Top 10 best books that impacted my leadership during the 17-18 school year

Episode 111

Learning never stops. Finding time to do it on consistent basis is one of the challenges we face as principles.  That’s why I listen to books.

Depending on the platform from which you download the material you can listen up to 3X normal speed.  It takes some getting used to, but if you start gradually at 1.5, then to 2X and even faster at 2.5X speed your brain adapts to the quickness. When you need to take notes you can either pause or rewind until you can jot down the information.  

Below are the 10 best books I consumed this past school year. Each one influenced how I thought about leadership and education. This list of 10 are a combination of both digital and audio books. I’ve included a short summary from Amazon for convenience.  

1.  The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
A New York Times bestselling author explores cutting-edge brain science to learn where talent comes from, how it grows-and how we can make ourselves smarter.


2.  Multipliers by Liz Wiseman|with Greg McKeown
A thought-provoking, accessible, and essential exploration of why some leaders (“Diminishers”) drain capability and intelligence from their teams, while others (“Multipliers”) amplify it to produce better results.


3.  Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
A former international hostage negotiator for the FBI offers a new field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations - whether in the boardroom or at home.


4.  The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
[John C. Maxwell] has combined insights learned from his thirty-plus years of leadership successes and mistakes with observations from the worlds of business, politics, sports, religion, and military conflict.


5.  Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio, one of the world's most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he's developed, refined, and used over the past 40 years to create unique results in both life and business - and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.


6.  Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S Grover
Fore more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and dozens more—and made them greater. Now, for the first time ever, he reveals what it takes to get those results, showing you how to be relentless and achieve whatever you desire.

7.  The Leading Brain by Hans W. hagemann, Friederike Fabritius
A cutting-edge guide to applying the latest research in brain science to leadership - to sharpen performance, encourage innovation, and enhance job satisfaction.


8.  Linchpin: Are You Indispensable by Seth Godin
There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there's a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there's no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.


9.  Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
Start with Why shows that the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way - and it's the opposite of what everyone else does.


10. The 12 Week Year: Get More Done In 12 Weeks Than Others Do In 12 Months by Brian P Moran, Michael Lennington
The 12 Week Year creates focus and clarity on what matters most and a sense of urgency to do it now. In the end more of the important stuff gets done and the impact on results is profound.
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What are your top leadership books? Share some from your library in the comment section below. If you found this entertaining, educational or cause for reflection, please follow me and click share so your friends and colleagues can benefit as well.

For more short articles and tips that support educational leaders check out my blog at the  www.howtobeagreatprincpal.com and/or order my newest book How To Be A Great Principal: 36 Shared Leadership Success Strategies. You can also get a monthly email that delivers the most valuable blogs as voted by readers by joining the Principals’ Prep Minute. You can register right on the website.   

If you’re an auditory learner you can download my podcast The Principal Entrepreneur, on itunes and podomatic, episodes updated weekly.  If you’re interested in sharing your experience as an edleader please email me at jonathanroyce@theprincipalentrepreneur.com. Finally, I’m part of a  community of supportive principals please join our private FB group.

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