11 Books Every Leader Should Read:Updated for 2012

I first posted this last December, but I thought that it would be fun to update it for 2012.  Note I have removed two from last years list: Men and Women of the Corporation and Who Says that Elephants Can't Dance?  They are both great books, but I am trying to stick to 11 books and the two new ones below edge them out. Here goes:

I was looking through the books on Amazon to find something that struck my fancy, and instead, I started thinking about the books that have taught me much about people, teams, and organizations -- while at the same time -- provide useful guidance (if sometimes only indirectly) about what it takes to lead well versus badly.  The 11 books below are the result. 

Most are research based, and none are a quick read (except for Orbiting the Giant Hairball). I guess this reflects my bias.  I like books that have real substance beneath them.  This runs counter the belief in the business book world at the moment that all books have to be both short and simple.  So, if your kind of business book is The One Minute Manager (which frankly, I like too... but you can read the whole thing in 20 or 30 minutes), then you probably won't like most of these books at all.

1. The Progress Principle by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer.  A masterpiece of evidence-based management -- the strongest argument I know that "the big things are the little things." 

2. Influence by Robert Cialdini the now classic book about how to persuade people to do things, how to defend against persuasion attempts, and the underlying evidence.  I have been using this in class at Stanford for over 20 years, and I have had dozens of students say to me years later "I don't remember much else about the class, but I still use and think about that Cialdini book."

3.Made to Stick Chip and Dan Heath.  A modern masterpiece,  the definition of an instant classic.  How to design ideas that people will remember and act on.   I still look at it a couple times a month and I buy two or three copies at a time because people are always borrowing it from me.  I often tell them to keep it because they rarely give it back anyway. 

4. Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman.  Even though the guy won the Nobel Prize, this book is surprisingly readable.  A book about how we humans really think, and although it isn't designed to do this, Kahneman also shows how much of the stuff you read in the business press is crap.

5. Collaboration by Morten Hansen.  He has that hot bestseller now with Jim Collins called Great By Choice, which I need to read. This is a book I have read three times and is -- by far -- the best book ever written about what it takes to build an organization where people share information, cooperate, and help each other succeed.

6. Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie.  It is hard to explain, sort of like trying to tell a stranger about rock and roll as the old song goes.  But it is the best creativity book ever written, possibly the business book related to business ever written.  Gordon's voice and love creativity and self-expression -- and how to make it happen despite the obstacles that unwittingly heartless organizations put in the way -- make this book a joy.

7. The Pixar Touch by David Price.  After reading this book, my main conclusion was that it seems impossible that Pixar exists. Read how Ed Catmull along with other amazing characters-- after amazing setbacks, weird moments, and one strange twist after another -- realized Ed's dream after working on it for decades.  Ed is working on his own book right now, I can hardly wait to see that.  When I think of Ed and so many others I have met at Pixar like Brad Bird, I know it is possible to be a creative person without being an asshole.  In fact, at least if the gossip I keep hearing from Pixar people is true, Jobs was rarely rude or obnoxious in his dealings with people at Pixar because he knew they knew more than him -- and even he was infected by Pixar's norm of civility.

8. The Laws of Subtraction by Matthew May.   This 2012 book has more great ideas about how to get rid of what you don't need and how to keep -- and add -- what you do need than any book ever written.  Matt has as engaging a writing style as I have ever encountered and he uses it to teach one great principle after another, from "what isn't there can trump what is" to "doing something isn't always better than doing nothing."  Then each principle is followed with five or six very short -- and well-edited pieces -- from renowned and interesting people of all kinds ranging from executives, to researchers, to artists.  It is as fun and useful as non-fiction book can be and is useful for designing every part of your life, not just workplaces.

9. Leading Teams by J. Richard Hackman.  When it comes to the topic of groups or teams, there is Hackman and there is everyone else.   If you want a light feel good romp that isn't very evidence-based, read The Wisdom of Teams.  If want to know how teams really work and what it really takes to build, sustain, and lead them from a man who has been immersed in the problem as a researcher, coach, consultant, and designer for over 40 years, this is the book for you.

