Jul 21, 2015
Headed for vacation? Find yourself asking "what book should I read next?" We've had some pretty sweet authors speak over the last couple of years at our CEO Summits and Director Colleges and received excellent book recommendations straight from a few of our newest CEOs. We've compiled them here: Your next 10 must-reads.
Author: Clayton M. Christensen
The book provides a helpful framework -- for both entrepreneurs and executives of established companies – to understand the tech-driven disruptions that we see in so many industries today.
Game Plan for Life: Your Personal Playbook for Success
Author: Joe Gibbs
Written with the sports fan in mind, this book brings out the more spiritual side of leading a balanced, purposeful life; and overcoming major obstacles while leading a championship career.
Author: Herman Hesse
At the time this book was written, it was not meant to be a business book, but it’s all about seeking, determination, and self-development – key for any entrepreneur.
The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup
Author: Noam Wasserman
After spending a decade researching why startups and their founders self-destruct, Noam Wasserman compiles his research in this manual to help startups succeed by explaining how to anticipate and avoid mistakes that could destroy a founding team or leave founders without financial payoff for their hard work and innovative ideas.
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
Author: Michael Lewis
Definitely a business classic, and an entertaining read. Michael Lewis tells the story of Billy Bean’s experiment in finding and fielding a winning team. It’s about leveling the playing field and using truly reliable performance metrics.
Author: Adam Grant
Written by Wharton’s youngest tenured professor, Adam Grant challenges the norm on peer interaction and motivation, culture and leadership styles.
Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
Author: David Marquet
Former nuclear submarine commander, David Marquet tells a fascinating story of unexpectedly taking over the worst performing submarine in the Pacific fleet and turning it into the best performing sub within a year.
Author: Amy Wilkinson
After meeting with more than 200 entrepreneurs who had success scaling their businesses to $100M+ revenue, Amy Wilkinson shares her rigorous research and analysis of successful “creators” from companies, such as Chipole, SpaceX, Airbnb, Paypal, Under Armour, LinkedIn, IDEO, and Tesla, to name a few, has unlocked the six essential skills that have proven to turn small ideas into big companies.
The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance
Author: David Epstein
Another book not entirely intended for business, but draws several business parallels around hiring, talent, and leadership. David Epstein attempts to address the longstanding question of nature vs. nurture as it relates to identifying patterns of athletic success.
Accelerate: Building Strategic Agility for a Faster-Moving World
Author: John P. Kotter
What is Strategic Agility? John Kotter is the expert on this topic. Accelerate shows how the best companies focus and align their people’s energy, create urgency, and find the 'big opportunity.' As a leader, embracing change is necessary to survive.
Get through these 10 to up your leadership game.