The 5 Best Books On Leadership In 1 Page
We know that you’re busy. You would love to read each of our top 5 books on leadership cover to cover, but realistically…when are you going to find the time? Luckily, we’ve summarised them and extracted the actionable tactics from each one for you. Aren’t we helpful?
1. The One Minute Manager
By Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
Featuring in business best seller lists for over 20 years, The One Minute Manager is a well-known manual on management that’s stood the test of time.
Put it simply, your job as a manager is to encourage your employees to establish clear goals, to praise them publicly for work well done and to offer them honest feedback in a way that doesn’t make them feel threatened – all within short sharp meetings.
Take Home Lesson
Stop micromanaging every aspect of your employee’s work, and instead provide them with support and encouragement. Book Link
2. Fish!
By Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen
Fish! is a charming book which tells the story of a stressed, dejected department manager who becomes inspired by the spirit and enthusiasm of a group of fishmongers. In watching the fishmongers, she begins to understand that their ability to have fun, engage with customers playfully and be productive at work is a result of four key principles:
- Choosing the right attitude
- Being unafraid to ‘play’
- Making someone’s day and creating memories
- Being present and tuned in to those you’re talking to
Take Home Lesson
Work can feel stressful for everyone at times, but introducing an element of good will and playfulness to your workplace can help keep morale high and get better results too. Book Link
3. The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
By Patrick M. Lencioni
The third book on our leadership list helps you to pinpoint and solve issues in your team. It outlines the five most common dysfunctions that teams tend to experience:
- Absence of trust
- Fear of conflict
- Lack of commitment
- Avoidance of accountability
- Inattention to results
Teams that understand the dysfunctions tend to cooperate better, admit to mistakes more often, offer better feedback and achieve more with less time and resources.
Take Home Lesson
Only teams who are willing to acknowledge and address their dysfunctions are able to work together effectively. Book Link
4. Start with Why
By Simon Sinek
If you worry that your team feels uninspired or you yourself lack enthusiasm about your work, it’s likely that you’ve lost sight of why you’re doing what you do. Start with Why forces you to think about the why of everything you do, and in doing so it helps you to reignite your team’s enthusiasm.
In order to successfully inspire others, you must make it clear why something matters. What’s the purpose of a specific project? Who are you helping? What impact will your business have on the world?
Take Home Lesson
Only when your team understands why something is important will they become truly committed to it. Book Link
5. Drive
By Dan Pink
With the support of 4 decades of scientific research, Drive gets to the heart of what it is that motivates us as humans and explains how to use this knowledge to inspire and motivate your workforce. As humans we feel the need to:
- Direct our own lives
- Learn and create
- Better both ourselves and our world
Business leaders too often focus on directing their employees and tend to inadvertently take away their sense of freedom and meaning.
Take Home Lesson
Think of motivation not in terms of carrots and sticks but in terms of autonomy, mastery and purpose. Book Link
Summary
As promised, here are the top 5 books on leadership summarised in 1 page…
