Our Favourite Leadership Reads
At Creative Coaching there is nothing we love more than absorbing ourselves in a good book. It’s all part of the ongoing journey to support ourselves — and you — as great leaders.
From Good to Great — Jim Collins
An excellent read which outlines how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an organization from the very beginning. We are impressed by his definitions of a ‘great’ leader, particularly the emphasis on humility as a strength.
Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence– Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee
This book first introduced us to the term ‘emotional intelligence’ and established it as a necessary attribute of successful leaders. Focusing on the four domains of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management — the authors explore what contributes to and detracts from what they call “resonant” leadership. An eye-opening read for new and established readers alike.
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most — Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, Sheila Heen
This is much more than a business book for leaders, it is a book for anyone who has ever had to have a difficult conversation — be that with your boss, team member, spouse or good friend. A practical read you can turn to time and time again, this book equips us with practical skills for handling those all important emotionally loaded conversations.
Why We Do What We Do — Edward Deci
A thought provoking read by psychologist Edward Deci who holds the view that supporting a person’s autonomy is the best way to motivate them. Contrary to popular belief that a person feels motivated to perform under a promise of reward, Deci instead maintains that this particular belief actually works against performance. A must read if you’ve ever wondered why people do what they do.
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action — Simon Sinek
In this book Sinek shares an incredibly simple yet powerful concept. He illustrates that the greatest leaders and most successful entrepreneurs all started with ‘why’ — they all got clear on their purpose and used this to drive their success. For an organisation, knowing your why makes decision making so much easier.
What are your favourite leadership reads?
Tania Watson is the founder of Creative Coaching and an executive coach, organisational consultant and leadership specialist. Creative Coaching is a successful company dedicated to the development of senior leaders in organisations through one to one coaching, intact team development and group facilitation. If you or someone from your organisation would like to have a no obligation conversation about how Creative Coaching may be able to help, please email Tania directly at tania@twcreativecoaching.com.
