A headline in an email newsletter caught my eye recently :
These Books Can Help You Become a More Effective Leader at Work
Congrats on the promotion. Now it’s time to face everything you don’t know (yet).
The article then lists what it calls The best books on leadership recommending a list of eight titles to help readers get to grips with being a manager and leader.
Some months back we produced a blog piece called Stepping up : a guide for the new manager that provided a compilation of some of the many library resources we have to support your transition into a new, senior, role.
We can’t list everything the library holds relevant to a blog topic so this blog supplements the first. All the recommended items on the list are to be found in the Wellington City Libraries collections.
Whether you are new to a leadership role or struggling with making progress in a role you have been in for a while here’s the listing as outlined in the article and links to each item in the collection.
Read on …
The making of a manager : what to do when everyone looks to you / Zhuo, Julie
“Leading a team for the first time is a daunting endeavour. When Julie Zhuo became a new manager at the age of twenty-five, she stared at a long list of logistics and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. Now, having managed teams spanning tens to hundreds of people, Julie knows the most important lesson of all: great managers are made, not born. This guide is packed with everyday examples and insights that will help readers get the respect and results needed in managerial roles.” (Catalogue)
Surrounded by idiots : the four types of human behavior and how to effectively communicate with each in business (and in life) / Erikson, Thomas
“Erikson explains that there are four key behavior types that define how we interact with and perceive the people around us. Reds are dominant and commanding, Yellows are social and optimistic, Greens are laid back and friendly, and Blues are analytical and precise. Understanding someone’s pattern of behavior is the key to successful communication. Erikson provides practical advice for interacting with people based on their color profiles. — adapted from jacket” (Catalogue) Also available as EAudiobook Libby and as EBook Libby
How to lead when you’re not in charge : leveraging influence when you lack authority / Scroggins, Clay
In How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, author and pastor Clay Scroggins explains what is needed to be a great leader—even when you answer to someone else. Drawing from biblical principles and his experience as a megachurch pastor, Clay will help you nurture your vision and cultivate influence, even when you lack authority in your organization. Every leader, young or old, resonates with the dead-end feeling of not being in charge. Too often the lack of authority paralyzes leaders, leaving them believing they must wait to be in charge until they can lead. One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead. Great leaders don’t buy it. Great leaders lead with or without the authority to lead. Because every road of leadership forks at the intersection of authority and influence, learning to cultivate influence without authority is foundational to navigating culture today.” (Catalogue) Note only available through EAudiobook Libby.
Dare to lead : brave work, tough conversations, whole hearts / Brown, Brené
“Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers. We stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it. We know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations. We lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and artificial intelligence can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?” (Catalogue) Also available as EBook Libby and EAudiobook Libby
Do the work! : overcome resistance and get out of your own way / Pressfield, Steven
Could you be getting in your way of producing great work? Have you started a project but never finished? Would you like to do work that matters, but don’t know where to start? The answer is Do the Work, a manifesto by bestselling author Steven Pressfield, that will show you that it’s not about better ideas, it’s about actually doing the work. Do the Work is a weapon against Resistance–a tool that will help you take action and successfully ship projects out the door. Picking up where The War of Art and Turning Pro left off, Do the Work takes the reader from the start to the finish of any long-form project–novel, screenplay, album, software piece, you name it. Do the Work identifies the predictable Resistance Points along the way and walks you through each of them. No, you are not crazy. No, you are not alone. No, you are not the first person to “hit the wall” in Act Two. Do the Work charts the territory. It’s the stage-by-stage road map for taking your project from Page One to THE END.” (Catalogue)
Think again : the power of knowing what you don’t know / Grant, Adam M.
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, the most crucial skill may be the ability to rethink and unlearn. Recent global and political changes have forced many of us to re-evaluate our opinions and decisions. Yet we often still favour the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt, and prefer opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. Intelligence is no cure, and can even be a curse. The brighter we are, the blinder we can become to our own limitations. Adam Grant offers bold ideas and rigorous evidence to show how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, encourage others to rethink topics as wide-ranging as abortion and climate change, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You’ll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, and how a vaccine whisperer convinces anti-vaxxers to immunize their children. Think Again is an invitation to let go of stale opinions and prize mental flexibility, humility, and curiosity over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what you don’t know is wisdom.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Available as EAudiobook Borrowbox and also EBook Libby
Great at work : how top performers do less, work better, and achieve more / Hansen, Morten T
“Why do some people perform better at work than others? This deceptively simple question continues to confound professionals in all sectors of the workforce. Now, after a unique, five-year study of more than 5,000 managers and employees, Morten Hansen reveals the answers in his “Seven Work Smarter Practices” that can be applied by anyone looking to maximize their time and performance. Each of Hansen’s seven practices is highlighted by inspiring stories from individuals in his comprehensive study… Each chapter contains questions and key insights to allow you to assess your own performance and figure out your work strengths, as well as your weaknesses. Once you understand your individual style, there are mini-quizzes, questionnaires, and clear tips to assist you focus on a strategy to become a more productive worker. Extensive, accessible, and friendly, Great at Work will help you achieve more by working less, backed by unprecedented statistical analysis” — From Amazon.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
What got you here won’t get you there : how successful people become even more successful / Goldsmith, Marshall
“What’s holding you back? Your hard work is paying off, you are doing well–but there is something standing between you and the next level of achievement. Perhaps one small flaw–a behavior you barely even recognize–is the only thing that’s keeping you from where you want to be. Here, executive coach Goldsmith discusses not only the key beliefs of successful leaders, but also the behaviors that hold them back. He addresses the fundamental problems that often come with success, and offers ways to attack them. He outlines twenty habits commonly found in the corporate environment and provides a systematic approach to helping you achieve a positive change in behavior.–From publisher description.” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
