Top Leadership books curated by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we have connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favouriteLeadership books – and here are the answers.

  • Curated by industry experts
  • Proven learning resources
  • Updated annually
Top Leadership books recommended by experts
User Check

Did you know?

We have over 3,000 mentors available right now!

Fundamentals of Leadership

Understanding the concepts of Leadership starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Primal Leadership

Primal Leadership

"Primal Leadership" by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee explores how effective leaders use emotional intelligence to motivate others and build strong relationships. It offers insights and strategies for developing these skills and creating a positive work environment.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time

Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time

In Leadership BS, Jeffrey Pfeffer shines a bright light on the leadership industry, showing why it's failing and how it might be remade. He sets the record straight on the oft-made prescriptions for leaders to be honest, authentic, and modest, tell the truth, build trust, and take care of others…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

On becoming a leader

On becoming a leader

Providing essential and timeless insights for generations of readers, On Becoming a Leader delves into the qualities that define leadership, the people who exemplify it, and the strategies that anyone can apply to achieve it.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

True North

True North

True North (2007) is a guide to discovering your inner compass and staying true to yourself, all while developing the skills you need to be an authentic leader. By uncovering your values and motivations, you'll gain the tools you need to build a professional life that remains true to who you are…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Tribes

Tribes

Tribes by Seth Godin is a leadership book that argues in favor of creating a loyal and engaged following to achieve any type of goals. It offers tips on how to identify and nurture a tribe, build trust and inspire action.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Unbreakable: Building and Leading Resilient Teams

Unbreakable: Building and Leading Resilient Teams

They highlight four team resources that are essential to any resilient team, including: team confidence, teamwork roadmaps, capacity to improvise, and psychological safety. These four resources are brought to life through compelling stories of teams that performed well in the face of adversity—a…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Additional Leadership Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Leadership, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

The Lean Startup

The Lean Startup

In his book, Eric Ries applies science to entrepreneurship. He tells businesses, and especially startups, how to start small and simple, then grow through learning, testing, measuring, and rapidly innovating.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

How to win friends and influence people. How to stop worrying and start living

How to win friends and influence people. How to stop worrying and start living

This carefully crafted "How To Stop Worrying And Start Living & How To Make Friends And Influence People (Unabridged)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – The book's goal is to lead the reader to a more enjoyable…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition

Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition

An INFLUENCER replaces bad behaviors with powerful new skills. An INFLUENCER makes things happen. This is what it takes to be an INFLUENCER. Whether you're a CEO, a parent, or merely a person who wants to make a difference, you probably wish you had more influence with the people in your life.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Leading Lightly: Lower Your Stress, Think with Clarity, and Lead with Ease

Leading Lightly: Lower Your Stress, Think with Clarity, and Lead with Ease

Leading lightly is about looking at what you do through a radical new lens. It’s a way to powerfully transform your performance, make better decisions, gain greater self-awareness, and develop the capacity to manage your work and life with enduring ease and clarity. An alternative to the everyda…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

“Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts” by Brené Brown is about leadership – but leadership with a human face. She doesn't talk about productivity techniques for outstanding results; she talks about the psychology of relationships in a business environment.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization

The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization

In The 360 Degree Leader, you will learn how to: overcome the challenges facing the vast majority of professionals; understand the pressures and pain points that come from being caught in the middle; and gain the confidence and competence to step into their roles as significant influencers.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

Augment your Leadership books

There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!

Still not convinced? Don't just take our word for it

We've already delivered 1-on-1 mentorship to thousands of students, professionals, managers and executives. Even better, they've left an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for our mentors.

Find a Leadership mentor