Are you frustrated with constantly having to pivot? Are your people looking to you for answers? Reading books on team leadership is like feeding two birds with one scone. It can have a discernible calming effect in addition to helping you learn how to motivate, inspire, and lead effectively.
Are you looking to take your team leadership skills to the next level? We all are, especially in … [+]
From books that focus on inspiring collaborative work to practical advice on managing a team, these five books will help hone your team for greatness in 2023.
What Constitutes A Great Book On Team Leadership?
Before diving in, ask yourself a few questions first. What do I do well? What weaknesses do I or my team have? On what team leadership themes do I want to concentrate?
The kind of leadership book you require will depend on the answers to those questions. Whether you’ve been a team leader for a short while or have years of experience, answering those questions can guide you to the right resource.
Best Team Leadership Reads for 2023
1. Bradley Kirkman And Adam Stoverink — Unbreakable
With economic uncertainty, pandemic holdovers, and changing norms, professional teams need to be resilient. All teams will experience adversity, but those who are able to withstand these times are often the most successful. In their recently published work, Bradley Kirkman and Adam Stoverink offer practical advice for leading resilient teams that can overcome difficulties.
The authors researched thousands of teams over several decades, and their book, Unbreakable: Building and Leading Resilient Teams, focuses on the four team resources they find crucial for any team. These include: confidence, teamwork roadmaps, an ability to improvise, and psychological safety.
The authors explain each quality by telling stories of real teams, whose relatability may save your own. They also give leaders detailed instructions on developing these resources within their own teams. This groundbreaking book provides all the skills required to create, manage, and lead almost impenetrable teams, which is more important than ever.
2. Patrick Lencioni — The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team
While this may be a familiar work for some, now may be the best time to revisit some of its essential lessons and insights. An amusing and helpful book about team leadership, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable concentrates on five critical failures of team dissolution—a lack of trust, a lack of commitment, a lack of leadership, a refusal to accept responsibility, and a lack of results-focused attention.
Patrick Lencioni provides a fascinating read, teaching readers about the five dysfunctions while delivering a humorous narrative. It offers something to team leaders of all experience levels, new and experienced alike. Every team leader should read it as the five dysfunctions can appear in any circumstance.
3. Amy Edmondson — The Fearless Organization
Teams and organizations who are serious about success in the modern economy will find useful advice in The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Nowadays, it is crucial to attract and keep exceptional talent as so much depends on innovation, creativity, and spark. However, what use is talent if no one can express their opinions? In the information economy, the old values of “fitting in” and “going along” are fatal. Success necessitates a constant flow of fresh perspectives, challenging problems, and critical thought. The social environment must not stifle, mute, mock, or frighten.
Amy Edmondson’s book addresses the concept of psychological safety culture and offers practical implementation guidelines. Although there are occasionally bumps in any road, concise and instructive scenario-based explanations offer a clear direction toward ongoing learning and constructive innovation.
4. Camille Fournier — The Manager’s Path
The Manager’s Path: A Guide For Tech Leaders Navigating Growth And Change offers valuable guidance for tech leaders handling growth and change. The four aspects Camille Fournier focuses on in this book—your relationship to your job, your connection to your employees, your relationship to the business, and your relationship to the market—are crucial for tech leaders.
Camille Fournier offers specific solutions and advice to help readers traverse these four areas and their way through growth and change. Both inexperienced and seasoned team leaders should read this book since it will teach you how to manage change on your team more skillfully. It will be an invaluable resource for you whether you manage a brand-new team or have been managing teams for a while.
5. Jon Gordon — The Power Of Positive Leadership
The Power of Positive Leadership: How And Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams And Organizations And Change The World is a fantastic team leadership book to start with if you want to lead a positive team. Optimism, creativity, collaboration, and courage are the four characteristics of successful teams that Jon Gordon focuses on in this book. He offers several tactics and activities throughout the book to assist readers in applying his concepts to their circumstances.
New and seasoned team leaders will benefit from this book as it provides tips on creating a healthy workplace environment. This book will be an invaluable resource for you whether you are just starting to lead a new team or seeking new methods to enhance your current team.
Fight ‘Leadership Stagnation’ Through An Informed Approach
As a team leader, you must promote your company’s development and aid in your colleagues’ accomplishments. Reading books about team leadership is an excellent way to develop your abilities as you learn from others who have realized impressive results through various tactics and philosophies.
