Books About Leadership

Looking to round out a syllabus for a government or business class? Need inspiration and advice on how to lead with integrity, empathy, and bravery? Read on to discover analyses and discussion topics on titles focusing on leadership, self-help, and management.

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Parenting, Sociology, American Literature, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) is Jordan B. Peterson’s second book. Peterson’s self-help book seeks to provide practical and virtuous rules to live by for a wide audience and general readership. The book streamlines, simplifies, and reimagines some of the more traditionally academic topics of Peterson’s first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. Each non-fiction work aims to explain human history and human nature according to universal frameworks. 12... Read 12 Rules for Life Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore


Publication year 1989

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Military / War, Play: Drama, Crime / Legal, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Arts / Culture, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

A Few Good Men is a play written by Aaron Sorkin and first performed in 1989. The story involves a military lawyer who defends two Marines accused of murder. The play was well-received, and Sorkin adapted it into a screenplay for the film of the same name (released in 1992), which was a popular and critical success.Plot SummaryA Few Good Men opens as two Marines, Downey and Dawson, recall the details of a nighttime incident... Read A Few Good Men Summary


Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Military / War, Relationships, History: U.S., Cold War, Fantasy

Alas, Babylon is a 1959 novel by Pat Frank. Written during the Cold War, it is one of the earliest post-apocalyptic novels to deal with the potential consequences of nuclear war. It examines themes of nationalism, natural selection, deterrent force, and resilience and contains elements of dystopian literature.Plot SummaryAs the novel begins, Mark Bragg sends a telegram to his brother, Randy. The telegram includes the words, “Alas, Babylon,” their code for the onset of a... Read Alas, Babylon Summary


Publication year 1899

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Tags Military / War, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

Elbert Hubbard’s essay “A Message to Garcia” tells of the heroic journey of an Army soldier who must deliver a letter to a freedom fighter, and of the need for a similar spirit of determination in the workplace. The work first appeared as a magazine article in 1899 and became a pamphlet and book that reached millions of readers. “Carry a message to Garcia” (3) was a commonly used phrase in America during the first... Read A Message to Garcia Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World, Biography


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Christian literature, Inspirational, Leadership/Organization/Management, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Inspirational, Sociology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Education

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine

James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones is a guide to adopting good behaviors through incremental changes to your everyday routines. Avery first published the book in 2018, and this guide refers to the ebook edition. The book has unique pagination, with the page numbers beginning again at the start of each new chapter. Clear likely numbered his book this way because of his emphasis... Read Atomic Habits Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Sociology, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture

Daniel H. Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, released in 2005, considers and challenges society’s history of valuing left-brained attributes over creative and empathic right-brained thinkers. Pink, an author of several books on business and human behavior, argues that the age of left-brain supremacy is over, making way for whole-minded thinkers who will define and thrive within the coming Conceptual Age. Pink offers six essential whole-minded aptitudes that are key... Read A Whole New Mind Summary


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War

Tags Military / War, WWII / World War II, History: U.S., History: World, Biography

Band of Brothers is a nonfiction history of one World War II company of paratroopers, Easy Company of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne. Through a combination of narrative, interviews, maps, and excerpts from letters, Stephen E. Ambrose follows the lives of this group of soldiers from their training in 1942, their deployments in Europe, and their lives after the war. By focusing on the lives of members of one particular company, Ambrose reveals the reality... Read Band of Brothers Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Self Help


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Self Help, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality

Published in 2017, Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone presents insights and strategies for finding what Brown refers to as true belonging in a time of increasing cultural polarization in America. Based on Brown’s grounded theory research, true belonging is a practice that involves believing in and belonging to oneself so fully that one can share one’s innermost, authentic self with the rest of the... Read Braving the Wilderness Summary


Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Finance / Money / Wealth


Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Inspirational, Military / War, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government


Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Military / War, Psychology, Biography


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Romance

Catching Fire (2009) is the sequel to The New York Times bestseller The Hunger Games (2008), and the second novel in author Suzanne Collins’s trilogy of the same name. Catching Fire is a young adult dystopian science fiction novel that takes place in the future, amidst the ruins of what was once America. Catching Fire details the aftermath of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark’s victory in the 74th Hunger Games from the first novel. Despite... Read Catching Fire Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Sociology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology

Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs is a 2015 work of investigative nonfiction by British-Swiss author Johann Hari. Hari explores the so-called international war on drugs by looking deeply into its historical roots, its legal and social implications, and the possibility for reform. He examines addiction and the consequences of past and present drug laws across nine continents and 30,000 miles. A major focus is the criminalization and... Read Chasing the Scream Summary