Many business leaders turn to books for inspiration, guidance, and insights on how to achieve their goals. Every year, a large volume of new titles hits the shelves, especially with self-publishing being easier than ever. For that reason, it has become somewhat difficult to figure out which books provide valuable tips and which should be ignored.
Below is a look at 10 recently published books that are definitely worth checking out if you want to improve your leadership skills.
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The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
An award-winning business reporter for The New York Times, Duhigg provides some excellent insights for business leaders who feel they have fallen into bad habits and want to adopt new, better ones. In the book, Duhigg provides a scientific analysis of how habits are formed and, more importantly, how we can break them when we need to develop a new approach.
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Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport
In this book, Newport accepts that we now live in a world full of distractions instead of advising individuals to minimize the demands on their attention. He starts the book by explaining how a strong work ethic is necessary for success in nearly any job, and then outlines four rules that serve as a training regimen to develop this ethic. Much of the book focuses on changing the way we think about our work and developing habits that push us toward success.
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Tools of Titans, by Tim Ferriss
Business leaders who struggle with productivity will find several valuable insights in this book. Ferriss reveals the productivity secrets he’s learned from the more than 200 people who have appeared on his popular podcast. All of these individuals stand out as top performers and have a lot to teach.
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Grit to Great: How Perseverance, Passion, and Pluck Take You from Ordinary to Extraordinary, by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval
Thaler and Koval explore what it takes for people to achieve success in their careers. Though it might be hard to believe, people like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates were not born brilliant. Rather, these individuals became brilliant through grit, according to the authors. The book explores how tenacity and resilience form the cornerstones of success, using thorough research to back up its claims.
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Manage Your Day-to-Day, by 99U
A creativity and productivity website, 99U has created a book designed to help leaders stop filling their time with busywork and instead focus on what really matters. Business leaders can gain a number of valuable tools from this book to help increase productivity and push their companies forward.
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13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, by Amy Morin
As a psychotherapist, Morin has encountered a wide range of behaviors that advance or hinder individuals in their careers and personal lives. She initially wrote a blog post about the most common mental traps that inhibit people’s productivity and stall success. This book builds on that initial blog post by backing up the claims with research and by providing insight on how to become more mentally resilient.
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Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Willink and Babin are former US Navy SEALs who authored this book to explore a variety of different combat stories that provide great inspiration for leaders. The book is a thrill to read and also imparts some excellent lessons that can make leaders think twice about how they do things in the office.
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Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent, by Sydney Finkelstein
In Superbosses, Finkelstein looks at individuals who are considered highly effective managers in a variety of fields. Then, he systematically examines what they do to motivate, inspire, and enable their employees to lead their company to success. The book is based on more than 200 interviews with prominent leaders like former Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, and Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels.
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The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, by Vishen Lakhiani
In this book, Lakhiani asks readers to question and challenge the assumptions that motivate them every day. Often, leaders don’t take the time to analyze where these beliefs come from, which means that they might not have a real personal link to them. By understanding fully where their beliefs come from and what’s at stake, leaders can create a more authentic vision for themselves and their company. After reading this book, some leaders may have a completely different idea of what it means to be personally successful.
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Are You Fully Charged?: The 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life, by Tom Rath
Drawing from considerable scientific research to support his arguments, Rath explains the importance of meaning, interactions, and energy for our daily well-being. By seeking meaning rather than happiness, focusing on positive interactions rather than negative ones, and making choices that actively improve physical and mental health, we can turn ordinary days into “charged” days that bring out our best.