2025 Summer Reading List for Leaders

NOTE: Links in this post are provided as a courtesy to the reader. The reviews are my own opinions, all of the books were purchased, and I do not receive any kind of compensation if you click on a link!

Great leaders are great readers. Whether it's gaining fresh insights, sparking creativity, or honing decision-making skills, the right book can be a game-changer. It's no coincidence that visionaries like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Warren Buffet dedicate significant time to reading. They understand that books—not just quick articles or trending posts—are a wellspring of knowledge and inspiration.

It's time for all of us to sharpen our leadership skills and broaden our horizons with some of the most impactful reads available. This curated list for 2024 isn't just a collection of titles; it's a roadmap for those committed to personal growth and leadership excellence. Dive in, discover new perspectives, and if any of these books resonate with you, let's talk. I'd love to hear your thoughts and discuss how these insights can elevate your leadership journey.

Leaders: 6 Books to Enhance Your Leadership Skills

1) Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Great Things, by Adam Grant

Growth isn't about talent. It's about traction.

Grant breaks down how leaders (and teams) can grow beyond credentials and early advantages.

One of my executive teams used this thinking to completely rework how they evaluate future leaders, shifting their focus from past roles to who’s demonstrating real learning agility, coachability, and capacity for enterprise-level leadership.

It’s made succession conversations far more honest and productive.

2) The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, by John Mark Comer

Slow down to lead better.

Leadership demands margin. This book challenges the "pace addiction" that’s eroding real leadership thinking.

I worked with one CEO who was trapped in constant tactical meetings. Using this framework, she redesigned her schedule to protect 5 hours a week of deep, strategic white space. That shift has allowed her to operate with much greater clarity, presence, and confidence, especially as her enterprise complexity keeps growing.

3) The Friction Project by Robert Sutton & Huggy Rao

Make the right things easier and the wrong things harder.

Friction quietly drains momentum. Sutton & Rao give leaders tools to systematically identify and remove bottlenecks. It’s your guide to eliminating the forces that make it harder, more complicated, or downright impossible to get things done in organizations.

Recently, one ELT client used this framework to eliminate a multi-level approval process that had paralyzed cross-functional work. That simple redesign freed up both decision speed and trust across the leadership team — directly impacting their ability to move on a major growth initiative.

4) The Motive, by Patrick Lencioni

Why are you leading?

Short, sharp, and incredibly useful for CEOs and senior leaders. This challenges leaders to own the responsibility that comes with the role.

One client shared how this book completely reframed their mindset. They stopped "rescuing" their team from hard conversations and shifted to building true leadership accountability. As a result, the team’s confidence — and decision-making depth — have expanded significantly.

5) The Next Day, by Melissa French Gates

Leadership is personal.

A beautiful reflection on transitions — professionally and personally.

Many clients are asking “what’s next?” as they navigate new roles, succession, or identity shifts.

We’ve been integrating this work directly through our Personal Development Plan framework, built from our recent certification in Transformational Coaching. I’ve seen leaders use this process to move from feeling stuck to confidently defining who they want to become, not just what they want to achieve next.

6) Love, Hope and Leadership, by Gary Burnison

Lead through complexity with heart and purpose.

Burnison, KornFerry's iconic CEO, brings practical wisdom and grounded perspective to what real leadership looks like in uncertain, high-pressure environments.

I’ve shared this with countless clients who are balancing major growth with personal responsibility — navigating the tension between results, relationships, and resilience. Korn Ferry should probably be giving me a discount at this point.

Growing as a Leader - Leadership Development

The books on this list are actively being used by my clients, mirroring conversations we are having every week. Building your leadership skills is an important and ongoing element of growing as a leader!

If you are hungry for more great reads, drop me a line. I have many more suggestions and I am always thrilled to share.

Challenge Yourself

• Have you read any of the books on this year's list? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments.
  

• Which one book on this list sounds most interesting to you?
  

• What title would you add to the list?
  

• What else is on your reading list?