Recommended Summer Reads
Many individuals look for good books to read over the summer, and leaders often ask us about what we’d recommend among the multitude of resources available so they can increase their professional impact.
Needless to say, we always have plenty of suggestions for them. We’d love to share some with you as well—but first, consider a couple of questions:
What if we could offer you a handful of books that promised to positively impact your personal life too?
What if these books included the research and writing of over 150 authors in an easy-to-read format?
Finally, what if our recommended “Summer Reads” could be readily implemented in your professional teams as you strive to develop their leadership skill sets?
LEADon® team members have spent several decades not only gleaning from the best minds in leadership but also gathering their own findings after working with numerous organizations across multiple industries. These efforts have culminated in the following books written for today’s exceptional leaders. Spend a few minutes looking over the summaries below to see which of our trio of resources might be right for you, your team, and perhaps even your entire Corporate Family®:
- The LEADing Edge: 9 Strategies for Improving Internal and Intentional Leadership (Wilke & Wilke, 2019): This fundamental leadership book summarizes LEADon’s three-pronged approach for improving productivity and profitability in any organization. Hall of Fame Leadership and Six Benchmarks for Leadership represent two of the chapters that detail essential skills that can be cascaded from the C-suite to every level of your company. All chapters conclude with a “Sharpening Your Edge” section—a set of questions and action items for readers to consider.
- Corporate Family Matters: Creating and Developing Organizational Dynasties (Wilke & Wilke, 2010): You and your team members are part of three distinct families, but the one you will spend most of your waking hours with during the work week is your Corporate Family. This book explains how to develop a happier, healthier, and more productive organization by implementing time-tested leadership strategies that can be applied in your personal life too. From sibling rivalry to organizational divorces that often merge into professional blended families, we break down the Corporate Family experience for everyone in your company. Each chapter ends with a “Family Time” section—questions that help put the content into perspective so it can be used in everyday life.
- Revolutionary Leadership: Transcendent Lessons from the Life of George Washington (Wilke & Wilke, 2023): What better way to understand exceptional leadership than to study the life of a fearless, but also flawed, individual? Most history books don’t explain how George Washington overcame his struggle with personal self-regulation. Neither do many of them discuss his two major leadership flaws, which can help leaders gain perspective on how to identify and deal with challenges that might lead to future leadership failures. Access to George Washington’s archived resources at Mount Vernon aided the authors’ research and assisted them in understanding how Washington’s passion for reading added to his leadership capabilities. At the end of each chapter, you will find a set of thought-provoking questions in the “Revolutionary Thinking” section.
As mentioned above, you can refer to each of these three leadership books for further ideas on valuable summer reading material. Whatever resources you choose to dive into, we hope you also make time to rest and get rejuvenated in the months ahead. And if the team at LEADon can answer any questions pre, mid, or post-summer, please connect with us at 858.592.0700 or www.LEADonUniversity.com.
