Leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate others to achieve a common goal. In a business sense, it is the ability to direct your colleagues towards your set business’s goals. To lead effectively, you must communicate original and borrowed ideas to others, for them to act towards your vision. The leader needs to inspire others at a personable level and also have critical thinking skills to properly direct resources. The following 5 books can help you develop and improve your leadership skills.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons for Personal Change — Stephen R. Covey
Stephen Covey’s book was first published in 1988, but its lessons remain relevant today. The book made people realize that there are many small things they could do to live more effective lives. Covey discusses his 7 habits that leaders must have which range from proactivity, win-win thinking, to communicating effectively. The book introduces the concept of paradigm shifts and maturity continuum.
How to Win Friends & Influence People — Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie is widely regarded as a pioneer in self-improvement. Published in 1936, this book still impacts people’s lives today. Carnegie posits that 85% of financial success depends on the ability to assume leadership and inspire enthusiasm in others. The ability for someone to get people to do what they want entails seeing the other person’s point of view. The book is all about relationship building which allows for personal and business success.
Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace — John C. Maxwell
This is one of the newer books, which was published in 2019. Maxwell shares 11 paradigm shifts that leaders need, to improve their performance and have a successful career. The book teaches the reader to identify the costs of leadership develop the moral authority to become a transformational leader. It reminds of the Sisters of OZ Wowpot slot game, in which you change your path while following four bewitching sisters. Eventually, they lead you to win a prize.
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us — Seth Godin
Published in 2008, this book states that everyone can start a movement by creating a tribe of like-minded people. Seth Godin explains that a big part of leadership is the ability for individuals to stick with their dreams long enough. That way critics eventually see their determination and ultimately begin following their vision.
On Becoming a Leader — Warren Bennis
Warren Bennis was a pioneer in leadership studies. This book was published in 1989 and in it, Bennis says that leaders are made and not born. He provides essential insights to readers and defines the qualities that people need to achieve leadership. He also delves into strategies that the readers can apply to attain excellence in leadership.
Conclusion
The importance of reading books which educate you cannot be gainsaid. The lessons you learn from them will definitely change a certain aspect of your life or lead to a total overhaul of your world view. This will make you a better and more effective person than you have been before. They are called self-help books because you can personally apply their lessons, without the guide of a mentor or teacher. The highly motivational messages in the books transcend generations, remaining relevant today and tomorrow.
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