Developing Leaders Using Leadership Book Clubs

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Many health systems today face strong financial headwinds in 2025. Not surprisingly, CNOs frequently ask me about cost-effective ways to provide ongoing development for their nurse managers and emerging leaders. Professional development staff are so tied up with onboarding and the professional development of clinical staff that they often don’t have time to do leadership training. Sending nurse leaders to conferences has become costly. Bringing speakers in to do sessions is often more feasible, but even with that strategy, budgets are tight, and some leadership teams are small. Rather than having no development, which leaders desperately need, especially now, to be effective, consider less costly methods. One very cost-effective approach is to develop leaders using leadership book clubs.

Recently, I have talked with two leaders who have chosen this approach and picked one of my books as their book club selection. Both asked me to come in virtually for their book club kickoff, which I was happy to do. Lisa Henry, the Director of Nursing at Andrews Memorial Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, chose The Nurse Leader Coach because she had found it helpful in her leadership journey. Molly Kucera, the Associate Director of Ambulatory Surgery for the University of Iowa Health, chose Nursing Leadership in the New World of Work because she wanted to provide development about what perioperative leaders might need to do differently in the future. As is true of all my books, I had developed a book club guide to use the books for this purpose.

If this sounds like a strategy that could work for your team, here are some steps to get started:

Define the Purpose and Goals: Determine the main objectives of the book club. Are you focusing on improving leadership skills, discussing leadership theories, or exploring biographies of great leaders? Having clear goals will guide your book selection and discussions.
Select Members: Decide who the target audience is for the leadership development. While mixed groups of leaders can be the right choice, sometimes you may want to focus on nurse managers.
Choose Books: Select books that align with your goals. If your focus is on nursing leadership, you may want to choose work that is directed to leaders in nursing roles. Some popular choices in addition to my books include “Leadership Laboratory for Nurse Leaders” by Barbara Mackoff, “Enough: Eradicate Bullying and Incivility in Nursing” by Renee Thompson, and “Leader Inspired Work: Insights and Tools for Healthcare Managers” by Tim Darling at Laudio. Some popular leadership books not explicitly related to nursing leadership, but with great insight, include “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek, and “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown.
Set a Schedule: Decide how often the book club will meet. Monthly meetings are common, but you can adjust the frequency based on members’ availability. Set dates and times that work for everyone.
Create a Structure: Plan the format of your meetings. Will you have a facilitator for each session? Will you discuss specific chapters or themes? Having a structured approach will keep discussions focused and productive. Book club guides, when available, can help decide how to structure your meetings.
Facilitate Discussions: Encourage open and respectful dialogue. Select discussion questions in advance to stimulate conversation. You can also invite guest speakers or experts to provide more insights on the book’s topics.
Track Progress: Keep a record of the books you’ve read and the key takeaways from each discussion. This will help members see their progress and reflect on their learning journey.

Sometimes, authors or publishers offer bulk discounts on book orders over a certain number of copies to lower costs, so be sure to ask about this. Participants should not be expected to buy their books as they might in non-work book clubs. Also, ask about the availability of a book club guide. This will save time and offer great ideas for planning discussions for each session.

And lastly, make sure you frame your book club initiative as leadership development. Don’t make participation optional because those who need it most often opt out of attending.

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