Skip to content

TechRepublic

  • Top Products
  • AI
  • Developer
  • Payroll
  • Security
  • Project Management
  • Accounting
  • CRM
  • Academy
Resources
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • Newsletters
  • Resource Library
  • Forums
  • Sponsored
Go Premium
Popular Topics
  • Top Products
  • AI
  • Developer
  • Payroll
  • Security
  • Project Management
  • Accounting
  • CRM
  • Academy
  • Project Management
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • Big Data
  • Tech Jobs
View All Topics
Go Premium
CXO

Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

By Erin Carson June 30, 2014, 10:11 AM PDT

Image
1
of 10

goodbooks.png
goodbooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

Good to Great by Jim Collins (Harper Business, 2001)

Good to Great by Jim Collins (Harper Business, 2001)

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.”

gunghobooks.png
gunghobooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (William Morrow, 1997)

Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (William Morrow, 1997)

Employee morale is important in keeping an organization humming along. Blanchard and Bowles walk readers through three principles for boosting productivity and performance.

dysfunctionsbooks.png
dysfunctionsbooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni (Jossey-Bass, 2002)

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni (Jossey-Bass, 2002)

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.

drivebooks.png
drivebooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink (Riverhead Books, 2011)

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink (Riverhead Books, 2011)

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.

companionbooks.png
companionbooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

The Leader's Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages by J. Thomas Wren (Free Press, 1995)

The Leader's Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages by J. Thomas Wren (Free Press, 1995)

Wren offers leadership perspective from Plato to John Kotter (Harvard Business School).

crucialbooks.png
crucialbooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations, and Bad Behavior by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler (McGraw Hill, 2004)

Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations, and Bad Behavior by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler (McGraw Hill, 2004)

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.

hardbooks.png
hardbooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz (Harper Business, 2014)

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz (Harper Business, 2014)

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.

hbrbooks.png
hbrbooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

Harvard Business Review on Leadership by Harvard Business School Press (Harvard Business Press, 1998)

Harvard Business Review on Leadership by Harvard Business School Press (Harvard Business Press, 1998)

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.

heifetzbooks.png
heifetzbooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

Leadership Without Easy Answers by Ronald Heifetz (Harvard University Press, 1998)

Leadership Without Easy Answers by Ronald Heifetz (Harvard University Press, 1998)

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.

teambooks.png
teambooks.png
Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

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.

  • CXO
  • Account Information

    Share with Your Friends

    Become a better leader: 10 books that can help

    Your email has been sent

Share: Become a better leader: 10 books that can help
Image of Erin Carson
By Erin Carson
Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.
  • Account Information

    Contact Erin Carson

    Your message has been sent

  • |
  • See all of Erin's content

Daily Tech Insider

If you can only read one tech story a day, this is it.

TechRepublic TechRepublic
  • TechRepublic on Facebook
  • TechRepublic on X
  • TechRepublic on LinkedIn
  • TechRepublic on YouTube
  • TechRepublic on Pinterest
  • TechRepublic RSS
Services
  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Site Help & Feedback
  • FAQ
  • Advertise
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • Careers
Explore
  • Downloads
  • TechRepublic Forums
  • Meet the Team
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Resource Library
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Editorial Policy
  • Legal Terms
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All rights reserved.
CLOSE

Create a TechRepublic Account

Get the web's best business technology news, tutorials, reviews, trends, and analysis—in your inbox. Let's start with the basics.

Already registered? Sign In
Use Facebook
Use Linkedin

* - indicates required fields

CLOSE

Sign in to TechRepublic

Not a member? Create an account
Use Facebook
Use Linkedin

Lost your password? Request a new password

CLOSE

Reset Password

Please enter your email adress. You will receive an email message with instructions on how to reset your password.

Check your email for a password reset link. If you didn't receive an email don't forgot to check your spam folder, otherwise contact support.

Back to login
1 Finish Profile
2 Newsletter Preferences
CLOSE

Welcome. Tell us a little bit about you.

This will help us provide you with customized content.

No thanks, continue without
1 Finish Profile
2 Newsletter Preferences
CLOSE

Want to receive more TechRepublic news?

Newsletter Name
Subscribe
Daily Tech Insider
Daily Tech Insider AU
TechRepublic UK
TechRepublic News and Special Offers
TechRepublic News and Special Offers International
Executive Briefing
Innovation Insider
Project Management Insider
Microsoft Weekly
Cloud Insider
Data Insider
Developer Insider
TechRepublic Premium
Apple Weekly
Cybersecurity Insider
Google Weekly
Toggle All
No thanks, continue without

You're All Set

Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye out for a confirmation email from our team. To ensure any newsletters you subscribed to hit your inbox, make sure to add [email protected] to your contacts list.

Back to Home Page
×