Loading
Read like a CEO
Essential books recommended by today’s top CEOs, executives, and leaders.
Published on May 1, 2023
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
The Arbinger InstituteCEOs from Bruce L. Christensen (PBS) to Dave Browne (LensCrafters) praise this 2000 leadership guide, which teaches readers how to harness self-awareness and reject the “truths” we create about those around us. According to a CNBC article, Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield asked his entire executive team to read “Leadership and Self-Deception,” saying that it highlights the “key ways people and teams hold themselves back every day without even realizing it.”
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
Jim CollinsCelebrated business consultant and bestselling author Collins (“Good to Great”) teaches leaders how to build companies with vision. “Built to Last” provides countless historical examples of successful companies to inspire a new generation of small business owners. “There is integrity in building a company that will stand the test of time,” says CEO Leigh Rawdon (Tea Collection). “The principles of this book have consciously and subconsciously guided the business and our brand since the very first day.”
Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street
john brooksBill Gates and Warren Buffett agree that this collection of Brooks’ 1960s leadership articles, originally published in The New Yorker, is ideal for anyone interested in business. An entry on Gates’ blog reads, “Today, more than two decades after Warren lent it to me — and more than four decades after it was first published — Business Adventures remains the best business book I’ve ever read… It’s certainly true that many of the particulars of business have changed. But the fundamentals have not. Brooks’s deeper insights about business are just as relevant today as they were back then.”
Principles: Life and Work
Ray DalioCEOs including Jack Dorsey (Square) and Arianna Huffington (Thrive Global) rave about billionaire investor Dalio’s book. Turn your leadership potential into reality with these proven tools for decision-making, conquering challenges, and building strong teams from “the Steve Jobs of investing.”
The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism
Hubert JolyThis must-read is written and recommended by executives. Joly shares the strategies he used during his tenure as Best Buy’s CEO — methods that revived the struggling corporation in the nick of time. Rosalind “Roz” Brewer (CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance) said of the author, “His philosophy centers on unleashing ‘human magic’ by pursuing a noble purpose and putting people at the center of all you do in your business.”
The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation
Carl Benedikt FreyUsing the Industrial Revolution as an example, “The Technology Trap” explores how disruptive advancements — particularly automation — often cause immediate harm to the working class, which leads to inequality and division. Author Frey urges leaders and policymakers of today to innovate consciously to avoid repeating past mistakes. In 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna read this work of applied history for World Book Day.
The Raging 2020s: Companies, Countries, People - and the Fight for Our Future
Alec RossRecommended reading by Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, “The Raging 2020s” calls out the power imbalance between government, the people, and corporations — an imbalance that increases human suffering. Ross offers proposed strategies for course-correction as well as predictions for the future should we maintain the off-kilter status quo. This is a vital read for leaders in capitalistic societies.
The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
Clayton M. ChristensenInstrumental in the life and work of the late Steve Jobs (co-founder and CEO of Apple), “The Innovator’s Dilemma” offers essential guidance on running a successful business in the modern era. Learn why even the most successful companies often fall short in a rapidly changing world, and how to harness technology for sustainable growth.
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed or Fail
Ray DalioIn 2021, Arianna Huffington, author and CEO of Thrive Global, said Dalio’s book “may well be the most important book of the year if not the decade.” This informative economics breakdown reveals the market and social forces behind why powerful nations have succeeded or failed throughout history, flagging urgent, present-day implications along the way.
Without a Doubt: How to Go from Underrated to Unbeatable
Surbhi SarnaSarna’s life and career are proof that you don’t have to have an early advantage to succeed. Despite years of being disregarded — or perhaps because of it — she went on to develop a life-saving medical device for women. Sarna is now a successful venture capitalist and a Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur. “Without a Doubt” — another recommendation by Arianna Huffington — overflows with humor, vulnerability, and empathy as the author inspires readers to chase their passions no matter the odds.
The Intelligent Investor, Rev. Ed: The Definitive Book on Value Investing
Benjamin GrahamIt can be scary to enter the stock market with its highs and lows, bears and bulls, but this classic guidebook provides many keys to successful investing. In a letter to his Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffet writes of the book, “My financial life changed with that purchase… Ben’s ideas were explained logically in elegant, easy-to-understand prose.”
