Reading has many benefits: learning, acquiring new skills, and more information. It also has a way of enhancing leadership skills and boosting confidence. As we believe Leaders must be Readers. As a young professional, if you wish to get into a leadership role, apart from your work, reading can add to your personality. You ask how? It increases your knowledge, improves vocabulary, improves your mood and reduces stress.
In this blog, we have listed the top 7 leadershio books every young professional should read at least once. Because let’s be real, it’s a win-win situation; it keeps you engaged, so there is no boredom, and at the same time, you are learning something new. These books are easily available online on platforms like Amazon or Flipkart.
Atomic Habits
Price: INR 453
As you must have seen circulating, this book is something every leader has and is also suggesting. In this book, the Author, James Clear, has altered the idea that transforming life starts with altering small habits. To the contrary, which people assume to transform life, one needs to think big or take drastic steps. As the Author believes, real change comes with a compound effect of hundreds of small changes and decisions. He also uncovers some simple life hacks like the unexpected power of Two Minute Rule, the forgotten art of Habit Stacking. It also explains the psychology and neuroscience of why these methods are required. These habits are very minute but will add to the big ones, hence being one of the top choices amongst the top 7 leadership books that one must read.
For example, if one person wants to start with a workout but on actual time, he would make some excuses or pass it. So, instead of an hour workout, one can perform just 5 push-ups daily. These habits he terms as Atomic Habits. If you find this a little on the pricey side you can simply check our website and find the relevant amazon coupon code and redeem it and get the book at a reasonable price.
Deep Work
Price: INR 244
As the name suggests, this book talks about and explains Deep Work instead of quantity over quality. The Author, Cal Newport, explains in the book how professionals are like puppets, multi-tasking and dealing with multiple emails and projects simultaneously. It keeps them away from deep work, free of all the distractions. Ultimately, it states that professionals should now start prioritising.
Cal Newport has used neuroscience and the principle of psychology to support his point. In this book, he explains how the new leaders can improve their cognitive abilities. It also states how leaders at the workplace can inspire and encourage employees not to take shortcuts at work to complete a project or meet a deadline. He explains taking some time off to introspect without any social media or technology will help them come up with coherent solutions to break the rat race of corporate life. Cal is a core believer that a non-technophile can deliver more productive and timely work.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Price: INR 366
One of the bestsellers by the New York Times, which sold almost 25 million copies in nearly 20 years from when Stephen R. Covey wrote it. It is a self-help classic emphasising a principle-centred approach catering to personal and professional needs. The Author explains how moving from dependence to independence is essential and then swiftly to interdependence with the help of 7 effective habits. The habits comprise proactive steps, setting clear and simple goals, collaborating, and effectively taking steps for self-improvement.
The book is a good choice for professionals and students, as it supports and emphasises developing character and long-term success and states the importance of aligning actions with core values.
Start With Why
Price INR: 404
Start With Why is a bestselling business book. The Author of the book is Simon Sinek. The book explains why some leaders and businesses are more inventive and successful than others and how they can repeat their success from time to time. As a result, the Author Simon Sinek argues in the book that in business, it does not matter what you do, but the why and how are paramount. He adds that top leaders like Martin Luther King and Steve Jobs follow the same principle. He explains the framework required for businesses to move past what they do and how they do it. These leaders also ask the most basic yet essential questions, such as Why? Hence serves as the best leadership books by Simon Sinek.
They motivate the other professionals on the verge of leading a team to reflect on the core points, such as Why we do what we do, why we exist, etc. These simple questions can unlock the secret to an inspiring business. The Author explains what authentic leadership is, how to inspire people, and how everyone can do it.
The 4-Hour Work Week
Price: INR 541
Timothey Ferriss discusses creating a life of freedom and flexibility in this book. He knocks the old concept of retirement and rest plans, especially in tight economic times. He introduces the DEAL approach. That is, Define, Eliminate, Automate and Liberate. It can help readers to redesign their work life. He suggests outsourcing tasks and individually focusing on tasks that are very important to have a way to build passive income and also utilise time to its optimum.
The book encourages readers to question conventional career paths and build a life centred around personal goals, travel, and meaningful experiences. The book also explains how one can travel and make money without quitting. This book will be a true friend for professionals still in the old habit of sticking to their desks 9-5 for minimum savings. Instead, reading this book will make you smart and help you find numerous sources of building passive income, as the Author himself has experience. For those who are starting out on their own, this book serves as one of the best leadership books.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Price: INR 485
Another bestseller on the list after selling almost 10 million copies. It will change how one looks at life and makes decisions, For the new age professionals, this stands amongst one of the best leadership books. It challenges the core rationality which still exists; examples are as simple as humans believing something when a bold person speaks or judges denying parole before lunch. The answer is simple: it lies in two ways: we, as humans, make choices. When it is fast, it is intuitive, primarily thinking; when it is slow, it is rational.
The book explains how our mind is trapped by error and prejudice. It ultimately provides solutions and techniques to help us think slowly and smartly. It enables you to make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do.
The Power of Habit
Price: INR 427
Charles Duhigg, in his book The Power of Habits is Formed, takes a scientific approach to forming habits and how they change. The book introduces a new approach to human nature and the potential changes that help transform old habits. The core idea circulates the loop of these habits, cues, routines and rewards. The Author explains how understanding the loop can alter their unproductive habits into more productive ones. He uses real-life stories, like corporate success, to describe personal transformation; the Author states small behavioral changes can lead to an improved life.
Final Words
There are so many ways young professionals can optimize and take active steps to get into leadership roles. But the basic yet mighty step is reading. We listed our top 7 leadership books suggestions that every young professional should read. These books can be read by anything, and you can implement a few things in your daily tasks and life; this will help boost creativity and productivity and learn new things. So, what are you waiting for? Get them today!