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A great book can change your perspective, open up possibilities, build self-awareness, and spark personal growth and change. There is one author whose work has had a big impact on my life over the past few years. I believe Ryan Holiday is one of the greatest authors of our time, and his books are personally and professionally transformational. Ryan combines philosophy, stoicism, and relevant stories and applies them to the modern world and our current challenges.
Reading the below books this year will cultivate personal and professional self-awareness, change, and growth. Every leader can benefit from the wisdom and principles in these books. And I promise that Ryan did not pay me for my endorsement. đ Â
5 Books Every Leader Should Read:
1. The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumphs by Ryan Holiday. Most of us respond to obstacles with fear, frustration, confusion, helplessness, depression, or anger. Ryan writes that great individuals transform weakness into strength and use obstacles as a way to improve. He shares several practices and skills to navigate tough times. This is a great book for increasing emotional intelligence.
2. Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. Beyond the typical ego discussion, Ryan delves into important elements of leadership: taking tough feedback, managing emotions, focusing on others and their success, and staying level-headed when youâve achieved success. He provides stories and examples of great leaders, as well as leaders who have let ego get in the way. Defensiveness, escalating emotions, and the constant pursuit of more are all acts of the ego.
3. Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday. Just the title of this book drew me to it. Who doesnât crave more stillness in their life? In the preface, Ryan defines âstillnessââto be steady while the world spins around you. In our hyper-connected world, we are constantly distracted and distracting ourselvesâdoing, scrolling, talking, worrying, hoping. The ability to filter the essential from the nonessential is imperative for successful leadership, as is reflection, presence, and perspective. Cultivating stillness both personally and into your leadership will help you be more intentional.
4. Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self Control by Ryan Holiday. In a world of temptation and excess, discipline is more important than ever. Managing your workload, cultivating focus, overcoming perfectionism, controlling your emotions, delegating, and working with others are covered in this book and are all elements of successful leadership. I believe the ability to control our focus and energy in our complex world are two of the most important skills for leadership today. This book will leave you inspired to be your best and commit to continuously evolving.
5. Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave by Ryan Holiday. We are all battling against fear. Ryan states that âthere is no one who has achieved greatness without wrestling with their own doubts, anxieties, limitations, and demonsâ. Fear is the real enemy, and we have to have the courage act; to not stay in the status quo. In this beautifully written book, Ryan shares the most common fears that hold us back, and how to have the courage to rise above them. âWhatever you are not changing, you are choosingâ. If you ever feel self-doubt (who hasnât?) or feel like you want to work toward your purpose and potential, this is a must read.
Effective leaders are always learning, developing, and evolving to ensure they are keeping up with our constantly changing world.
Employee expectations and needs are consistently shifting, and the best leaders seek out development and resources to evolve with the times.
Reading these five books every leader should read this year will set you on a path of self-reflection and growth that will elevate your leadership and your life.
Tell me in the comments...Which one will you start with first?
What books do you recommend to elevate leadership and life?
Here's another of my favorite books and why you should read it.
I really love and enjoy this reading. Reading this I learned that when you speak out clearly you thoughts and ideas people see you as winner, because you are not afraid to go straight to the point.
Great article.....And happy belated birthday! Welcome to my world, young lady!
Whenever I have a work project that I keep putting off - I think about delegating that project to someone else - which accomplishes 2 things- it gets the project done and frees us my brain space thinking about it.
Good morning. I loved this read. Thank you so much for sharing. Sincerely, Melissa :)
Thank you for this blog Laurie. I liked most part and specially "As organizations have become more complex, there is a tendency to require employees to do more with less. This is a slippery slope, and often can result in employees feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. One of the biggest contributors to this is not evaluating resources during the strategic planning process." I will use this practice "A best practice is to do what I call Priority Planningâputting important practices on your calendar ahead of time so they become a priority in your day. Examples of activities to Priority Plan include scheduling recurring coaching sessions with each team member, time for strategic thinking and planning, vacations, doctor appointments, important childrenâs events, and blocks of time for focused work on projects." To be more effective, I will get a good rest so I can have enough energy in the morning. I will read the blog again along with the other links on employee evaluation. Thank you so much Laurie. Best wishes to you and your family.
