Put Down that Remote and Back Away from the TV. Books Every Young Leader Must Read

October 11, 2012

Can leadership be learned from the pages of a book?  

In a new Harvard Business Review blog, John Coleman, the co-author of "Passion & Purpose: Stories from the Best and Brightest Young Business Leaders,"  makes the case that reading matters and offers his suggestions for the best books best suited for students interested in leadership.

His list includes works of history, literature, psychology, and even how-to's.  

One of Coleman's recommended reads is Jim Collin's "Good to Great,"  which Coleman describes as, "A systematic treatise on making a company great, with particularly interesting findings around what Collins calls "Level 5 Leadership" that have changed the face of modern business."

And the list is not just about business success or strategy.

" Variety is important," says Coleman. "Novels can enhance empathy; social science and history can illuminate lessons from other times and fields that might be relevant to your own; and at the very least, reading broadly can make you a more interesting conversationalist. But I have tried to make all the choices directly relevant to young businesspeople interested in leadership."

Curious?

Link here to HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW (HBR)