10 Must-reads About Leadership in the Digital World

10 Must-reads About Leadership in the Digital World

Leadership is an Art. Leadership is not about status or hierarchy. We can all be leaders by choice, for example by investing in potential and in the development of people around us. Leadership is also not a new topic in this world. There are many people who studied different leadership approaches and techniques for ages. Leadership in a digital environment might be different in some regards. We’ve collected the best books to help you with improving your leadership skills. From lateral leadership to managing people, from coaching to motivating a team — we’ve got you covered.

Dare to Lead

Dare to Lead

Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
by 

Why read?

Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential.

Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?

400 pages, 2019

The Team That Managed Itself

The Team That Managed Itself

A Story of Leadership
by Christina Wodtke

Why read?

In The Team That Managed Itself, Christina Wodtke teaches leaders how to build and lead high performing teams based on her long career in the trenches in Silicon Valley. Her book is engaging, actionable — and built around a story you’ll want to read. Learn to lead the team along with Allie as she tackles one challenge after another while the clock ticks down. How do you build the right team and choose the goals to pull them to greatness, even if you’re dealing with a toxic environment? How do you keep your people moving in the right direction without burning out or burning it all down? As Allie finds out, even in the face of overwhelming pressure it’s about setting expectations, giving good feedback, checking in against goals, and learning as a team…

268 pages, 2019

Empowered

Empowered

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products
by Marty Cagan

Why read?

What is it about the top tech product companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Netflix and Tesla that enables their record of consistent innovation?   Most people think it’s because these companies are somehow able to find and attract a level of talent that makes this innovation possible. But the real advantage these companies have is not so much who they hire, but rather how they enable their people to work together to solve hard problems and create extraordinary products.  As legendary Silicon Valley coach - and coach to the founders of several of today’s leading tech companies - Bill Campbell said, “Leadership is about recognizing that there’s a greatness in everyone, and your job is to create an environment where that greatness can emerge.” 

432 pages, 2020

Trillion Dollar Coach

Trillion Dollar Coach

The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell
by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle

Why read?

The team behind How Google Works returns with management lessons from the legendary coach and business executive, Bill Campbell, whose mentoring of some of our most successful modern entrepreneurs has helped create well over a trillion dollars in market value.

Bill Campbell played an instrumental role in the growth of several prominent companies, such as Google, Apple, and Intuit, fostering deep relationships with Silicon Valley visionaries, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt. In addition, this business genius mentored dozens of other important leaders throughout USA, from entrepreneurs to venture capitalists to educators to football players, leaving behind a legacy of growing companies, successful people, respect, friendship, and love after his death in 2016.

240 pages, 2019

Leadership is an Art

Leadership is an Art

by Max Depree

Why read?

In what has become a bible for the business world, the successful former CEO of Herman Miller, Inc., explores how executives and managers can learn the leadership skills that build a better, more profitable organization. De Pree looks at leadership as a kind of stewardship, stressing the importance of building relationships, initiating ideas, and creating a lasting value system within an organization. Rather than focusing on the “hows” of corporate life, he explains the “whys.” He shows that the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality and the last is to say thank you.

148 pages, 2004

The Making of a Manager

The Making of a Manager

What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
by Julie Zhuo

Why read?

Top tech executive Julie Zhuo remembers the moment when she was asked to lead a team. She felt like she’d won the golden ticket, until reality came crashing in. She was just 25 and had barely any experience being managed, let alone managing others. This is the book she wishes she had on day one. Here, she offers practical, accessible advice like: · Don’t hide thorny problems from your own manager; you’re better off seeking help quickly and honestly · Before you fire someone for failure to collaborate, figure out if the problem is temperamental or just a lack of training or coaching · Don’t offer critical feedback in a ‘compliment sandwich’ — there’s a better way! Whether you’re new to the job, a veteran leader, or looking to be promoted, this is the handbook you need to be the kind of manager you’ve always wanted.

274 pages, 2019

Radical Candor

Radical Candor

Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
by Kim Scott

Why read?

Radical Candor has been embraced around the world by leaders of every stripe at companies of all sizes. Now a cultural touchstone, the concept has come to be applied to a wide range of human relationships. The idea is simple: You don’t have to choose between being a pushover and a jerk. Using Radical Candor―avoiding the perils of Obnoxious Aggression, Manipulative Insincerity, and Ruinous Empathy―you can be kind and clear at the same time. Kim Scott was a highly successful leader at Google before decamping to Apple, where she developed and taught a management class. Since the original publication of Radical Candor in 2017, Scott has earned international fame with her vital approach to effective leadership and co-founded the Radical Candor executive education company, which helps companies put the book’s philosophy into practice.

272 pages, 2017

Leaders Eat Last

Leaders Eat Last

Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t
by Simon Sinek

Why read?

In this book, the renowned leadership expert Simon Sinek is continuing his bold move to inspire people to do the things that inspire them.

368 pages, 2017

The Coaching Habit

The Coaching Habit

Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
by Michael Bungay Stanier

Why read?

Coaching is an essential skill for leaders. But for most busy, overworked managers, coaching employees is done badly, or not at all. They’re just too busy, and it’s too hard to change. But what if managers could coach their people in 10 minutes or less?

227 pages, 2006

Leadershift

Leadershift

The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace
by John C. Maxwell

Why read?

Internationally recognized leadership expert John C. Maxwell teaches readers how to shift their leadership to keep innovating, improving, and influencing others in today’s fast-paced world. Change is so rapid today that leaders must do much more than stay the course to be successful. If they aren’t nimble and ready to adapt, they won’t survive. The key is to learn how to leadershift. In Leadershift, John C. Maxwell helps leaders gain the ability and willingness to make leadership changes that will positively enhance their organizational and personal growth. He does this by sharing the eleven shifts he made over the course of his long and successful leadership career.

288 pages, 2019