Best Books About Leadership

I have written about the most important leadership qualities and how every leader must possess these qualities to lead effectively. One of those qualities is being an excellent listener, which includes the willingness to listen and learn from those around you.

And one of the best ways to gain insight from those around you is to read. So, for this article, we will discuss some of the best books for enhancing your leadership skills.

Five Books To Enhance Your Leadership Skills:

While there are many excellent books about leadership and how you can improve as a manager or leader, the following are five with which to start:

• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us: David Pink discusses how money and other external factors are not the keys to motivating employees to succeed. Rather, good leaders tap into intrinsic motivational factors -- such as work autonomy, mastery, and purpose -- to lead their teams to success.

• First, Break All the Rules -- What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently: In a survey of more than 80,000 managers, researchers found that despite each managers’ differences, the ones who were successful had one thing in common: they consistently break business norms and think outside the box. This book discusses some of these managers’ stories and what you can learn from them as leaders.

• Wooden On Leadership: Known as the “Wizard of Westwood,” John Wooden led the UCLA Men’s basketball team to 10 national championships in a 12-year period. He clearly knew how to lead effectively, and through this book, he shares his insights into how leaders can build their confidence and skills to lead their teams to success, and not just on the basketball court.

• Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ: Having a high IQ is only part of the equation. A good leader needs strong emotional intelligence (EQ) as well, as he or she must know how to communicate and connect with people. In his book, Daniel Goldman shares his psychological and neurological research on the importance of EQ for leadership.

• How to Win Friends & Influence People: The title of this book should make it obvious why this is an important read for any aspiring leader. Leaders must be able to communicate effectively and influence those around them, so check out this book to learn about persuasion, communication, career advancement, and more.

About the Author -- Joshua Ferdman

Joshua Ferdman is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, specializing in technology, finance, and real estate. He started working in the mortgage business at the age of 16 and hasn't stopped since. Joshua always said that the most important job you can ever have is phone sales. He writes about entrepreneurship, leadership, and succeeding in the professional world.