10. Give and Take by Adam Grant.  This book won't be out for a few months, but you should pre-order it so you don't forget. Adam is the hottest organizational researcher of his generation.  When I read the pre-publication version, I was so blown away by how useful, important, and interesting that Give and Take was that I gave it the most enthusiastic blurb of my life: “Give and Take just might be the most important book of this young century. As insightful and entertaining as Malcolm Gladwell at his best, this book has profound implications for how we manage our careers, deal with our friends and relatives, raise our children, and design our institutions. This gem is a joy to read, and it shatters the myth that greed is the path to success."  In other words, Adam shows how and why you don't need to be a selfish asshole to succeed in this life. America -- and the world -- would be a better place if all of memorized and applied Adam's worldview.

11. The Path Between the Seas by historian David McCullough. On building the Panama Canal.  This is a great story of how creativity happens at a really big scale. It is messy. Things go wrong. People get hurt. But they also triumph and do astounding things.  I also like this book because it is the antidote to those who believe that great innovations all come from start-ups and little companies (although there are some wild examples of entrepreneurship in the story -- especially the French guy who designs Panama's revolution -- including a new flag and declaration of independence as I recall -- from his suite in the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and successfully sells the idea to Teddy Roosevelt ).  As my Stanford colleague Jim Adams points out, the Panama Canal, the Pyramids, and putting a man on moon are just a few examples of great human innovations that were led by governments.  

I would love to know of your favorites -- and if want a systematic approach to this question, don't forget The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.

P.S. Also, for self-defense, I recommend that we all read Isaacson's Steve Jobs -- I keep going places -- cocktail parties, family gatherings, talks I give and attend, and even the grocery store where people start talking about it and especially arguing about it.  As I explained in Wired and Good Boss, Bad Boss I have come to believe that whatever Jobs was in life, in death he has become a Rorschach test -- we all just project our beliefs and values on him.

Comments

[Alan Platt]

“This runs counter the belief in the business book world at the moment that all books have to be both short and simple.” Your quote, Bob. And it’s so refreshing to read that.
It leads nicely into a new book that to my mind addresses this whole subject of ‘entertaining’ versus ‘meaningful’. I thought you might like to comment on that. Well, you did ask us to pitch in on your list – a great list, by the way.
I just picked up a book with a really boring title, "Street Smart Disciplines of Successful People". It has a subtitle even more sleep-inducing. "7 Indispensable Disciplines For Breakout Business Success". Wow. Pretty snappy.
But I ordered it because the reviews said that it’s written by two guys who actually did it - made a killing in business, then they ran an advisory group for years. Not theorists. Do-ists. A nice change.
And, yes the book is a bit dull. But, like you, I don’t mind that. Like you, substance is what I care about. Seth Godin these guys are not. Clearly they’re not out to entertain or inspire you. Frankly, they don’t even write so well. But what they say is priceless, for my money.
It’s less a book than a manual - two guys telling you how it’s done out there in the real world. It’s not a book to be read and savored – but to be flipped through and referred to. They’ve condensed a ton of wisdom accrued from many sources into those seven ‘disciplines’. And I can’t disagree with any of it. I intend to keep it to hand.
Do you think there’s a place for something like this on the shelf? I do. My feeling is that after you’ve gotten a good kick in the pants from these ‘inspirational’ type books, then what? How do you monetize that? How do you run it?
I would like to think that this book may be part a shift towards more honesty in business writing. I sure hope so. Am I being over optimistic here? I’m tired of glib, clever biz books that are fun to read but…
Anyway, I’d be interested to hear what you think about this. Is old-school the new wave? Is honest tough advice the new slick? I’d love to think so. Your Hard Facts leads in this direction, doesn’t it?

[Lmunroe]

Thanks for the list Bob. I've actually missed quite a few this year -- and your rec's are being added to my Christmas list!

One of my favorite series of business books -- and authors this year is Michelle McQuaid.

She is a spitfire from Australia who is now taking the US by storm. I've already seen her work pop up in Forbes, Harvard Business Review and Wall Street Journal.

Her two great reads on Amazon are: "What Good Is Positive Business?" and "5 Reasons to Tell Your Boss to Go F**k Themselves."

McQuaid is witty in her approach and she provides invaluable insight into the benefits of using positive psychology in the workplace to get what you want and deserve. I'm living proof it works!

[Justdiven]

Hi Larry,
While you don't put much stock in organizational research, do you have any favorite books by practioners or leaders that you've found useful in navigating the trenches? I've been reading Deming's Out of the Crisis and front-line experience/skill is something he has emphasized numerous times in the first third of the book. Would be interested in your thoughts (or anyone else's for that matter).

[AwesomelySimple]

Bob -- I love your blog and I have read all of the books on your list - all superb. I read about 100 to 120 business books a year, and have every year since 1989 - recently I was asked for a list of business books that are the most useful for running a business well. Not theoretical or philosophical -- but more on the practical side -- here is that list:

** In no particular order**

1. In Search of Excellence -- Tom Peters
2. The Little BIG Things – Tom Peters
3. Good to Great -- Jim Collins
4. Built to Last -- Jim Collins
5. What Really Works -- Joyce, Nohria, Roberson
6. The Leadership Challenge -- Kouzes and Posner
7. Authentic Leadership -- Bill George
8. Indispensable – Joe Callaway
9. Becoming a Category of One – Joe Calloway
10. The Discipline of Teams -- Katzenbach and Smith
11. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team -- Patrick Lencioni
12. Team Building (fourth edition) -- Dyer, Dyer and Dyer
13. Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter -- Paul Clarke
14. Kiss Theory Goodbye -- Bob Prosen
15. Mavericks at Work -- Taylor and LaBarre
16. On Becoming a Leader -- Warren Bennis
17. The Great Game of Business -- Jack stack
18. The Starbucks Experience -- Joseph Michelli
19. The New Gold Standard -- Joseph Michelli
20. Customers for Life – Carl Sewell
21. At America's Service -- Karl Albrecht
22. The Northbound Train -- Karl Albrecht
23. Leading People -- Robert Rosen
24. The Definitive Drucker -- Elizabeth Edersheim
25. What the Best CEOs know – Krames
26.Teaching the Elephant to Dan ce -- James Belasco
27. If Aristotle ran General Motors -- Tom Morris
28. The Rockefeller Habits – Vern Harnish
29. The Orange Revolution – Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
30. All In – Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
31. Nobel Enterprise – Darwin Gillette
32. Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
33. Primal Leadership – Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee
34. The Leader of the Future – Frances Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith and Richard Beckhard
35. Execution – Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
36. Love is the Killer App -- Tim Sanders
37. Start with Why – Simon Sinek
38. Up Your Business -- Dave Anderson
39. The 100 Best Business Books of All Time – Jack Covert and Todd Stattersten
40. Simply Better – Patrick Barwise and Sean Meehan
41. Referral Engine – John Jantsch
42. Duct Tape Marketing – John Jantsch
43. Managing with a Conscience – Frank Sonnenberg
44. Six Disciplines Execution Revolution – Gary Harpst
45. Repeatability – James Allen and Chris Zook
46. The Lean Startup – Eric Ries
47. The Thank You Economy – Gary Vaynerchuck
48. Crush It – Gary Vaynerchuk
49. Firms of Endearment - Rajendra S. Sisodia, David B. Wolfe, Jagdish N. Sheth
50. Leading in a Culture of Change- Michael Fullan

I could easily recommend 75 or 80 more, but I think that if you were to read these books they would give you the best overall view on how to build, lead and grow a highly successful organization. If you do not see one of your VERY favorites, please send me a note in case I have not read it yet.

[Larry]

Organizational research is an oxymoron. Having spent 30+myears in the trenches, nonof these books matters. Sorry, Bob.

[Justdiven]

Thank you for sharing this recommended reading list! As mentioned by someone else, I would absolutely include the Heath brothers' Switch in the list as implementing change is, in many ways, the essence of leadership. They borrow Jonathan Haidt's metaphor of the elephant and rider to illistrate how vital it is to clearly and simply specify the steps to change and to make an emotional connection to the change.
Another book that I've really enjoyed recently is Your Brain at Work by David Rock. I generally avoid "business fiction" but again, I find his metaphor of the actors and stage to be very helpful in diagnosing breakdowns in my own and other's thinking and chock full of practical tips for increasing resilience and effectiveness.

[Lknobel]

In the same vein as The Path Between the Seas, Richard Rhodes' magisterial The Making of the Atomic Bomb is a gripping, endlessly fascinating account of innovation on the largest scale imaginable.

