In discussing how companies can shift from mediocrity to sustained greatness, Collins examines the leadership needed to cross that gulf, along with other ideas like “The Hedgehog Concept.”
Employee morale is important in keeping an organization humming along. Blanchard and Bowles walk readers through three principles for boosting productivity and performance.
If narrative is more your speed, this book is constructed as a story of a Silicon Valley firm with a new CEO named Kathryn. The story might be fiction, but the static she runs into from various members of her team is very real.
Pink argues that motivating people is more complicated than the carrot on a stick approach. Instead, he discusses three ideas (autonomy, mastery, and purpose) important in inspiring motivation, not just movement.
Wren offers leadership perspective from Plato to John Kotter (Harvard Business School).
Few people enjoy confrontation, but a botched handling of conflict can take a situation from bad to worse. This book offers useful strategy for successfully navigating conflict.
Horowitz’s book, based on his blog, has more of a bent toward running a startup, and the various problems and challenges a leader can face as an entrepreneur.
This collection of articles includes pieces like “What Leaders Really Do” and “The Human Side of Management.” HBR is a solid resource for anyone in business and leadership. For a daily dose, check out their Twitter account.
No matter if you’re the top dog or the unofficial leader of a group, Heifetz presents examples and strategies for a wide range of leadership situations in a clear and thorough manner.
Doris Kearns Goodwin’s books are typically feats of research. This one centers around Abraham Lincoln’s decision to staff his cabinet with his political rivals, thereby creating a case study for why leaders should seek out perspectives different than their own.
Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.
