wisdom. He wrote many things for himself and Meditation was one of them.
The book was nothing but some recordings of his personal notes and learning about the ideas of Philosophy and leadership. The private records of Marcus Aurelius were divided into 12 books. Although he never meant to publish his private notes his words were so inspiring which made people publish everything he wrote.
Meditation tells us to control our thoughts, emotions, and remove stress from our life. And it also tells us about the ancient philosophies which made Aurelius a great leader. It tells you to rise above all the distractions and maintain your principles. Everyone who has read the book found it helpful and that is the reason why it is counted as one of the best self-help as well as leadership books.

2. Learning to Lead By Ron Williams with Carl Weber

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I think the name sums it all, isn’t it? Well, the book was written by Ron Williams. He grew up in Chicago and work hard to become a top health care executive and served as CEO as well. He wrote this book, not for people at the top or middle but for the people who are just starting their career and have hopes and dreams in their eyes. These people, who only need the right direction and path for themselves to become a good leader.
He shared his experiences, journey, and philosophies that made him a good leader. The book teaches us about many things and the writing style of the author is intuitive as well.

3. On Becoming Leader by Warren Bennis

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The books are written by a man who is called “The Dean of Leadership Gurus” by Forbes. He is one of the most inspiring figures for leaders and people who aspire to become leaders one day.
In this book, Warren argued that leaders are not born but made. He tried to break down the notion where people just assume that leadership is a quality that comes naturally to a person. But it’s not the case at all. He said that one can become a great leader by working on themselves. It’s the little things that made them who they are including the best leader.
He has given his insights on how one can become a leader which would certainly help people to find the right direction and path for themselves.

4. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor E.Frankie

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Man’s Search for Meaning is written by Victor E. Frankie and it was published in 2006. The book has been translated into 24 languages and 24 million copies have been sold till now. Overall this inspirational and motivational book is a must-read.
The books might not be that popular but it’s surely a book that you will appreciate. The book is more of an experience of the author which he had when he was living in the Nazi Death Camps. The author describes how one can still be alive in utter misery. Your survival depends on the choices you make and the thought processes you adopt during a difficult time. The book teaches us how do we cope with suffering. It also inspires us commode forward in life despite the circumstances we are in.

5. Wooden on Leadership

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Wooden on Leadership is written by John Wooden and Steve Jamison. The book is based on the former UCLA basketball coach’s legendry 12 lessons in leadership. The focuses on the topics of mental, emotional, and physical qualities that are essential to building a successful and winning organization.
The leadership book, later on, discusses the importance of skill development, confidence building, and being competitive. The book also teaches organizations to do the same. It’s also a well-appreciated book and known as a must-read leadership book that you might not wanna miss out on.

6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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I am sure you have heard of this book and many of our visitors might have already read the book as well. But in case you haven’t then you should certainly read the book. The book was written by best selling author Paulo Coelho, who got popular by this book. The book was published in 1988 and become an international bestseller. The book was originally written in Portuguese but later on, it was translated into multiple languages. It’s a fictional book unlike other works of Paulo Coelho.
This fictional book features a young shepherd boy in Southern Spain. The boy constantly dreams about a treasure hidden in Egypt which makes him investigate it further and go on a journey to hunt for the treasure. He meets several people throughout his journey and each one gives a unique lesson to the boy and the readers as well. The book teaches us about destiny and how we can achieve something in our life. If you are searching for a leadership book then this one should be your first choice.

7. Leadershift by John C. Maxwell

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Next on our list of best leadership book is Leadershift. And it is also a popularly known and internationally recognized book in the genre of self-help and more precisely the leadership books. The author tells us the 11 shifts that one person can make to improve his life. These shifts help people to improve their careers, innovate themselves, and help them in this unprecedented business climate.
The author tells the secrets or things that make a person one of the best leaders and how one can contribute to his personal growth. This one is a must-read book for anyone who wants to make themselves a better leader. So do read this best leadership book sometime.

8. Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman

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Primal Leadership is another top leadership book that you should not miss out on. Here the book is everything that you expect from its name. The book talks about the emotional dimension of leadership and how being emotional is necessary to become a great leader.
The author argues that being emotional is the primary task of being a great leader. Everyone talks about ideas, innovation, strategies, and so on when talking about being a leader but in reality, the idea behind a good leader is much simpler that is working on their emotional dimensions. The book is specially written for managers and executives as it tells them how to deal with their emotions.

9. Good to Great by Jim Collins

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Good to Great is one of the best leadership books that you should read sometime. The book talks about some great companies and their leaders. The books feature the companies which went from “good” to “great”. The book features the top business ideas that helped the leaders and business to grow simultaneously.
In simpler words, the book Good to Great offers a simpler framework of success for leaders all around the world. It is a well-appreciated leadership book that you would love to read.

10. The Truth About Leadership by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

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The Truth About Leadership is another top leadership book that you should definitely read. Here the authors have put the work of their 30 years of research where they talk about the outlines of leadership and its qualities.
The author talks about the importance of trust, credibility, and ethics and the role these things play in effective leadership. Apart from these, the authors shared the core principles and their theories that tell a lot about leadership qualities.

11. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey

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The book was written by Stephen R. Covey and you should definitely read it at least once in your lifetime as it’s one of the best leadership books. The book is exactly what it sounds like- a guide for becoming an effective person as well as a great leader. But it also features some surprising elements that would inspire you to do better with your life.
As its name suggests the book talks about the highly effective habits that one should adopt in their lifestyle. And how these habits make a person a better leader and help them with their personal growth. The book laid downs the importance of habits in our life and how sole straightforward habits can make a big impact on our lives.

12. The Leadership Challange by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

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Yet another book by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, these two are known as one of the best writers for self-help and motivational books and they haven’t let us down this time either.
The book talks about the motivation behind the leaders of great organizations and companies. And how they are inspired to do such great work. The author tells us the 5 extraordinary practices that can change the fate of a leader as well as his company when executed properly.

13. Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

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Execution is a must-read book for everyone not just for the leaders. Ram Charan who is a well-known author gets together with Larry Bossidy who is a renowned executive, they both tell us the importance of getting things done. According to the authors, getting things done is more important than ideas, strategies, or innovation. And it’s what makes you a good leader. Book tells us how people, strategy, and operation are interlinked to each other. The book is nothing but a smart leadership guide.

14. The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis

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The Fifth Risk is another #1 New York Bestseller book that you should not miss out on. This book is perfect for the employees and how they can prove themselves to become a good leader.

15. Leadership is an Art by Max DePree

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Next on our list is Leadership is an Art by Max DePree. The author is a former CEO of Herman Miller Inc. And he talks about his own experiences and how he became one of the great leaders of the world. It would be a delight to read the insights of one of the best leaders in the world.

Conclusion

So these are our top picks for the best leadership books out there. Here we have listed down all the books that we found worthy of your time and money and we assure you that you won’t feel regret after reading them. These books are best rated and you would easily find them in the list of top books. Overall here we have done our job and now it’s your turn to pick the book that you find best for you.

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