Leadership and coaching – these two separate concepts couldn’t be any closer in functional meaning. In fact, for the coach seeking ultimate greatness, the concept of properly asserted leadership is one of utmost importance. In that same spirit of unparalleled preeminence, here are five great books about leadership that every coach should read.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
Quite arguably one of the absolute most potent books in leadership greatness is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Author Stephen R. Covey explains exactly what it takes to be highly effective, as a leader and as a person. The boiled-down approach of Covey is widely accredited as being just the right consistency for virtually anyone to follow. Simple yet highly effective steps like thinking big, proper prioritization, and being proactive are examples of the tools offered by Covey in this best-selling, critically-acclaimed great.
A Simpler Way
Margaret J. Wheatley, Myron Kellner-Rogers
Authors Margaret J. Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers explore some surprising and enlightening, alternative avenues to becoming a great leader in any area of life. Most think of leadership in an immediate likening to strength, rigidity, and a sort of overpowering, overhead governance. On the contrary, A Simpler Way professes the inarguable value of kindness, compassion, and even a bit of whimsy and fun when it comes to forging the most powerful bonds in leadership. As to the skeptic, many great leaders and highly successful people such as renowned statesman and retired US General, Colin Powell prescribe largely to these very same principles.
Getting More
Stuart Diamond
According to New York Times Bestselling Author Stuart Diamond, getting the most out of life and our various connections within it is quite dependent on how we give to others. As Stuart writes for Business Insider in a related piece, properly vested leadership and connections are all about the acknowledgement of human factors before business factors. Human emotions, trust, bonds, and relationships dictate the parameters and shape of far more business interactions than do any other involved factors. Learning to harness this bit of truth is then what separates the mediocre leader from the great one.
True North
Bill George
This bestseller by author, CEO, and leadership expert Bill George is worthy of any coach’s attention. Here, George follows up on his previous bestseller, Authentic Leadership. True North is a gripping rendition of George’s own feats and failures on the way to the very top. The reader of this great can expect to learn the tips and tricks of many of the greats, including George, courtesy of his telling compilation of 125 big-time interviews and the individual value found within each.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie
Tragically, this 1937 business classic is often overlooked among today’s more modern works and opinions on leadership. Written by expert Dale Carnegie, this piece is an excellent and timeless take on the balancing act of integrity, power, approach, and humility, all combined in the form of a single, true leader. Constructive connections and the assertion of marked influence are the key aims of its pages that any coach or other type of leader is well-served in reading.
Coaches are a special kind of leader. Refining one’s efficacy here is as much about refining their leadership skills as it is anything else. These five great books on leadership are some of the best that every coach should consider reading today.
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