Leaders Are Readers
Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. – Harry Truman
I firmly believe that your level of influence is directly correlated to the amount of reading that you do. I’ve grown tremendously since I’ve added reading to my regular routine, and I wanted to dedicate a page here to share with you some of the books that have had a tremendous impact on my life. This is by no means a complete list. It’s a work in progress, but I wanted to share it with you as I continue to add books that I have read and books that I am currently reading.
People who say they “don’t read” just haven’t found what interests them yet. Take a look around to see if you find something you like. You can sort it by category, author, or by how I “grade” them. If you have any questions about a book, or if you have book suggestions, shoot them my way. I love talking about books!
By the way, it’s probably not a good idea to look at this page on your phone. Unfortunately, the formatting on the table will look awful. It’s much better on a computer screen. Just thought I’d help!
| Rank | Book | Author | My Thoughts | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ |   | Carol Dweck | By far, my favorite book. Carol Dweck’s work has changed the way I talk to myself, my students, my colleagues, and my own children. Everyone should read this book, regardless of what field you are in. Paperback Kindle | Personal Growth |
| A+ |   | Daniel Pink | I love this book. People aren't motivated by the same things that motivated them in the past. In this book, Pink lays out the 3 biggest motivators in today's society: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. This is a must-read for anyone in a position that requires them to motivate people. It's been almost 5 years since I read it, and I reference it constantly.Hardcover Paperback Kindle | Leadership |
| A+ |   | Shane Snow | This was my favorite book of 2018! It challenged my thinking, and it has me reflecting on how I can better create "dream teams" at my school. Shane challenges us to hire "intellectually diverse" people and to create an environment that is conducive to that type of diversity. I can't do the book justice here. If you're in a leadership role that requires you to put together a team of people or a staff, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! Hardcover Kindle | Leadership |
| A+ |   | Malcolm Gladwell | This book is awesome! Gladwell talks about why the absolute best in the world became the best in the world. The stories are fascinating, and the takeaways are very practical. I even used this one in my AP Psych classes. The first time I read it, I couldn't put it down. Paperback Kindle | Success |
| A+ |   | Jon Gordon | Jon Gordon is my favorite author, and this is my favorite Jon Gordon book. One of my mentors recommended it to me, and once I read it, I started devouring all of Jon Gordon's stuff. The focus of the book is in the subtitle: "What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else." Lots of great, practical advice. Hardcover Kindle | Coaching, Leadership |
| A+ |   | Brene Brown | I absolutely loved this book! Being courageous as a leader requires vulnerability. Brene shows us how to be courageous leaders, and she gives a ton of practical steps that we can implement immediately. Care deeply for your people, and respect them enough to have the difficult conversations. Every leader should read this book! Hardcover Kindle | Leadership, Personal Development |
| A+ |   | Jim Collins | One of the best leadership/business books ever written. The research in this book is applicable to any team/business/organization. Find your hedgehog, and get that flywheel turning (you’ll have to read the book to understand those two things). Hardcover Kindle | Leadership |
| A+ |   | James Clear | Must read! James Clear is the expert on habit formation, and this book is a tremendous resource for anyone who wants to get better. It's very practical, and James gives us very actional steps toward self-improvement. Like the book says, "Design habits that work for you rather than against you." Hardcover Kindle | Personal Growth |
| A+ |   | Malcolm Gladwell | Really interesting read. Gladwell makes the argument that our greatest weaknesses are actually our greatest strengths, and he uses compelling stories as evidence. The premise of the book... David was not the underdog when he stepped out to battle Goliath. Paperback Kindle | Success |
| A+ |   | Bill Walsh, Craig Walsh, Steve Jamison | Bill Walsh will forever be known as one of the greatest coaching minds in the history of football. This book was published after Walsh's death. His son and Steve Jamison (collaborator on some of John Wooden's work) put together Walsh's writings and lectures to finish this book. If you are a believer in "the process," this is a must-read. Paperback Kindle | Coaching, Leadership |
| A+ |   | James Kerr | Great book! This is the book we chose to use this year for our first "Coaches Leadership Academy." Kerr shares the secrets that make the "All Blacks" the most successful sports franchise of all time. I highly recommend it. Paperback Kindle | Leadership, Coaching |
