While great books won’t make a bad leader great, great books will make learning leaders better. Why’s that? Because books contain wisdom from years of experience, research, and tribal knowledge.
When an author pours his life and breath into a book, it’s a labor of love. I know because I wrote the book on Reel Leadership a few years ago. It’s also one of the reasons I love to highlight great books.
Every month, I bring you 5 great books that will help you become a better leader (I know you’re willing to learn so I know it’s true). Here’s this month’s list.
Photo by Crystal Jo on Unsplash
5 Leadership Books To Read In November 2025
1. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien:
The Things They Carried is a great piece of literature. It may not be the standard non-fiction tome most leaders turn to for leadership advice. Yet, we know fictitious works can make us better leaders.
This is one of those books.
Tim O’Brien’s book will teach you the following:
- The weight of responsibility
- Moral complexity
- The cost of leadership decisions.
Find out why this book is great when you purchase your copy.
2. Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self To Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy:
Did you know your body language says a lot about you? It shapes your leadership effectiveness and the way people view you as a leader.
In her book Presence, Amy Cuddy challenges you to assess how your personal presence is impacting the way you lead, your organization, and your family.
Cuddy shares great stories from people around the world. You won’t face challenges the same way again after picking up this book.
3. The Gift Of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker:
We’ve been taught to have No Fear, fear is bad, you must go beyond fear. What if fear isn’t as bad as you have been taught? What if fear is something that protects us?
Gavin de Becker examines this in The Gift Of Fear. He shifts the mindset that fear is a curse to a blessing.
Is it true? Read the book to find out.
4. The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates The World’s Greatest Teams by Sam Walker:
Sam Walker examined multiple teams looking for leadership insights. He discovered that the most dominant 16 teams in sports had one thing in common: the type of leader they had.
These leaders had unique skills and traits that set them apart from the average player. Walker shares those traits in The Captain Class.
It’s a fascinating read that shows us the type of leaders who get things done.
5. Finite And Infinite Games: A Vision Of Life As Play And Possibility by James P. Carse:
There are two types of games people play. They are:
- Finite
- Infinite
When we realize this, we realize that life goes beyond winning. What we need to strive for is perpetual growth.
James P. Carse helps us understand this in Finite And Infinite Games. This book will change your mindset on winning.
