Leadership Books That Will Inspire You to Lead Courageously

Leadership Books That Will Inspire You to Lead

These book suggestions just might provide the inspiration you need to endure the challenges of being a school leader. 

We are just beginning the 2022 school year, and it already seems to be defined by challenges and hard times. When going through difficult times, we need to intentionally seek out positive resources that inspire us to lead courageously, motivate us to improve, and shift our mindsets to think positive even through the most difficult days.

If you are wondering what books have helped me through some dark days, here are three of my favorites.

Dare to Lead

To write Dare to Lead, Researcher, Author and Speaker Brené Brown conducted in-depth interviews with leaders and change-makers. She asked them all what it really takes to be a great leader. As the book explains, leading is not about being the boss, pointing out people’s failures or being an untouchable figure within your school or organization. A ‘Daring Leader’ has an in-depth understanding of people’s fears and instincts when it comes to a team environment. They choose courage over comfort, are actively curious and embrace vulnerability to set an example and bring out the best in others. Dare to Lead explains how to break down your own leadership style and understand why you and the people around you behave in certain ways. It also shares strategies for managing difficult conversations and situations. This book is ideal for anyone who wants to improve the way they communicate, build a braver, more daring culture within their organization and feel more confident in their approach to leadership. 

The key message throughout the book is to slow down and have conversations. Talk to your team to get clear on what they need from you and why they may behave the way they do. Create a culture of openness so people aren’t afraid to ask for what they need to be better at their jobs.

The Inspirational Leader

I discovered this book on social media from @leadershipfirst and fell in love with the content.  Whether you are a leader of a small or large school district, this book was written to help you inspire your team to believe in the impossible.  Each chapter will push you to become the leader you were destined to be; a leader of influence, a leader of value, a leader of vision and most importantly, an inspirational leader. 

Leadership is all about people; it’s about inspiring people to believe in themselves, to believe that anything is possible, and to believe in something much greater than their own self-preservation; when we have that type of influence as leaders, great things happen.

Leading at a Higher Level

This book is not a fast read.  It is filled with an indepth look at how leaders need to go beyond the short term results and zero in on the right target and vision for long-term success. It was written for companies and executives, but the content is relatable to schools and school leadership.  

Those who want to lead at a higher level need to understand what a high performing organization looks like and what is necessary to create this in your own school.  They need to aim for the right targets.  Even though this book was not created for school leaders, I often study business models from very successful companies such as – Chick-fil-a, Apple, Starbucks, and Amazon. If you are not a leader who likes to read about business models, this may not be the book for you.