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the best books on leadership

The leadership books most often recommended by founders, executives, military leaders, and authors in our 4,800-recommender index. Ranked by how many notable readers have publicly endorsed each title — with sources where we have them.

60 books, ranked by how many of the 4,800 notable readers in our index have publicly recommended each one.

  1. Thinking, Fast and Slow
    65 people

    Thinking, Fast and Slow

    Daniel Kahneman · 2011

    65 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  2. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
    58 people

    The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

    Ben Horowitz · 2014

    58 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  3. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
    52 people

    Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

    James Clear · 2018

    52 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  4. Principles: Life and Work
    50 people

    Principles: Life and Work

    Ray Dalio · 2017

    50 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  5. How to Win Friends and Influence People
    40 people

    How to Win Friends and Influence People

    Dale Carnegie, Robert Petkoff, Donna Dale Carnegie, Simon & Schuster Audio · 1998

    40 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  6. High Output Management
    36 people

    High Output Management

    Andrew S. Grove · 1995

    36 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  7. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
    34 people

    Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

    Greg McKeown · 2014

    34 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  8. Good To Great : Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't
    32 people

    Good To Great : Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't

    Jim Collins · 2001

    32 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  9. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
    29 people

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

    Stephen R. Covey · 2004

    29 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  10. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
    29 people

    The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

    Charles Duhigg · 2012

    29 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  11. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
    25 people

    Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

    Cal Newport · 2016

    25 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  12. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
    21 people

    Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

    Simon Sinek · 2009

    21 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  13. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition)
    20 people

    Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition)

    Jocko Willink · 2015

    20 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  14. Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
    20 people

    Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

    Kim Scott · 2017

    20 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  15. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
    19 people

    Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

    Chip Heath and Dan Heath · 2007

    19 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  16. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
    19 people

    The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done

    Peter F. Drucker · 2006

    19 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  17. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
    19 people

    The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

    Ryan Holiday · 2014

    19 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  18. Ego is the Enemy
    18 people

    Ego is the Enemy

    Ryan Holiday · 2016

    18 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  19. Team of Rivals
    16 people

    Team of Rivals

    Doris Kearns Goodwin · 2006

    16 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  20. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
    14 people

    Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

    Sheryl Sandberg · 2013

    14 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  21. Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs
    14 people

    Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

    John Doerr · 2018

    14 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  22. Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail
    13 people

    Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail

    Ray Dalio · 2021

    13 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  23. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
    13 people

    Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

    Chip Heath & Dan Heath · 2010

    13 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  24. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
    12 people

    Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

    Daniel H. Pink · 2009

    12 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  25. No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention
    11 people

    No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

    Erin Meyer & Reed Hastings · 2020

    11 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  26. Leadership: In Turbulent Times
    10 people

    Leadership: In Turbulent Times

    Doris Kearns Goodwin · 2018

    10 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  27. Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization
    9 people

    Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization

    Dave Logan · 2008

    9 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  28. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
    8 people

    The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

    Patrick Lencioni · 1900

    8 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  29. Crucial Conversations
    7 people

    Crucial Conversations

    Kerry Patterson · 2002

    7 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  30. Dare to Lead
    7 people

    Dare to Lead

    Brené Brown · 2018

    7 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  31. Leaders Eat Last
    6 people

    Leaders Eat Last

    Simon Sinek · 2014

    6 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  32. Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
    6 people

    Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders

    L. David Marquet · 2013

    6 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  33. The Art of War
    5 people

    The Art of War

    Sun Zi · 1900

    5 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  34. Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
    5 people

    Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

    Seth Godin · 2008

    5 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  35. Atomic Habits
    4 people

    Atomic Habits

    James Clear · 2022

    4 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  36. Leadership and Self-Deception
    4 people

    Leadership and Self-Deception

    The Arbinger Institute · 2002

    4 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  37. Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
    4 people

    Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

    Liz Wiseman · 2010

    4 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  38. No Rules Rules
    4 people

    No Rules Rules

    Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer · 2020

    4 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  39. Principles of Optics: 60th Anniversary Edition
    4 people

    Principles of Optics: 60th Anniversary Edition

    Max Born · 2019

    4 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  40. Winning
    4 people

    Winning

    Jack Welch · 2005

    4 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  41. First, Break All The Rules
    3 people

    First, Break All The Rules

    Marcus Buckingham & Gallup Organization · 1998

    3 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  42. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
    3 people

    The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

    John C. Maxwell · 1998

    3 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  43. The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (J-B Leadership Challenge: Kouzes/Posner)
    3 people

    The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (J-B Leadership Challenge: Kouzes/Posner)

    James M. Kouzes · 2023

    3 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  44. Winning
    3 people

    Winning

    Tim S. Grover · 2021

    3 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  45. Principles of Psychology
    2 people

    Principles of Psychology

    William James · 1890

    2 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  46. The Art of War in the Middle Ages
    2 people

    The Art of War in the Middle Ages

    Charles Oman · 1960

    2 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  47. The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
    2 people

    The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

    Peter M. Senge · 2006

    2 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  48. Winning Chess Strategy (for Kids)
    2 people

    Winning Chess Strategy (for Kids)

    Jeff Coakley, Antoine Duff · 2000

    2 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  49. Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term
    2 people

    Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term

    David M. Cote · 2020

    2 recommenders

    AmazonBookshop
  50. Deep Work: Focused Success in a Distracted World
    1 person

    Deep Work: Focused Success in a Distracted World

    Cal Newport · 2016

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  51. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
    1 person

    Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

    Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones · 2009

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  52. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown: Key Takeaways, Analysis & Review
    1 person

    Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown: Key Takeaways, Analysis & Review

    Instaread · 2015

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  53. How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age
    1 person

    How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age

    Dale Carnegie · 2011

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  54. Primal Leadership, With a New Preface by the Authors: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
    1 person

    Primal Leadership, With a New Preface by the Authors: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence

    Daniel Goleman · 2013

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  55. Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling
    1 person

    Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling

    Rex Kline · 1998

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  56. Principles of Microeconomics
    1 person

    Principles of Microeconomics

    Frank · 2007

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  57. Principles of Quantum Mechanics
    1 person

    Principles of Quantum Mechanics

    R. Shankar · 1994

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  58. Principles of Social Justice
    1 person

    Principles of Social Justice

    David Miller · 1999

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  59. Principles to Fortune
    1 person

    Principles to Fortune

    Scott J Bintz · 2018

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop
  60. The 12 Week Year
    1 person

    The 12 Week Year

    Brian P. Moran · 2013

    1 recommender

    AmazonBookshop

other topic hubs

Methodology: each book is ranked by the number of recommenders in our index who have publicly endorsed it. Curated topics use a hand-picked book list; year-stamped pages query our index by publication year. More on methodology →