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Top Leadership Coaching Books for Every Leader’s Library

By Tammy Grabowski | August 14, 2024
Top Leadership Coaching Books for Every Leader’s Library

Continuous learning and growth are the hallmarks of great leadership, and leadership coaching books can be a powerful resource for aspiring and experienced leaders alike. Packed with timeless wisdom and practical strategies, these books can equip you with the tools you need to become a more effective leader and inspire those around you.

John C. Maxwell, our very own world-renowned leadership expert and author, has dedicated his career to helping individuals achieve their leadership potential. His books offer a wealth of knowledge and practical guidance applicable to all leadership styles and situations.

Here are a few must-reads from Maxwell’s extensive library to add to your leadership bookshelf:

High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together in a World That Divides

Leadership can be a blessing or a curse. It can help people rise to a better life or cause them to fall into despair. Becoming part of the solution means becoming a high-road leader. High Road Leadership tackles the problem of our divided world. Maxwell states, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Today, leadership is causing people to fall into disputes, frustration, anger, and despair. His solution is to expose the problems of taking the low and middle roads when interacting with others and teach people how to take the high road instead. Leaders who practice high-road leadership value all people, do the right things for the right reasons, take accountability for their actions, and place people above their own agenda. Maxwell teaches the principles and practices of high-road leadership that can increase anyone’s influence and help them make their world a better place.

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Developing The Leader Within You 2.0: Essential Skills for Today’s Leaders

Twenty-five years ago, John Maxwell turned the business world on its head with his simple statement that leaders are made, not born. Now, he’s revised that groundbreaking book to produce Developing the Leader Within You 2.0. This updated edition provides practical insights and principles for personal and professional growth. Maxwell emphasizes that leadership is primarily about influence, and effective leaders must first learn to lead themselves before leading others. The book explores ten critical components of authentic, personal leadership, including the importance of priorities, servanthood, and the process of continuous growth. Through these principles, Maxwell equips readers with the necessary tools to become effective and influential leaders in their respective spheres of influence.

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The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Timeless Principles for Every Leader

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership has been helping people become better leaders for the last quarter century. This revised and updated 25th Anniversary Edition includes new insights and lessons learned since the book was first published. Maxwell has updated the content for the next generation of leaders, adding fresh stories that apply to today’s business world. Each of the 21 laws is discussed in its own chapter, providing personal stories and biographical sketches of some of history’s greatest leaders. Maxwell’s powerful leadership truths are as relevant today as they were when he first wrote the book, making it an essential read for anyone looking to understand the core principles of effective leadership.

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The 360 Degree Leader: Maximizing Influence from Any Position

Leadership is not about being on top; it’s about having influence in every direction. The 360 Degree Leader debunks the myths that hold people back from developing their influence. Maxwell shows middle managers how to leverage their unique positions and become 360-degree leaders by exercising influence up (to the boss), across (among their peers), and down (to those they lead). The book provides specific principles for leading in all directions and overcoming the challenges of being caught in the middle. Maxwell’s principles empower leaders to make a significant difference in their organizations, careers, and lives, regardless of their position.

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The Five Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential

True leadership isn’t about having a certain job or title. In The Five Levels of Leadership, Maxwell outlines the five levels every effective leader achieves: Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle. Maxwell describes each of these stages, showing how to master each level and rise to the next. This book helps leaders grow their influence, respect, and success, demonstrating how to invest in people and inspire them, achieve results, build a productive team, and help people develop their skills to become leaders themselves.

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LeaderShift: Embracing Essential Changes for Effective Leadership

Change is so rapid today that leaders must do more than stay the course to be successful. They must learn how to leadershift. In LeaderShift, Maxwell helps leaders gain the ability and willingness to make leadership changes that will positively enhance their organizational and personal growth. Maxwell shares eleven essential shifts he made over his successful leadership career. These include the Adaptive Shift from Plan A to Option A, the Production Shift from Ladder Climbing to Ladder Building, and the Influence Shift from Positional Authority to Moral Authority. Each shift requires leaders to change the way they think, act, and ultimately lead, enabling them to succeed in a constantly evolving world.

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Evolve Your Leadership with Maxwell Leadership

These books by John C. Maxwell are just a starting point on your leadership development journey.  Maxwell Leadership offers a variety of resources to help you reach your full potential, including executive coaching programs designed to address your unique challenges and leadership goals.

Join the Maxwell Leadership community today and take the next step in your leadership journey!  Explore our executive coaching programs to discover how Maxwell Leadership can help you transform your leadership and your organization.

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