# Recommend Some Books on Leadership **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270 "2006-06-11T03:15:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/1 "2006-06-11T03:15:23Z")
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? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/2 "2006-06-11T16:46:19Z")
Ken Blanchard & Terrence Deal would be a good start. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/3 "2006-06-11T16:50:06Z")
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? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/4 "2006-06-11T17:03:58Z")
Machiavelli’s “The Prince” is extremely handy for understanding the way that many leaders, both business and political, think. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/5 "2006-06-11T17:23:36Z")
I read _The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership_ by John C. Maxwell, and found it to be a solid, entertaining, smooth read. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/6 "2006-06-11T18:21:06Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > 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? 🙂 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…). 😉 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! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/7 "2006-06-11T18:23:34Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/8 "2006-06-12T00:32:43Z")
Well, the obvious would be “_Leadership_” by Rudy Guiliani. Not a bad read. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/9 "2006-06-13T14:30:43Z")
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](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) ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/10 "2006-06-13T14:55:32Z")
Thanks for the continued recommendations, everyone! I’ll definitely check out a few of the titles/authors that have been mentioned. 🙂 Though I must say: > [@mcott](#): > > Not a bad read. “Not a bad read?” I don’t have time for “not a bad read!” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Skipper\_Too](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Skipper\_Too](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skipper_Too)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/11 "2006-06-13T17:28:32Z")
> [@mcott](#): > > Well, the obvious would be “_Leadership_” by Rudy Guiliani. Not a bad read. 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 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/12 "2006-06-13T17:43:54Z")
I liked Whale Done. ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/13 "2006-06-13T23:55:13Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Thanks for the continued recommendations, everyone! I’ll definitely check out a few of the titles/authors that have been mentioned. 🙂 > > Though I must say: > > “Not a bad read?” I don’t have time for “not a bad read!” 😛 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. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/14 "2006-06-14T00:53:29Z")
> [@mcott](#): > > BTW, make time for reading Gee, that was kinda … let me see … condescending? Arrogant? Presumptive? I can’t decide. 😉 I have plenty of time for reading, just not for reading a book that’s only “ok” or “not bad.” Capice? ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/15 "2006-06-14T01:44:31Z")
mea culpa, madame. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/16 "2006-06-14T03:06:09Z")
You bet your ass it’s your culpa. 😉 For a moment there I thought you were trying to lose that drink I plan on buying you in September… \ ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-books-on-leadership/360270/17 "2006-06-14T03:40:25Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > You bet your ass it’s your culpa. 😉 > > For a moment there I thought you were trying to lose that drink I plan on buying you in September… \ OK then. I’ll give ya 5 bucks on my ass at either the Brickskeller, or Kramerbooks.