Tabbi's Bookshelf
Leadership Book Recommendations
You asked. A lot.
So here it is: the books I hand to every leader I coach, ranked and ready for your nightstand (or your earbuds).
My Ranked List
These are the authors I come back to again and again. Most of them also have TED Talks, YouTube channels, and podcasts, so find the format that works for you.
This is also my ranked list with my favorites at the top. I mean, they are all my favorites... but as far as where to start - #1 is a good bet.
If you have a leadership topic you want to read about, ask, and I'll be more specific!
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#1 Brené Brown
Dare to Lead & Strong Ground
My number one for a reason. Dare to Lead shows you that courage and vulnerability are leadership skills, not personality quirks. Strong Ground builds on it with how to stay steady and grounded when everything around you is wobbling.
#2 Simon Sinek
Start with Why & Leaders Eat Last
Start with Why helps you lead with purpose instead of a pile of tasks. Leaders Eat Last explains why teams thrive when they feel safe, and why that safety starts with you.
#3 Michael Bungay Stanier
The Coaching Habit
Seven simple questions that get you out of advice-giving mode and into coaching mode. Stay curious a little longer, and watch your team start solving their own problems.
#4 Daniel Coyle
The Culture Code
What do great teams actually do differently? Coyle breaks it down into safety, vulnerability, and purpose, with real stories you can borrow on Monday morning.
#5 Amy Edmondson
The Fearless Organization
The go-to book on psychological safety. If your team goes quiet in meetings and loud in the parking lot, start here.
#6 Kim Scott
Radical Candor
Care personally, challenge directly. The cure for feedback that is either too mushy to matter or too harsh to hear.
#7 Dhar, Ellmer & Jameson
How Change Really Works
Change initiatives usually fail on the people side, not the plan. This one gives you a practical playbook for leading change your team actually buys into.
#8 Travis Bradberry
Emotional Intelligence 2.0
A quick, practical read on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Comes with an assessment so you know where to start.
#9 Marie Forleo
Everything is Figureoutable
Not a classic leadership book, but a fantastic mindset reset for the days you are wondering if you are cut out for this. Spoiler: you are.
#10 Patrick Lencioni
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
A leadership fable that reads like a novel. Trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results, and what happens when any one of them goes missing.
#11 Adam Grant
Think Again
The power of knowing what you don't know. A smart, fun case for rethinking your assumptions and building a team that isn't afraid to do the same.
#12 Jim Clifton
It's the Manager
Gallup's research on why the manager makes or breaks engagement. Proof that people leave leaders, not jobs, and what to do about it.
#13 Tom Rath
Strengths-Based Leadership
Stop trying to be good at everything. Learn to lead from your strengths and build a team that covers the rest.
Want Something More Specific?
Wrestling with delegation? Dreading a difficult conversation? Leading through a change nobody asked for? Tell me what's on your plate and I'll point you to the exact chapter, talk, or podcast episode that fits.
Not a reader? No problem. Most of these authors have TED Talks, YouTube channels, and podcasts. Listen on your commute and call it professional development.
Bonus Pick
Trust in Action
Okay, I'm a little biased on this one. My own book on building the kind of trust that makes everything else on this list easier.
Get Trust in Action
