Author Literary reference Absalom, Absalom! William Faulkner Bible: 2

Primary Menu The 25 Best Leadership Books of All-Time The 25 Best Leadership Books of All-Time DECEMBER 10, 2020 SOUNDVIEW EXECUTIVE BOOK SUMMARIES LEADERSHIP, TRENDING In case you don’t know, Soundview identifies, selects, and summarizes the best business books that are published every year. And, since we’ve been doing this for the past 42 years, we’ve seen A LOT Most are good, some are great, and others go on to be business classics – the books that every aspiring manager or leader needs to read. These are the books that offer ideas and strategies that change the way people think and disrupt the way business is conducted. That being the case, we decided to put pen to paper and publish our list of the top 25 Leadership Books of All-Time. Without further ado, here is our list (in no particular order): 1. On Becoming a Leader On Becoming a Leader On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis Deemed “the Dean of Leadership Gurus” by Forbes magazine, Warren Bennis has persuasively argued that leaders are not born—they are made. Delving into the qualities that define leadership, the people who exemplify it, and the strategies that anyone can apply to achieve it, his classic work On Becoming a Leader has served as a source of essential insight for countless readers. 2. The Art of War The Art of War The Art of War by Sun Tzu The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating back more than 2,000 years ago. The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, is composed of 13 chapters – each one is devoted to an aspect of warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. The Art of War is one of the most influential strategy texts in East Asian warfare and has influenced military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy and beyond. 3. Wooden on Leadership Wooden on Leadership Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden & Steve Jamison Focusing on the former UCLA Basketball coach’s legendary 12 Lessons in Leadership and his acclaimed Pyramid of Success, Wooden on Leadership outlines the mental, emotional, and physical qualities essential to building a winning organization. It also shows you how to develop the skill, confidence, and competitive fire to “be at your best when your best is needed” – and teach your organization to do the same.