| A+ |   | Tim Ferriss | This book is no joke! Tim Ferriss reached out to some of the most successful people in the world, and he asked each of them the same list (for the most part) of well-thought-out questions. This book is a compilation of their responses. It's fascinating to me to hear practical and tactical advice from world-class performers. A word of caution... It's 600+ pages! My advice is to break it up like a daily reader. Each chapter is short and powerful. Add one a day on top of your usual reading. Hardcover Kindle | Entrepreneurship, Personal Growth, Leadership |
| A+ |   | J.D. Vance | This was my favorite read of 2017! I absolutely loved it. As a 1st generation college graduate, J.D. Vance's story of upward mobility really resonated with me. It's a great view into a part of America that is rarely ever talked about. Great Read! Hardcover Kindle | Autobiography |
| A+ |   | George Couros | I think this is the best education book I've ever read. It challenged me more as a teacher and administrator than any other book has. The world is changing, and we have to prepare our students for what is waiting for them when they graduate. There are so many great and useful ideas in this book. MUST READ for educators! Hardcover Paperback Kindle | Education |
| A+ |   | Randy Jackson | This is a great read for coaches! It's written by a football coach, but the concepts that he lays out can be applied to any sport. This is Coach Jackson's first book, and he hit it out of the park. Plays are overrated. Culture is key! Paperback | Coaching |
| A+ |   | Todd Whitaker | This should probably be mandatory reading for all educators before their first day in a classroom, and unfortunately, I didn't read it until the summer after my 14th year in education. So many practical tips for communicating (good news & bad news) with parents. I think I'm going to make it one of those books I re-read each summer right before school starts. Paperback Kindle | Education |
| A+ |   | Dorie Clark | I love this book. I first heard Dorie on Ryan Hawk's "Learning Leader" podcast. She was talking about creating "multiple streams of income," and I was fascinated. I got the book for Christmas, and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of entrepreneurship. Great read for anyone looking to create a platform and start making money off of their expertise. Hardcover Kindle | Entrepreneurship |
| A+ |   | Joshua Medcalf | Joshua took a chance when he decided to write a fable, but he did a great job with it. "Fall In Love With The Process Of Becoming Great" Paperback Kindle | Leadership, Coaching, Personal Growth |
| A+ |   | Joshua Medcalf | I felt like this was a big step up from Chop Wood, Carry Water. Joshua said he wrote this book very quickly, but I think it's his best one yet. It's also a fable, but I really enjoyed it. Paperback Kindle | Leadership, Coaching, Personal Growth |
| A+ |   | John Maxwell | In this book, Maxwell asks us to answer 10 questions in order to help us "see our dream" and then "seize it." It is a really good read. I was challenged early and often. What is my dream? Is that really MY dream, or is it someone else's? What am I doing to ensure that I actually achieve my dreams? What am I willing to sacrifice for my dreams? These were all questions that I have been wrestling with since I read this book. I definitely recommend it. I wish I would have read it when I was in college. That's for sure. Paperback Kindle | Entrepreneurship, Personal Growth |
| A+ |   | Shane Snow | This is another excellent book by Shane Snow! This book forces us to rethink conventional wisdom and "hack the ladder of success." Very relevant reading for anyone. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to get better. Hardcover Kindle | Leadership, Personal Growth |
| A |   | Jon Gordon | I think this is my second-favorite Jon Gordon book. It was a close call between this one and Training Camp. In this book, we are encouraged to be builders of lives, people and teams. We are taught the importance of servant leadership as well as the importance of showing compassion and humility. Hardcover Kindle | Personal Growth, Leadership, Success |
| A |   | Jon Gordon | Jon Gordon finally took a break from fables! I like this book because it's kind of a culmination of his fables. You see a lot of the same themes throughout the book, but he uses the stories of real people in real organizations to drive home his points. I like this one a lot. Hardcover Kindle | Leadership |
| A |   | Jon Gordon | This one hit me pretty hard when I read it. As a young coach (much like most young coaches), I thought I HAD to be a head coach by a certain time. I felt the clock constantly ticking. This book showed me the value of growing where you are planted and doing the best work you can with the opportunities that you are given. This book really helped me gain some perspective. Hardcover Kindle | Personal Growth |
| A |   | Liz Wiseman | This book is really good. The premise is that the best leaders multiply the talent and intelligence of the people on their teams and in their organizations. The book started off great, but I did get bogged down in the last few chapters for some reason. I don't want that to detour you. It's a great book, and the information in it is practical, actionable, and research-based. Hardcover Kindle | Leadership |
