By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Nurse leaders sometimes ask me about the “one” thing they could do to be better leaders. My answer is always the same – read. What I have observed from my own experience is how important consistent and intentional reading can be to develop your leadership skills and enhance your growth. I have seen from personal experience the important role intentional and consistent reading can play in honing leadership skills and advancing personal growth. I am a firm believer in the quote from the late President Harry Truman “not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers“. Through reading, you can gain insight from the experiences of others and can enhance your own creativity. While reading nursing journals is good, it is not enough. We must look behind the work in our own discipline. So when you are asked what do you want for a holiday gift, make sure your list includes at least one book. Here are ten of my favorite leadership books that I refer to again and again:
Good to Great by Jim Collins – this book profoundly changed my thinking about making decisions about what opportunities to pursue and what to let go of. Collins found in his research that the main reason certain companies become great is they narrowly focus the company’s resources on their field of key competence. I love his hedgehog concept with three overlapping circles where you ask the question – What lights your fire (“passion”)? What could you be best in the world at (“best at”)? What makes you money (“driving resource”)?
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey – I continue to refer to this oldie but goodie all the time in my work. Covey beautifully summarizes a principle-centered approach to use in solving both your personal and leadership problems.
Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath – This book will fundamentally change the way you make decisions by offering a framework that encourages you to think more broadly when faced with challenges. Too often, we self-impose limited options.
The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner – This is an evidence-based book on the five practices of exemplary leadership that have been adopted by more leaders globally than any other on the market. If you use this as your framework for your leadership, you will be very successful in achieving your goals.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg – Duhigg does a masterful job in this book of looking at scientific research to explain why we do what we do in our practice and life. More importantly, he provides a very useful model of how to be more successful in changing our habits.
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – This book might seem like an unusual choice for a leadership reading list but as I often tell my students – successful leaders need to learn to manage their own finances before they assume responsibility for large budgets in organizations. Ramsey has millions of followers in the United States because he provides simple steps to getting out of debt and building wealth.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith – All of us have unconscious, annoying habits. Most leadership books focus on what we should be doing in leadership. In this incredibly insightful book, Goldsmith discusses what leaders need to STOP doing because they have the potential to derail one’s career.
Essentialism by Greg McKeown – In this widely acclaimed book, McKeown provides leaders with a different paradigm on how to look at managing your time and energy. It is described as the disciplined pursuit of less by eliminating the nonessentials in one’s work.
First, Break All the Rules by the Gallup Corporation – This wonderful book draws from decades of work by the Gallup Corporation on what the world’s best managers do differently. The essence of their findings is that great managers build on the strengths of their employees instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell – This book masterfully pulls together a wide range of leadership insights into the 21 Irrefutable Laws. It is a must read for beginning leaders and not surprisingly has been a New York Times Bestseller for almost two decades.
Leadership is a journey and often not an easy one. By reading to lead, you will gain important new insights but also recognize that your challenges are probably universal. For me, a good leadership book is like having a conversation with a wise mentor whose experience I can benefit from and perhaps avoid making unnecessary mistakes.
© emergingrnleader.com 2016
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