6 Great Books for Leaders: Books I Enjoyed Reading (& Re-reading) in 2020!

A great leader must also be a great reader!

The upside to the downside of 2020 was getting some time to read! I read a lot this year – an accidental benefit of the pandemic where pretty much everything else ground to a halt. I’m a fan of non-fiction and love to read about topics like leadership, strategy, innovation, communication and personal stories about overcoming challenges. Anything with good dose of historical facts, real-life case studies or personal anecdotes really gets my interest. 

Many of books I read had been recommended by trusted LinkedIn friends such as Shyam Ramanathan and others in their many excellent posts and articles. So to pay it forwards, I thought I’d share a selection of 6 books I really enjoyed reading in 2020 – some recent releases and some old classics.  I  hope this fast-tracks your summer reading selections if you haven’t already read these great books!

Loonshots: Safi Bahcall

One of my absolute favs in 2020 was ‘Loonshots’ by Safi Bahcall (I re-read at least 4 times!!!) It’s a great book with such an interesting and eye opening array of real life stories about inventions and ideas we now take for granted yet almost never made it. It’s a compelling read for anyone who has great ideas (we all do!) but struggles with the ‘marathon’ of bringing these ideas to life and coping with criticism and rejection along the way.

I particularly loved the concept of a ‘false fail’ how to determine the difference between a ‘real fail’ - ideas are rejected because they genuinely won’t work and a ‘false fail’ - ideas that really are worth pursuing but are not supported by critics and colleagues. Even more compelling was the statement that ‘all brilliant ideas go through at least 3 deaths (false fails) before they succeed.’ 

Atomic Habits: James Clear

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Wow! Wow! Wow! I love this book! James Clear has done a masterful job of taking cognitive and behavioural psychology and making it fun and entertaining but most importantly deeply meaningful in how we can grow and develop to become a better version of ourselves in all aspects of life. The core of this book is based on the premise that "tiny tweaks everyday will lead to massive successes over the long-term”.

James makes this statement highly believable and my own motivation to double down on getting rid of bad habits and turbo charging good habits is already paying off in so many areas of my life!

Talking to Strangers: Malcom Gladwell

One of the great books I read in 2020 was “Talking to Strangers” by Malcom Gladwell.

Talking to Strangers is another superb Malcom Gladwell writing adventure – this time focusing in on just how complicated it can be to really understand other people.  The central thesis is (a) we have a truth-default-bias which makes it easy for us to be hoodwinked by others; and (b) we over-estimate the power of our intuitive judgement in making good social decisions. Looking through a range of historical and contemporary case studies and anecdotes ranging from World War II leaders, to modern day policing, counter terrorism and child protection, the author makes a compelling case that we do not really know people as well as we should and we must step out of our own biases and comfort zones if we truly want to make the world a better place!

Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes. Irving L. Janis

Ok – I know it’s an old book BUT taking the time to read this and see the incredibly stupid mistakes of some pretty bright leaders in the 1960’s is a worthy use of any leader's time – especially amidst the current political and social crises that surround us. It’s easy to relate the previous crises to the many debacles we are currently seeing on the global stage as well as take comfort in the simplicity and practicality of the tools needed to avoid catastrophe. 

The author makes it clear the we are all vulnerable to Group Think and, contrary to popular belief, it can be especially problematic to manage when working with good intentioned, caring and courageous leaders. The tips and tricks outlined in this book to avoid group think are timeless and now more urgent than ever for us all to implement in shaping the way our world recovers in 2021. 

David & Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants: Malcolm Gladwell

“The powerful are not as powerful as they may seem – nor the weak as weak. Sometimes advantage can end up being a disadvantage and disadvantage can turn out to be an advantage.”

What a timely read for me personally and professionally! I have always enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s books and this turned out to be another excellent read! David and Goliath takes us into the history of human achievement and failure to uncover what really matters in overcoming challenges and making a positive impact upon the world.  

By using a series of case studies including ancient biblical conflicts, stories from modern education, sports, civil rights and law enforcement, Malcolm shows us a whole new perspective on why the strong and powerful can lose the battle against much weaker forces. Through these stories we can learn the tools and tips we too can use to turn disadvantage into advantage when we feel overwhelmed in our own struggles to make positive changes in the world. Enjoy!

Tribe of Mentors: Tim Ferriss

I’m a massive fan of everything Tim Ferriss. He has such a wonderful way of getting so many business and leadership gurus, sporting champions, scientists, actors and authors to open up and share their struggles, insights and practical wisdom. 

Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice From The Best In The World, is a collection of short Q&As with over 100 amazing (and in many cases quite famous) people. Some of my favourites are: Brene Brown, Tom Peters, Bear Grylls, Ashton Kutcher, Kelly Slater, Jocko Willink and Yuval Noah Harari. 

Wishing Everyone A Safe & Restful Festive Season!

Thank you to everyone in my LinkedIn community across the world for all your kindness, support, and encouragement throughout 2020. I wish you all a safe, restful, reflective and regenerative Festive Season! 

Dr Pete Stebbins PhD

Dr Pete Stebbins, PhD, is a workplace psychologist, executive coach & author of the recently released book: "The Five Disciplines of Extraordinary School Leaders". Pete has many years of research and professional practice behind him working extensively in education and health. Pete is the director of the High Performance Schools Program working with a large number of schools to maximise staff and student outcomes.