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 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

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


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

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


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Self Help

The nonfiction book Outliers: The Story of Success is Malcolm Gladwell’s third book, published in 2008. Gladwell is a prolific writer for the New Yorker, where he has been on staff since 1996. His writing often incorporates research from the social sciences, as in Outliers, in which he makes the case that the way we understand and portray success is wrong. Before joining the staff of the New Yorker, Gladwell was a reporter for the... Read Outliers Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Language

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


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

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


Publication year 1955

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Profiles in Courage articulates and argues for the significance of the idea of "political courage" in American political history. Through four parts, the author, President John F. Kennedy argues that the preeminent value of a senator is "political courage," which he defines from drawing from the lives of eight former American senators.The first of these Senators is John Quincy Adams, the son of President John Adams. Considering an embargo against Britain over its aggression on... Read Profiles in Courage Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Sociology, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Parenting

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is a nonfiction book by Susan Cain, published in 2012. It is considered part of the psychology and self-help genres. The book made several bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and National Public Radio. It also was voted the best nonfiction book of 2012 by the Goodreads Choice Awards and has been translated... Read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Science / Nature, Education, Sports, Music, Arts / Culture, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology


Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Animals, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction

Redwall is a middle-grade fantasy novel by British author Brian Jacques. It is the first book in a series of the same name that spans 22 volumes. The initial book was originally published in 1986, while the final installment, entitled Rogue Crew, wasn’t published until 2011, after the author’s death. Redwall was named to Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. Aside from the Redwall Series proper, Jacques also published a three-book series... Read Redwall Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 1969

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Social Justice, Politics / Government, Psychology, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 1998

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams

Tags Action / Adventure, Inspirational, History: World, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Biography

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance by American author Jennifer Armstrong is a work of narrative non-fiction that tells the story of the survival of explorer Ernest Henry Shackleton and the crew of the ship Endurance after they were shipwrecked in the Antarctic Circle. Published in 1998, the book was the winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction and was also named an... Read Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Business / Economics, Sports, Biography

Shoe Dog is a first-person memoir written by Nike cofounder Phil Knight. It was published in 2016. Shoe Dog primarily recounts the events from 1962, the year Knight traveled around the world as a young man, to 1980, the year Nike went public and Knight became a multimillionaire. The years in between are comprised of the struggles and challenges Knight faced as he worked to build the company that would ultimately be known worldwide as... Read Shoe Dog Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Business / Economics, Sports, Inspirational, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Biography


Publication year 2024

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

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


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language

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


Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Language

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Science / Nature, Sociology, Relationships, Business / Economics, Psychology


Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

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

In Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek explores the fundamental question of why some individuals, organizations, and movements succeed while others do not. Published in 2009, this book has been particularly impactful in the spaces of leadership and business strategy, offering a fresh perspective on how leaders can both inspire and motivate others. At the heart of Start With Why is the concept of the “golden circle,” a... Read Start With Why Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: The Future

Tags Business / Economics, Technology, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Steve Jobs (2011) is an authorized biography written by Walter Isaacson about the life of the late Apple founder and tech revolutionary. Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs, the book is an in-depth exploration of who Jobs was, from the story of his birth and subsequent adoption to his massive success at the helm of Apple. Jobs himself personally requested that Isaacson write his biography on a phone call in 2004. By the... Read Steve Jobs Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Language, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Self Help, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology