When it comes to information, we’re living in an age of super-abundance. As much as I love reading about and compiling new book lists, we can’t forget about the thousands of books published every year that don’t always stay in the public consciousness.
The books in the list below would probably be characterized by the publishing industry as ‘midlist,’ perhaps somewhat slow or maybe even steady sellers, but not consistently getting wide attention. I would like to shine a more regular spotlight on books in this category, so that they remain part of the conversation, and can be worthy of continued/renewed attention. Some are relatively recent; and most are from the past decade or so.
The list was not compiled scientifically. Although I know some of the authors personally, and in some cases edited their Leader to Leader articles, I’ve never met most of them. A few (Paul Arden, Mila N. Baker, and Clayton M. Christensen) are no longer alive.
It should also be noted that some of these authors are fairly high profile, and have had other bestselling books. However, these particular titles are worthy of your discovery or re-discovery. Let me know what you think!
Christopher Ahmad: SKILL: 40 principles that surgeons, athletes, and other elite performers use to achieve mastery
Paul Arden: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be
Kevin Ashton: How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery
Mila N. Baker: Peer-To-Peer Leadership: Why The Network Is The Leader
Jennifer Garvey Berger: Changing on the Job: Developing Leaders for a Complex World
Jenny Blake: Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
Ángel Cabrera and Gregory Unruh: Being Global: How to Think, Act, and Lead in a Transformed World
Rob-Jan De Jong: Anticipate: The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead
Philip Delves Broughton: The Art of the Sale: Learning from the Masters About the Business of Life
Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, Clayton M. Christensen: Innovator’s DNA, Updated, with a New Preface: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators
Karen Firestone: Even the Odds: Sensible Risk-Taking in Business, Investing, and Life
Laura Goodrich: Seeing Red Cars: Driving Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization to a Positive Future
Danna Greenberg, Kate McKone-Sweet, J. James Wilson: The New Entrepreneurial Leader: Developing Leaders Who Shape Social and Economic Opportunity
Maya Hu-Chan: Saving Face: How to Preserve Dignity and Build Trust
Joseph Jaworski: Source: The Inner Path of Knowledge Creation
Paul Mason: Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future
Matthew E. May: The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything
Rebecca Mead: The Road to Middlemarch: My Life with George Eliot
David A. Owens: Creative People Must Be Stopped: 6 Ways We Kill Innovation (Without Even Trying)
Gary P. Pisano: Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation
Tina Seelig: Insight Out: Get Ideas Out of Your Head and Into the World
Gretchen Ki Steidle: Leading from Within: Conscious Social Change and Mindfulness for Social Innovation
Gillian Tett: The Silo Effect: The Peril of Expertise and the Promise of Breaking Down Barriers
Georg Vielmetter and Yvonne Sell: Leadership 2030: The Six Megatrends You Need to Understand to Lead Your Company into the Future
Denise Lee Yohn: Fusion: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies