If you are interested in leadership development but
you do not currently have the budget for an expensive training course, look no
further than your local library. Leaders have been telling their stories and
giving away their secrets for thousands of years, so your perfect recipe for
leadership success may well be hidden in some ancient text you have never heard
of. You can turn to the classics or embrace a more modern, scientific approach;
either way, you will be in good company.
Successful leaders, including
statesmen, generals, and presidents, have clung to the inspiring advice of
their predecessors throughout history. When picking a book to get started, we
recommend going with something in your comfort zone and that fits your line of
work. Machiavelli’s cut-throat tactics in The Prince may not suit your purposes if you are
trying to lead your daughter’s local PTA chapter. We also recommend reading
more than one book on the topic. You may be surprised to find that a work by a
famous military leader helps you out at coaching a sports team.
The Prince
This infamous work by Machiavelli has gone
down in history as a guide to immoral politics. The book is responsible for
creating the term “Machiavellian” as a descriptor for particularly ruthless
behavior. The Prince has perhaps gotten a bad rap, in part
because its ambiguous moral assumptions were in disagreement with the religious
values of Renaissance Italy. Even if you are not ready to be feared rather than
loved, you can probably glean some good advice from the short, enjoyable
volume. Beyond its rather scandalous reputation, the book has interesting
philosophical insights about human behavior and the history of leadership.
The Art of War
This is yet another book that may not suit
those who wish to become Sunday school leaders, but it applies phenomenally
well to modern business and sports scenarios. Attributed to Sun Tzu, a popular
Chinese military leader, the book originates from the time of Plato and
Aristotle. Much like texts by those authors, it has remained highly influential
throughout history. The Art of War lays out various steps to be followed
in order to gain military victory, and in doing so, it gives insight into
effective methods to deal with any opponent. It played a role in the leadership
strategies of figures such as Mao Zedong and General Douglas MacArthur and can
be found on the reading list for many contemporary business courses. If time is
the truest test of relevance, a copy of the book was found on a bamboo scroll
dating back over two thousand years.
The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People
This leadership classic by author Stephen
Covey has become one of the most influential business books of all time. It
profiles the habits of effective leaders and coined the phrase “abundance
mentality” to describe scenarios in which everyone can win, thus avoiding
negative, selfish competition. Bill Clinton actually asked Covey to advise him
on his presidency, which is a pretty good seal of approval.
What It Takes to Be #1:
Vince Lombardi on Leadership
Who better to give advice on leadership than
one of the greatest NFL coaches in the history of the sport? This leadership
classic is fun, inspiring, and easy to read. Lombardi was not only a historic
team leader; he was a successful motivational speaker. This book boils down his
coaching strategies and mottos to a leadership manual that is perfect for
business and community leaders.
Drive: The Surprising
Truth about What Motivates Us
If
dangling a carrot on a stick is not working for your team, you should perhaps
look into Daniel Pink’s 2009 New York Times bestseller. Pink claims that money and
accolades are not as motivating as the business world believes them to be, and
uses scientific support to back his claims. For Pink, the important ingredients
in motivation are all part of our internal drive for autonomy.
Author Bio:
Kate Simmons is a freelance journalist on everything related to business, leadership development training and management skills.
Kate Simmons is a freelance journalist on everything related to business, leadership development training and management skills.