By Bravanti
One could argue that the most critical role in modern business is to develop the next generation of leaders.
As the world grows increasingly more complex, uncertain, and fast-paced, the demand for prepared, principled leaders has never been greater—and the responsibility to develop them has never been more vital.
Behind every bold decision, resilient team, and inclusive culture is a leader who didn’t get there alone. They were shaped, supported, and challenged by someone who saw their potential and chose to invest in it. Leadership doesn’t happen in isolation—it’s cultivated by those who commit to guiding others with intention, insight, and heart. And that’s exactly what makes your role so vital.
Following the success of 15 Must-Read Books for Women Leaders, we thought it time to share our top reads for those entrusted with developing tomorrow’s leaders. This curated list offers a well-rounded mix of leadership classics, modern must-reads, and lesser-known gems.
1. Developing the Leaders Around You: How to Help Others Reach Their Full Potential
by John C. Maxwell
As one of the world’s most influential voices in leadership, Maxwell delivers a practical, scalable approach to growing talent from within. This book offers timeless frameworks for identifying high-potential leaders and equipping them to take on greater responsibility—making it indispensable for any professional building a leadership pipeline. Learn more.
2. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
by Simon Sinek
With this bestselling manifesto on purpose-driven leadership, Sinek challenges readers to look beyond “what” and “how” to focus on the deeper “why” that fuels innovation, trust, and loyalty. Drawing from business case studies and human behavior, Start With Why has become a foundational resource for leaders looking to inspire and influence through clarity of purpose. For those designing leadership development programs or coaching senior leaders, this book offers enduring insights into how meaning drives performance at every level. Learn more.
3. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
by Michael Bungay Stanier
Stanier, a globally respected authority on workplace coaching, distills the art of developmental conversations into seven powerful questions. This book equips Leadership Development professionals to embed a coaching mindset across their organizations—especially among mid-level and emerging leaders navigating fast-paced decision-making environments. Learn more.
4. Unbreakable: Building and Leading Resilient Teams
by Bradley L. Kirkman & Adam C. Stoverink
In today’s volatile environment, resilience isn’t just a team trait—it’s a leadership imperative. In Unbreakable, Kirkman and Stoverink draw on decades of research to show how great leaders proactively cultivate the four critical resources that make teams bounce back stronger: psychological safety, a shared mindset, well-aligned systems, and robust relationships. This book gives leadership development professionals a clear, evidence-based roadmap for preparing leaders to build, lead, and sustain high-performing teams through uncertainty and adversity. Learn more.
5. The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
by Julie Zhuo
Ideal for supporting first-time managers, this book demystifies the day-to-day challenges of people leadership with empathy and clarity—making it a staple for early-stage leadership programs. Zhuo, who rose to become VP of Product Design at Facebook in her twenties, provides a candid, insightful guide to navigating the leap into leadership. Learn more.
6. Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
by Kim Scott
Drawing from her experience leading teams at Google and advising at Apple, Scott introduces a transformative model for delivering feedback that’s both caring and direct. For those shaping leadership cultures rooted in trust and accountability, Radical Candor offers real-world guidance on fostering growth through honest conversations. Learn more.
7. Mastering Leadership: An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results
by Robert J. Anderson & William A. Adams
Built on the globally utilized Leadership Circle Profile, this research-backed book merges internal mindset development with external performance. Anderson and Adams present a rigorous yet accessible framework that’s especially valuable for those designing senior leadership journeys focused on transformation at scale. Learn more.
8. The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations
by James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner
Based on decades of global research, this foundational work by two of the most respected scholars in the field introduces the “Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership.” Its research-driven insights and practical tools make it a go-to resource for building leadership competencies and evaluating impact across learning programs. Learn more.
9. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
by Brené Brown
No leadership must-read list is complete without at least one work from Brené Brown. Dare to Lead combines academic research with cultural resonance to challenge leaders to embrace vulnerability as a path to courage, connection, and trust. For professionals looking to cultivate emotionally intelligent, human-centered leadership, Dare to Lead offers both inspiration and structure grounded in over two decades of research. Learn more.
10. Leadership in Turbulent Times
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
In Leadership in Turbulent Times, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin draws on the lives of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Johnson to illuminate how adversity shapes leadership character. More reflective than prescriptive, Goodwin’s work provides valuable historical parallels for today’s complex challenges, making it a rich addition to senior-level leadership discussions. Learn more.
11. Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You
by Frances Frei & Anne Morriss
In Unleashed, Frei, a Harvard Business School professor, and Morriss, a seasoned leadership advisor, deliver a compelling playbook for building trust and enabling others to thrive. With case studies from Uber, Riot Games, and the U.S. government, this book equips leadership coaches and culture-builders with actionable strategies for inclusive, high-impact leadership. Learn more.
12. Who Believed in You? How Purposeful Mentorship Changes the World
by Dina Powell McCormick & Senator David McCormick
Through intimate conversations with global leaders, Who Believed in You? captures how mentorship serves as a lever for leadership transformation. Written by two deeply experienced public- and private-sector leaders, it offers rich inspiration and practical models for those designing high-potential and sponsorship programs. Learn more.
13. Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
by L. David Marquet
Written by a former U.S. Navy submarine captain, Turn the Ship Around! offers a compelling case study in empowering others through distributed leadership. Marquet shares how empowering crew members with a “leader-leader” approach transformed the worst-performing submarine into one of the best. For leadership development professionals, this book provides a tangible, real-world blueprint for building ownership, decision-making capability, and leadership at every level of an organization. Learn more.
The Future of Leadership Starts With You
Those entrusted with developing the next generation of leaders aren’t just preparing individuals for the next role—they’re shaping the future of organizations and the broader business landscape.
These 12 books offer more than theory; they provide proven frameworks, real-world insights, and human-centered strategies to help you do that work with clarity, purpose, and impact.
Whether you’re designing a new leadership pipeline, coaching senior executives, or embedding inclusive practices into your programs, these resources will deepen your toolkit—and elevate the leaders you help create.
Content Related to 13 Must-Read Books for NextGen Leader Builders
Leadership Development: The Ultimate Guide to Building Future-Ready Leaders
Leadership By Design: Best Practices for Developing High-Potential Talent
The Leadership-Engagement Link: How Great Leadership Fuels Culture