| A |   | Angela Duckworth | Great book. If you're curious, watch Angela Duckworth's TED Talk on Grit. You'll be fired up about reading her book. Self-Control and Perseverance are two of the most powerful determinants of success, and Duckworth talks all about it in this book. It's a lot like "Multipliers" in that I felt like it started off really strong and bogged down a little bit at the end. Nonetheless, It's definitely worth the read. Hardcover Paperback Kindle | Personal Growth. |
| A |   | Jeffrey Marx | I read this one in 2008, and I put it in my top 10 because it immediately changed how I coached kids. I learned the importance of empathy, and I learned the importance of showing the young men I coached what authentic manhood looks like. From that day on, the kids that I worked with would know that I loved them, and they would hear it often. Hardcover Kindle | Coaching |
| A |   | Nick Saban | Initially, I was not a huge Nick Saban fan. You can't argue with the success he's had, but there was just something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. That all changed when I this book. I became a huge fan. I could see the method behind the madness so to speak. This book is a great glimpse into the processes Saban has used to create so much success. Great read for coaches of any sport. Paperback Kindle | Coaching, Leadership |
| A |   | Mark Sanborn | Short, powerful read. Become a "Fred." I heard a couple guys in the coaching office of my very first job talking about this book. I dismissed the conversation rather easily. Why would I want to read a book about a postman? About 8 or 9 years later, I read the book, and I totally understood what they were saying. It's a great book, and it's a great reminder about the difference we can make in the lives of the people we come in contact with on a daily basis. Hardcover Kindle | Leadership |
| A |   | Jon Gordon | This was Jon Gordon's first best seller, and it's one of those books that people always talk about. The content is great, and the ideas conveyed in the story are so important to the culture of any organization. I'm not a huge fan of "fables," but the content helps me get past that. Great book for leaders. No Energy Vampires Allowed! Hardcover Kindle | Personal Growth, Leadership |
| A |   | Jon Gordon Mike Smith | I really liked this book for a couple reasons. First, it shows how to turn around a failing organization. That part was, of course, very useful, but what I really loved was how transparent Mike Smith was. After explaining how they got the Falcons turned around in such a short amount of time, he also shares the mistakes he made that led to the decline of the Falcons. I really appreciated his transparency. Hardcover Kindle | Leadership, Coaching |
| A |   | Jon Gordon | Leaders are the ones stirring the pot and adding the ingredients. They are responsible for creating a culture of greatness that will allow everyone on the team to succeed. Another really solid Jon Gordon Book. Hardcover Kindle | Leadership |
| A |   | Jon Gordon Jimmy Page Dan Britton | I read this one for the first time 4-5 years ago. The premise is that rather than making "new year's resolutions," we should focus on ONE WORD each year. My first #OneWord was "Growth." That was my focus for the year. Grow as a teacher, coach, husband, and father. This is where my journey for personal growth really took off. Paperback Kindle | Personal Growth |
| A |   | Joshua Medcalf Jamie Gilbert | This was Joshua and Jamie's first crack at writing a book, and it was a great start for their brand. It was a compilation of all of the early content they were putting out in the beginning. These guys do a great job in the field of "Mental Training." Paperback Kindle | Leadership, Coaching, Personal Growth |
| A |   | William D. Parker | I listen to William D. Parker's "Principal Matters" podcast, and I really enjoyed his book. I recommend it to any educator who is looking at getting into administration. It's a good look at the great work that we can do, and it offers a good look at the various hats administrators have to wear. Paperback Kindle | Education |
| A |   | Joe Ehrmann | I saw Joe speak at the "Gamechanger Coaches Summit" in Dallas several years ago. I was familiar with him because I had read about him in "Season of Life." After hearing him speak I went and bought this book. This is where I learned the difference between being a "transactional" coach and a "transformational" coach. Great information. I felt like it was easy at times to get bogged down in the research. Hardcover Kindle | Coaching |
| A |   | Martin Seligman | I'm a psychology nerd, and this book is the perfect fit for that. The way we think and the way we talk to ourselves are so important. This book gives us some very practical ways to control both of those things. I was afraid it was going to read a lot like a textbook, but it doesn't. Good read. Very important work. Paperback Kindle | Personal Growth |
| A |   | Dave Burgess | This is a solid book for educators. Student engagement is extremely important, and although I am not the type of guy to get dressed up as a historical figure, I took a lot of what Dave Burgess has to say to heart. Hardcover Paperback Kindle | Education |
