Summer Reading for Leadership Freaks
“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” Margaret Fuller
I’ve read all the books on this list. Enjoy!
Orbiting the Giant Hairball, Gordon MacKenzie
In his deeply funny book, exuberantly illustrated in full color, MacKenzie shares the story of his own professional evolution, together with lessons on awakening and fostering creative genius.
Mackenzie worked at Hallmark Cards for thirty years.
Wanting, Luke Burgis
“Models are people or things that show us what is worth wanting.”
Admiration forms and fuels aspiration. This book changed the way I see myself and the world.
Make It, Don’t Fake It, Sabrina Horn
Read the inspiring story of a woman who started her own business and practiced authentic leadership at the same time.
Sabrina’s stories are worth the price of the book.
The Heart of Business, Hubert Joly
“Making money is an imperative, but it’s not the purpose of business.
It’s excellence on the people imperative which leads to excellence on the customer imperative which leads to excellence on the financial imperative. But … the purpose is not the money. It’s about helping people grow. It’s about doing something good in the world.” Hubert Joly
Well Being At Work, Jim Clifton and Jim Harter
The five factors of wellbeing at work:
- Career wellbeing: You like what you do every day.
- Social wellbeing: You have meaningful friendships in your life.
- Financial wellbeing: You manager your money well.
- Physical wellbeing: You have energy to get things done.
- Community wellbeing: You like where you live.
Practical and actionable.
Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl
Profoundly simple.
After reading, Man’s Search for Meaning, I read everything I could find by Frankl.
Helpful Hints for Good Living, Mark Twain
Refreshing!! Hilarious!! On occasion a bit dated and offensive by today’s cultural standards.
What’s on your summer reading list?
If anyone is interested in reading a free electronic copy of my new book, Leadership Case Studies, send me an email at pthornton@stcc.edu.
Thanks for the recommendations. A book that should be on everyone’s list is Healing Collective Trauma, by Thomas Hubl, 2002. Not a catchy corporate-focused title, but a strong dose of scientific, psychological, and “spiritual” analysis that strongly supports creating more humanity in the workplace. It goes beyond techniques and a focus on “productivity” to suggest what would produce a richer level of engagement and productivity by facing core individual and societal issues.
Thank you for this list. I think I’ll get at least the first book recommended. The title alone is intriguing enough to read this book.
A book that I come back to time and again is a very short book called “Who Moved my Cheese” by Spencer Johnson. It helps me focus on adjusting and managing change in the world around me. Worth the read if you have never read it before. My suggestion …
President Harry S. Truman said, “Not all readers become leaders. But all leaders must be readers.”
Thank you for providing this reading list! I will certainly be adding these books to my ever-growing summer reads. Although, honestly, it’s year-round at this point. “Make It, Don’t Fake It” and “Orbiting the Giant Hairball” are at the top. A book that impacted me is “The Truth About Leadership” by Kouzes and Posner. I read it the first semester of my MBA and have found myself consistently referencing this work over the past two years.
Thank you for the reading list. Excellent. I’ve read Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning x 2. As leaders, it is an excellent reminder of the importance of meaning and aspiration in our daily lives but also as we strive to lead others. It also reinforces gratitude and no problem is insurmountable.