Above the Forms: 3 Books to Help You Enhance Your Leadership Skills

Looking for a few cool reads this summer? Here are three books I recommend to hone your leadership skills:

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
This was recommended to me by my personal coach, and it was perfect! There are so many things we could do … but, what we should do is what’s most important. This book is about doing less, better, which is something I struggle with and have to constantly focus on. It is about saying “no” and being comfortable with that choice because at the end of the day, all you really have is your time. Where you spend it signals what is most important. It is OK to say no; in fact, it is essential to doing what matters really well.

Grit: The Power and Passion of Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
This was a holiday gift, and it addresses a really interesting question: Is it talent or effort that produces the greatest results? The author focuses on the latter because the biggest impacts are your passion and perseverance … what you really care about, and how long you are willing to stick with it, is the root of success. She shares numerous examples from Einstein, to musicians, to quarterbacks, who all seemed to lack talent but won through their passion and perseverance. She references Carol Dweck, the passionate Stanford professor whose teachings I admire on the powerful difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset in our youth and in ourselves. In a growth mindset, everyone has endless possibilities. This is a helpful read in leading people, and in assessing and setting our own personal and career goals.

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
This book is about facing adversity, and includes personal stories from Sheryl Sandberg on the loss of her husband, Dave Goldberg. She shares how she partnered with Adam Grant to help her find her inner strength. The book has numerous incredibly touching stories about loss, misfortune, tragedy and how the human spirit perseveres. It reminds us that no matter what we encounter, there are always positives and to embrace what we have. It also focuses us on other people versus ourselves. I believe in a strong “O” focus on others versus an “S” focus of self, and this book took it to another level for me. When someone we know has experienced misfortune, it is not only OK to ask about it; it is also helpful to be uncomfortable, ourselves, in order to allow others to share their grievances so that they, too, can move forward in our personal and professional lives.

Do you have any other books to recommend about leadership skills? Leave a note below and let me know!