General Groves and the engineers and scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project built an industry larger than the auto industry in just a few years. Breathtaking.

[StaceyLMason]

OMG, I can't believe #6 Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie made the list! AWESOME! I had the pleasure of seeing him present at a corporate function and he was simply brilliant. Maybe even beyond brilliant. Hard to describe, as you mention. But anyone that can create an entire department, within a rather large organization, that no one else knew about is clearly creative! (I have a signed copy of his book -- priceless.....)

Stacey Mason
Mason On Leadership

[Chris Sinclair]

I would add to this list The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

[Joseph Kellard]

I would recommend the Isaacson bio on Steve Jobs. Here is my review: http://www.theamericanindividualist.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-review-steve-jobs-by-walter.html

[Bob Sutton]

George, I hope it isn't unclear, I meant it as dig at the The Wisdom of Teams, which I didn't like. I said: "If you want a light feel good romp that isn't very evidence-based, read The Wisdom of Teams."

Thanks! Bob

[George Lehman]

Bob, did you really wish to call Hackman's book a "light feel good quick romp" or is there perhaps a typo?

[- mike]

I've found that all of these excellent choices have roots in Peter Drucker's writings. Was he always right? Nope. Do I always agree? Nope.

But most of what he said and wrote is the basis of what came after.

[Satindra21]

Thank you, Bob. The good news is it's a great list the bad news is I've a lot of catching up to do.
- Satindra.

[Toddsattersten]

Bob,

This is a great list and thanks for the shout-out to The 100 Best.

Merry Christmas,

Todd

[Dan Winters]

Thanks for the list. My "To be Read" stacks will be growing again. Another book by David McCullough that has tons of lessons for innovation, leadership, and learning is "The Great Bridge". Aso just started reading "Columbus" by Lawrence Bergren. Columbus reminds me a lot of Steve Jobs - so far most lessons are of the what not to do variety.

[John Spence]

I just posted a video blog challenging folks to read 12 business books in 2012 -- which would actually put you in the top 1% in the world for self learning/self-improvement reading!!! here is a link to the blog –

http://blog.johnspence.com/2011/12/12-2012-challenge/

And if you'd like my list of the top 100 or so business books I've ever read just sent me a note and I will be happy to send it to you. john@johnspence.com

[Beverly Peterson]

Great list! Thanks for a really thoughtful compilation. Glad to learn about Pixar's civility code. I've heard that animation houses are a nightmare.

[Bob Sutton]

Wally,

There YOU go again,challenging me.I will read Great By Choice. I have known Morten Hansen for a good 15 years or more, and he is very talented guy. I was frankly quite put of by the excessive claims in Good to Great, although I liked the ideas and writing style. I am hoping that by having a real scholar like Morten in the mix -- rather than a fake one like Collins, if he were a doctor, he would be quack -- has repaired things. As for Team of Rivals, great book, that one is worth turning it up to 12.

[Wally Bock]

There you go again, Bob, challenging me to evaluate my reading list. I read Progress Principle this year and immediately began recommending it to those who asked for an alternative to Dan Pink's speechwriter's approach to motivation. It's one of the best books I've read in years.

Alas, the Kahneman book has been on my "must-read" list for a couple of years now. I'll have to move it up and apply some discipline to get started reading it. Thanks for pointers to two books I wasn't really aware of before reading this list, The Pixar Touch and Collaboration. BTW, I think you should get to Great by Choice. I think the Collins/Hansen partnership is a very good one.

I find that most of my "boss" readers don't read a lot of political history. Because of that, I'd replace your Panama Canal book with Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It's great history with great lessons for any boss who works with teams, with is all of them.

I suspect you're too modest to mention your own work, but two of your books are in my must read list. There's Good Boss, Bad Boss for one. I'd supplement it with Linda Hill and Kent Lineback's Being the Boss. And I love your book with Jeffrey Pfeffer, Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths and Total Nonsense.

Another suggestion from among fairly recent books is David Maister's wonderful Strategy and the Fat Smoker.

OK, that's it. Now I'm waiting for the Amazon gift cards that will enable me to buy some of these. Thanks for kick-starting my thinking about what to read.