20 Recommended Lead Reads

Written By Julie Pierce

Leaders are readers.

Leaders are challenged by new ideas and timeless principles found in the latest bestsellers as well as the classics. I often get asked for my favorite leadership books and find myself recommending some of the same ones over and over. The following is a list of my Top 20 Recommended Lead Reads (in alphabetical order). Some are traditional leadership or business books and others are focused on the inner work of leadership. All have had a significant impact on the person and leader I am today. Happy Reading!

  1. The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership: The Power of Leading from Your Heart, Soul, Mind, & Strength by Jenni Catron

  2. The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

  3. Boundaries for Leaders by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

  4. Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence by Jenni Catron

  5. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier

  6. Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results by Judith E. Glaser

  7. The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle

  8. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brene Brown

  9. Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others by Cheryl Bachelor

  10. Empowering Leadership: How a Leadership Development Culture Builds Better Leaders Faster by Michael Fletcher

  11. Follow the Cloud: Hearing God’s Voice One Next Step at a Time by John Stickl

  12. Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen

  13. Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins 

  14. The Heart of Leadership: Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow by Mark Miller

  15. LeaderShift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace by John Maxwell

  16. Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships that All of Us Have to Give Up to Move Forward by Dr. Henry Cloud

  17. The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip and Dan Heath

  18. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry by Ruth Haley Barton

  19. Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie

  20. Wired to Resist: The Brain Science of Why Change Fails and A New Model for Driving Success by Britt Andreatta



Julie Pierce