Top 10 Must Read Books on Leadership Coaching

10 Books for Every Leadership Coach

There are thousands of books available on leadership coaching, but you cannot read them all. We have picked the ten best books for you to make it easy. These books are real game changers in the life of every leadership coach who’s leading and creating an impact globally.

1.The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins 

Publication Date: September 18, 2003

Summary

Harvard Business Professor Michael Watkins explained in the book how taking charge in the first 90 days will help you lead a team more efficiently. Having a road map in your head before joining a new position and implementing your ideas as soon as you start is so important. The book promotes yourself and ensures success by making a solid plan. One must learn from past mistakes at work but grow from them and move ahead. You have to be a quick learner and have an open approach to welcome new ideas to engage more people with your ideas. 

Your first 90 days are a time for you to make your team realize what a bliss it is to have you on board. The book will teach you about building a team and connecting with the whole team on every possible level. 

Review

This book is for you if you are taking over a senior role at your current or new workplace. This is for the readers who hesitate to share their ideas because they have just joined. The author has explained that you must kickstart your ideas as soon as you enter and work on creating a connection with your team. It is undoubtedly an incredible read to learn how to be yourself and still make an impact with your smart strategies.  

2.Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek

Publication Date: May 23, 2017

Summary

The core idea of the book revolves around two types of teams. The first type of team is people coming together as one unit. They agree on ideas and have a holistic bond of respect among all the organizational hierarchies. The other type of team is people who have fragmented thoughts and never agree on any idea. The people in this team have a selfish approach, and their priority is not organizational growth. Simon Sinek talked with Marine Corps General to explain why some teams stay intact and others fall.

 He discusses the concept of a “circle of safety.” The idea refers to the organizations that add trust and confidence in the team and move ahead for joint success. The book defines how a team should be together against the outside world. By using real-life stories of big businessmen, military officers, and investment advisors, he tried to give a clear picture of how teams operate. 

Review

The amount of research the author had done to compile this book is commendable. The book focuses on treating the team well and giving equal chances for growth to everyone. The book has covered various difficult aspects in a very innovative and convincing manner. The way Simon has explained the psychology of human hormones playing a role in everything we do is great. The book has a very convincing tone and will bring a positive change in your perspectives.

3.The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick M. Lencioni

Publication Date: April 11, 2002

Summary

After two best-sellers to help CEOs and Executives, Patrick came up with this amazing book for teams. His keen knowledge and storytelling skills make the reader understand the issue’s significance. Patrick has explained why even the best teams struggle to meet their goals. He created a powerful model and a step-by-step guide for organizations to avoid common dysfunctions every team encounters. A compelling and convincing approach to developing effective strategies to ensure better performance as a team. 

Review

We usually don’t find fable books interesting, but this one is truly amazing. Patrick has a great way of telling a story to harness a lesson from it. The book is great for business leaders who struggle to manage a team. This book is for you if you wish to build and facilitate a strong team.

4.Principles, Ray Dalio 

Publication Date: September 19. 2017

Summary

Ray Dalio is one of the most influential investors and businessmen, leading the industry for over three decades. He has compiled some principles for aspiring leaders that he has designed, redefined, and implemented in his life. His own life is an inspiration as he started an investment firm from a two-room office in his home, and within four years, his company had some record-breaking success. In this book, He explains how the ideas, strategies, and rules can operate like a machine to make them more systematic. The book tells the readers that having a set of principles helps a lot with decision-making. Having a transparent and straightforward approach to making smart choices ensures your business’s long-lasting success. 

Review

This book is fantastic, with organized ideas to set some rules for a better-performing team. The book is very nicely bound, and as a reader, I enjoyed the systemic way of storytelling. Reading a book written by a successful reader about his real-life experiences is always a delight. It’s an inspiring read for aspiring leaders who want to lead the world.

5.Execution, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

Publication Date: June 15, 2002

Summary

Execution is a book for leaders who care about their business and want it to grow fiercely. It’s a compilation of ideas, strategies, and different approaches to reframe and empower the ideology of your business. Understanding that growth is a process and you need to work hard to make the best out of it is the core idea of this book. The book covers ideas including competitiveness in the business, risk management, responsiveness toward new challenges, and much more. It is a business book that can transform your ability to see from a bigger perspective. It includes paradigmatic case studies of real-life scenarios to make it more relatable for the readers. 

Review

The concepts and strategies presented in this book are very beneficial. The book will make you understand the several behaviors of a reader and how people can expand their capabilities. Multiple values, beliefs, and ideas set a foundation of an organization, and it is important to sustain them. Execution will help the reader to learn management skills and how to have a problem-solving approach in times of trouble. You will get an idea about how strategic planning can help an organization to ensure long-term success.