| A- |   | Jon Acuff | I bought this book right when it came out, and for whatever reason, it took me 5 years to read it. Waiting that long was a mistake! It's all about setting yourself up to make a career transition (whether it's a "forced" transition or an "unforced" one). I transitioned A LOT in the 5 years it took me to read it. I really wish I would have read it right when I bought it. Seth Godin called it "The best career book ever written." Definitely something everyone should read. Paperback Kindle | Entrepreneurship, Personal Growth |
| A- |   | Gretchen Rubin | I think this is extremely useful. Gretchen Rubin lays out her "4 Tendencies" for why people act (or don't act). It is so important to understand why we act the way we act and why others do too. Having that understanding allows us to take our leadership and our empathy to another level. Really enjoyed this book. Hardcover Kindle | Leadership, Personal Growth |
| B+ |   | Tony Robbins | This is a huge book, and it took me quite a while to get through. It's filled with a lot of really useful information, but it is a heavy read. It's definitely actionable. Tony Robbins focuses a lot of the book on mindset and reshaping beliefs. It was originally published in 1991, so it was really interesting to read about the examples he chose to include. It's worth the time it takes to read. Paperback Kindle | Leadership, Personal Growth |
| B+ |   | Jon Gordon | This one is based on the old parable of the two wolves living inside of each of us. One is mean/negative. One is happy/positive. They are constantly battling each other. Which one wins? The one you feed! Jon Gordon puts his own spin on that parable and made this one a quick, easy read. It's worth the time it takes to read it. Hardcover Kindle | Personal Growth, Leadership |
| B+ |   | Mike Michalowicz | "Design your business to run itself." If I were a business owner, I would probably have given this an A rating. It was a good book, and the author gives us a lot of really useful information about efficiently running a business and the tasks that deserve most of our attention. I definitely recommend it to anyone running their own business. Hardcover Kindle | Entrepreneurship, Leadership |
| B+ |   | Bob Beaudine | I hate the word "networking." It has always sounded so selfish to me. I heard Bob speak at the "Gamechanger Coaches Summit" in Dallas, and I felt like I connected with what he said, so I bought his book. He talks about how we "already know everyone we need to know." Networking is about developing genuine relationships, not about selfishly seeking out people that can help you. Good read, and he's an SMU grad! #PonyUp Hardcover Kindle | Networking |
| B+ |   | Tommy Spalding | Another solid book about "networking." Tommy is another guy I heard speak at the "Gamechanger Coaches Summit" in Dallas. His story was compelling, and it resonated with me. I read somewhere that people call his book the "How to Win Friends and Influence People" of the 21st century. Another great read on building genuine relationships with people that will be there for you when you need them most. Hardcover Kindle | Networking |
| B+ |   | Jon Acuff | I really like Jon Acuff. He's witty, and he seems like the kind of guy I'd like to hang out with. That being said, this is a pretty good book. He shows us how to, as he says, "close the gap between your day job and your dream job." He gives a lot of practical advice from his personal experiences. Hardcover Kindle | Entrepreneurship |
| B+ |   | Jon Acuff | This is the follow-up to "Quitter." In this book, Jon talks about the ways in which people are "flipping the switch from average to awesome" in their work life. He uses his life experiences again to show how the world is changing and how technology allows us to "start" faster and stronger than ever before. Hardcover Kindle | Entrepreneurship |
| B |   | Tom Peters Robert Waterman | Interesting read. I heard Tom Peters give an interview on "The Learning Leader Show" with Ryan Hawk, and after that interview, I decided it would be worth reading the book. The authors share the lessons they learned from researching "America's Best-Run Companies." It's insightful. However, it was published in 1982, and some of the companies that were excellent nearly 40 years ago have lost their luster for sure. If you're in a management position, it's probably worth your time. It was considered the best management book ever written for more than 20 years, and a lot of the information is still relevant today. Paperback Kindle | Leadership |
| B |  | Damen Lopez | I had this book sitting on my shelf for about 6 months before I decided to read it. I’m glad I did. It is definitely written for educational leaders, but it is something that can be applied to leaders in any organization. It is a short, actionable read, and at the end of each chapter, the author gives us specific action steps that we can put into practice. There are a lot of great topics in the book (9 to be exact), but the one that resonated with me the most was Chapter 7: “Choose to Feed and Be Fed.” That chapter was what motivated me to write the post, “Learning and Doing.” Find the balance between being fed (learning) and feeding others (doing/sharing). This book probably isn’t going to be a New York Times Bestseller, but it was a solid read. Hardcover | Education, Leadership |