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
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Top Leadership books recommended by experts
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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.

Think and Grow Rich

Think and Grow Rich

Think and Grow Rich is the number-one inspirational and motivational classic for individuals who are interested in furthering their lives and reaching their goals by learning from important figures in history. The text read in this audiobook is the original 1937 edition written by Napoleon Hill …

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.

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

His book Linchpin came out in 2008 and was the fastest-selling book of his career. Linchpin challenges you to stand up, do work that matters and race to the top instead of the bottom. More than that, though, the book outlines a massive change in our economy, a fundamental shift in what it means …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

Sent to the most violent battlefield in Iraq, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s SEAL task unit faced a seemingly impossible mission: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a city deemed “all but lost.” In gripping firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories in SEAL Team Three’s Task…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations

The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations

This book highlights the differences between good and great, and shows you how to bridge the chasm between getting things done and making things happen. Business is evolving at an increasingly rapid rate, and leaders must keep pace with the changes or risk stagnation.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team outlines the root causes of politics and dysfunction on the teams where you work, and the keys to overcoming them. Counter to conventional wisdom, the causes of dysfunction are both identifiable and curable. However, they don't die easily.

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.

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world.
How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical…

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.

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

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

“Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek offers a fresh perspective on leadership and organizational success. By understanding the power of starting with “why,” leaders can inspire action, build trust, and foster meaningful connections with their teams a…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization

Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization

John Wooden’s goal in 41 years of coaching never changed; namely, to get maximum effort and peak performance from each of his players in the manner that best served the team. Wooden on Leadership explains step-by-step how he pursued and accomplished this goal. Focusing on Wooden’s 12 Lessons in …

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.

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

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