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Robert T. Kiyosaki“You’re either a master of money or a slave to it,” Kiyosaki asserts in his landmark book that challenges conventional middle-class wisdom about hard work and saving money. “Shark Tank” investor and CEO of fashion company FUBU, Daymond John told Business Insider that he counts this book as one that changed his life.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships
Marshall B. RosenbergRosenberg’s revolutionary communication guide teaches us how to replace judgment with compassion and understanding. “Upon becoming CEO, [Satya] Nadella confronted Microsoft’s legendarily combative culture by urging his new reports to read this book, which preaches the power of empathy, self-awareness, and authenticity in collaboration in the workplace, at home, and beyond,” says a FastCompany article on Nadella’s favorite leadership books.
The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance---What Women Should Know
Katty KayThere’s been much discussion about the “confidence gap” between men and women and how this leads to career disparity, but your talents deserve recognition. This book instills confidence even at the executive level, with Sheryl Sandberg (former COO of Meta Platforms and founder of LeanIn.org) saying, “Kay and Shipman shine a perceptive light on the crucial role that confidence plays in the ability of women to succeed. They offer women practical advice and the vision of a more hopeful future.”
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Phil KnightNike’s swoosh is one of the most recognizable icons around the world, so it’s no surprise this memoir by founder Knight is one of the most-lauded business books of all time. “Shoe Dog” is recommended by many CEOs, including Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway), Doug McMillon (Walmart), Amanda Bradford (The League), and David Segal (Firebelly Tea). “I think it is the most incredible story,” says Segal in 2021. “So many lessons from how to adapt when a supplier throws you a curveball to the power of being present and making people feel special.”
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah HarariHarari’s new classic merges science with history to give a thorough saga of the human species, and it’s been recommended by leaders like President Obama, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Daniel Ek. In fact, Ek, CEO of Spotify, includes “Sapiens” in his top 10 favorite books.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
Isabel WilkersonPulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wilkerson shares the overlooked story of the Great Migration, when millions of African Americans uprooted their lives to move from the South to cities in the North, the Midwest, and out West from 1915–1970. In 2021, George Nichols III (CEO of the American College of Financial Services) said, “The history and statistics are very interesting, and the more powerful story is the biographies of real people whose lives were forever changed.”
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Margot Lee ShetterlyShetterly’s blockbuster book reveals the little-known history of the Black female mathematicians whose calculations were critical to winning the space race in a still-segregated America. This riveting true story inspired a 2016 film and is recommended by Jennefer Witter, the CEO and founder of The Boreland Group, Inc.
Team of Rivals
Doris Kearns GoodwinOne of Bill Gates’ favorite books of all time, this look at Abraham Lincoln’s presidency focuses specifically on Lincoln’s admirable leadership skills as he worked with his rivals to win the Civil War. In a GatesNotes blog post, Gates says, “It feels especially relevant now when our country is once again facing violent insurrection, difficult questions about race, and deep ideological divides. Goodwin is one of America’s best biographers, and ‘Team of Rivals’ is arguably her masterpiece.”
Anthem
Ayn RandIn this dystopian novella, the protagonist (called Equality 7-2521) rebels against extreme collectivism, embarking on a journey that awakens his sense of self. Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe, calls Rand one of his favorite authors, and this story highlights the author’s personal ideology of individualism.
Sources
- 10 CEOs share the books they’re giving this holiday season
- 2021, Fast Company
- The best business book I’ve ever read
- 2014, GatesNotes
- Who Read What: Business Leaders Share Their Favorite Books of 2021
- 2021, The Wall Street Journal
- 8 Women Executives Share The Book That Changed Their Lives
- 2018, Fast Company
- Steve Jobs Solved the Innovator’s Dilemma
- 2011, Harvard Business Review
- How did humans get smart?
- 2016, GatesNotes
- The Confidence Code, Editorial Reviews
- Amazon.com
- 10 Books We Read This Year That Changed Our Perspective
- 2021, Thrive Global
- Factfulness, Editorial Reviews
- Amazon.com
- Principles: Life and Work
- The CEO Library
- Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
- The CEO Library
- The 7 Books Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says You Need To Lead Smarter
- 2017, Fast Company
- 5 of my all-time favorite books
- 2022, GatesNotes
- Adobe turns 35: CEO Shantanu Narayen on empowering the world’s creators, growth in San Jose
- 2017, The Mercury News
- Spotify CEO Daniel Eks 10 Favorite Books
- 2017, Vulture