Recommend Some Books on Leadership

Cafe Society
1

I’m not usually the type to read books on leadership or management or “highly effective people,” but a while back I read Jack Welch’s Winning and really enjoyed it. I liked the writing style, and I felt like I learned stuff. Now I’m on the verge of my first work-related management position, and even though I have leadership experience (and have even been nominated for my company’s annual leadership award) I’m thinking that it might not kill me to read a book or two on the subject.

I searched on “leadership” at Amazon, and got 16,939 book results. :eek: Then I thought I’d look for more by Jack Welch, since I liked Winning, and 7 of the first 10 titles contain the word “leadership.” I’m not trying to spend all summer on this topic, so I could really use some help narrowing down these options … got any recommendations? :slight_smile:

2

Ken Blanchard & Terrence Deal would be a good start.

3

Thanks!

Are they two separate authors, or do they co-write? Will there be more than one book on leadership by both/either of them? Do you have a specific title you can recommend? :slight_smile:

4

Machiavelli’s “The Prince” is extremely handy for understanding the way that many leaders, both business and political, think.

5

I read The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell, and found it to be a solid, entertaining, smooth read.

6

They write separately (though with lots of other people) and they are prolific, especially Blanchard.

Blanchard started the “one minute manager” series, and I have heard him speak on “Gung Ho,” a more recent book. Feel free to ignore his association with Rick Warren (which I don’t understand at all…). :wink:

Terry Deal is/was at the Rossier School of Education at USC, which is how I came to know him. His leadership books tend to be educator-focused but are all pretty well respected.

My “work” library is at work (!) but I will see if I can find a good “intro” book for each of them!

7

Oh, and check out James Belasco as well. His most well-known lately might be “Flight of the Buffalo” and “Teaching the Elephant to Dance.”

Another good one is Jim Collins. His “Good to Great” was very well-received.

8

Well, the obvious would be “Leadership” by Rudy Guiliani. Not a bad read.

9

Donald T. Phillips’s Lincoln on Leadership is quite good - practical advice, and some interesting history on (arguably) our greatest President, as well:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446394599/qid=1150208930/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-2351678-0243210?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

10

Thanks for the continued recommendations, everyone! I’ll definitely check out a few of the titles/authors that have been mentioned. :slight_smile:

Though I must say:

“Not a bad read?” I don’t have time for “not a bad read!” :stuck_out_tongue:

11

I really enjoyed this book. A lot of it was laying foundation of the things Guiliani did before 9-11 to build an effective team in the city of New York structure and all the different departments and how he chose their heads and reporting structures of each. Then it moves into how that structure was put in place on that fateful day in September. Interesting perspective and a good read

12

I liked Whale Done.

13

Sorry, then, it was a good book. I just finished the Clinton book, My Life, which again “wasn’t bad”. It’s damn long, though.

BTW, make time for reading, if you use WMATA, that’s a good spot.

14

Gee, that was kinda … let me see … condescending? Arrogant? Presumptive? I can’t decide. :wink:

I have plenty of time for reading, just not for reading a book that’s only “ok” or “not bad.” Capice?

15

mea culpa, madame.

16

You bet your ass it’s your culpa. :wink:

For a moment there I thought you were trying to lose that drink I plan on buying you in September… <grin>

17

OK then. I’ll give ya 5 bucks on my ass at either the Brickskeller, or Kramerbooks.