6.Start with Why, Simon Sinek 

Publication Date: December 27, 2011

Summary

The book revolves around the idea of “WHY,” which means more questioning. Simon Sinek is an inspiring author, always motivating readers to do better. In this book, he explains that people at work should consider the “WHY” a way to grow their knowledge. Why does an organization have innovative ideas? Why an individual or a company is growing faster than others? Why do some teams perform better than others? Why a leader has more impact and many other similar questions. 

Start with Why discusses that most successful leaders adopt similar strategies to ensure their growth while others keep wondering. It provides a framework for readers named The Golden Circle, which can help organizations build movements to create a global impact. The book covers the stories of many global companies, successful and unsuccessful. This comparison was designed to give readers an insight into what makes an organization work better than others. 

Review

Real-life stories are always inspiring, and Simon’s storytelling keeps you hooked on the book. This book will pleasantly surprise you from the first to the last page. You will understand your life’s purpose and learn some innovative leadership skills. The takeaways from this book will help you in your professional and personal life. 

7.Coaching Agile Teams, Lyssa Adkins

Publication Date: May 2010

Summary

Coaching Agile Teams is a help book for aspiring agile coaches. The book covers all the ideas, skills, and patterns you need to master to become an agile coach. An agile coach is a mentor, listener, problem solver, and mediator, all in one for the client. The book discusses various leadership styles a leader can adopt to be more self-organized to ensure better team performance. Business growth is constant, and to make it frequent, a leader must invest in the team. Learning from failure and coming out of it stronger as a team is the core learning of this book. It assures that a business’s recovery and success depend on a strong team. 

Review

The book has many chapters and covers almost all the techniques to handle agile teams. Coaching agile teams is a learning process for a coach to never give up on their team. There is always room for improvement, and you can create a change if you focus on where you lack as a leader. This book has opened my eyes and made me understand how managing a team is important for growth. Click here to buy the book.

8.The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes, and Barry Posner

Publication Date: 1987

Summary

The Leadership Challenge is one of the pioneer books on this topic. It has multiple additions because of its high demand among readers. The book covers almost 100 case studies to present a framework of five exemplary practices and leadership styles. It covers all the aspects of leadership practices and people’s expectations of Leadership. The book is available in 20+ languages. It targets real leaders and explains the challenges they face in their careers. The central idea of this book is that Leadership is for Everyone and can be implemented in both professional and personal life. The book discusses with managers and CEOs how to get clarity on what leadership skills can ensure growth.

Review

The Leadership Challenge is undoubtedly a classical gem that every leader should read. The five practices mentioned in the book give a whole new perspective on leadership skills. This is not a conventional read; even after years, it has the power to create an impact on the readers. Once you read this book, you will see that it can transform your life differently. This book will not disappoint you as it presents a comprehensive model of Leadership that is easy and essential to understanding.

9.How Highly Effective People Speak, Peter Andrei 

Publication Date: May 29, 2020

Summary

The book is a very interesting read to understand human behavior. It reflects every action we take and how it impacts us and others. It covers many emotional and practical aspects of the thinking process of a human. The idea of trust and distrust, liking and disliking, praise and criticism, everything affects human behavior. In this book, you will get a chance to explore 194 communication ways to transform your interactions and influence people. It includes the communication strategies used by some great leaders and coaches. The book reveals countless ways to change your life by acing every presentation and locking the deals to get more profit with less effort. 

Review

If you are an entrepreneur or aspiring leader, the book will help you improve your emotional and cognitive abilities to deal with life. The book is easy to read and well researched, with no irrelevant information. The book will help the readers to improve their communication skills to create a substantial impact. Get your book from here. 

10.How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie 

Publication date: October 1936

Summary

A classic self-help book about techniques to handle people in a personal and professional capacity: the author discusses the ways to make people feel more connected and open with you. Influencing others is not as easy as it seems; you must be very thoughtful and wise in your approach while reaching out to people. Your arguments should not be offensive and resentful but constructive so people can learn from you. The book is an amalgamation of methods and strategies to make your interactions more meaningful. You can reach your maximum potential and set the bar high for people who look forward to learning from you. 

Review

The book is great for people who want to be likable based on their skills. Every human craves attention and wants to create an influence, but not everyone gets it. Every interaction you make in your life matters, and with the ways and techniques mentioned in this book, you can make it worthwhile. Get your book now.