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I love the feedback on the more than 50 hours of work. AND filling time. So true. Unfortunately, showing that you work longer hours is still seen as being a "hard worker" - not sure how to change that though.
I enjoyed the read. I concur that transitioning from technical skills to delegating results was a task within itself. I did not realize I was almost trying to do the same thing from my previous position, and it was not working. However, I am seeing the results of how delegating daily tasks makes my job and workload easier. Thank you, Laurie.
Thank you for sharing information about your trip Laurie! All 3 things resonate with me - probably #1 being the biggest. I know when I'm gone for a week, I'm still thinking about work and need a vacation when I get back because I did not relax enough. I think your idea of a longer vacation is definitely in my future!!
Hey Laurie, My take on your list - 1 - everyone has a story - listen 2- social media causes interpersonal problems 5- generational differences create hurdles / earn it you aren't entitled / we should help them get there not give it to them 6 AMEN some leaders I would have followed thru Hell, some I wish - well, you know 7- true BUT be as good as your word and 14- Hopefully we leave some good from our efforts, I know the good leaders I have had have. Seen a lot in my career but it really comes down to treat others the way you want to be treated, fair, honest, and straight forward. Good read. Take care
I love this so much and thank you so much for sharing! I really just love realizing that enjoying the simple things sometimes is the best! Also recognizing that what is important and fun to you may not be everyone else's fun on the on the trip. âDo we get to keep these toiletries?â was my favorite!!!! :):) Glad you had a great time and got to spend it with your family!
I very much resonate with lesson no 3! Thank you Laurie
I think the part that you might have missed in their top 5 things, some of which were not "Italian" or even different from home, all of them happened with you, both of you. And i think that is what they will remember too. And you've got tons of photos that will remind them of what the Sistine Chapel looked like - then they might remember what it sounded like or smelled like. Oh- and i agree with you 100% about sleep!
LOTS of great take-aways from this post! Thank you for posting! I especially love "slow down to speed up". That's a keeper!
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the not getting enough rest to be at my best. definitely need to get more quality sleep and make that a priority
It really is hard to narrow down the 3 lessons into one because they are all so interconnected. You need to give your mind and body THE TIME to relax SO THAT you can enjoy the SIMPLE THINGS, including REST. I enjoyed that lesson as a whole. I will take that lesson with me on my next vacation (or staycation). As always, thank you Laurie for your candor and for sharing your own lessons with others so that we too can benefit.
Great information and reminders
Laurie, Thank you for sharing your trip and these nuggets. The lessons that resonate most with me are it does take time to relax and getting proper rest. When you devote 15 plus hours of your day for work, taking care of home and others; the 6-7 hours you lay down does not cut it! For me during this time I'm trying to unwind and find myself thinking fighting not to think about what I have to do tomorrow. Even after I create a to do list for the next day...I find things I need to add. Taking a day off here and there doesn't cut it as well because of all the plans you have for that day. I try to make sure my Mental Health Days remains just that.... time for me to laugh, cry, scream.... whatever I need to release the cares and stress!
Really enjoyed the article... and all very true!
Since I was already well aware of #1 (I'm in the same boat with taking a long time to relax), I think I'm resonating most with #3. I'm learning to prioritize sleep / rest and it's been wonderful. Love that you said "I love sleep.". :)
Welcome back from vacation. Well deserve! Action is the key to success. Shoulder to shoulder, coaching and delegating task to help other employees grow are very important. It is a sacrifice that one must do. Forget about yourself and be with your team day in and out to help them grow, is not always easy. On the long run, your team is stronger, and you can depend on them for the success of the organization. Thank you so much!
So many great tips here, thank you!
I am so impressed you're able to disconnect and these are great tips I'll be sure to try on my next trip!
Such a great post - so inspiring!