best books for educational leaders 2023

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Our Favorite Books for Educators in 2023

For this year’s collection of our favorite education books, we’ve included a little something for everyone—including kids!—and they all center on one theme: hope. Navigating an antiquated educational system in a world that seems to thrive on stress and turmoil can lead to a feeling of helplessness. But we all know that educators are anything but helpless!

Sometimes, though, we need a little shoring up of our sense of agency, and that’s what these books do. If you feel like your imagination has taken a permanent hiatus—you just can’t bring yourself to think of another creative way to teach long division or save the world—look no further. If your students are having a hard time imagining how they can change the world, presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman has written a book just for them. For students and teachers who don’t need help imagining a cleaner, healthier world, but need a little guidance on how to start tackling climate change, social-emotional learning (SEL) expert Tom Roderick offers some ideas. But, if in all this changing and saving the world, you feel like you and your students need to decompress and remember the joy of learning, we’ve got you covered. And, for school leaders who aspire to create the space for all this beautiful transformation to take place (but, really, on certain days, only want to crawl under your desks), there is a book just for you…finally.

We wish you a peaceful end to 2023—and hope you take time to breathe and imagine new possibilities!

The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning: Transforming Classrooms One Nervous System at a Time , by Debra Em Wilson

Why is everyone talking about the vagus nerve these days? This wandering bundle of fibers connects the brain and the body, sending safety-and-danger signals to us throughout the day. Because it plays a starring role in our bodies’ involuntary functions (like our heart rate, breath, and digestion), it’s worthy of our curiosity as educators.

Debra Em Wilson’s book, The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning , provides a biological framework for understanding, monitoring, and responding to the diverse array of individual nervous systems in your classroom—including your own. Wilson’s practical anecdotes, metaphors, diagrams, and accessible writing make her guide highly readable and relevant. If you strive to be a trauma-sensitive practitioner, and you believe in the power of relationships in the classroom, this book will reaffirm your vision and sense of agency.

Drawing on Stephen Porges’s groundbreaking polyvagal theory and Deb Dana’s theory-practice translation work for clinicians , Wilson represents the primary autonomic nervous system responses as a three-runged ladder: from the immobilizing dorsal vagal response (associated with helpless and hopeless feelings) to the mobilizing sympathetic state (linked to both fear and aggression) to the optimal sense of safety, calm, and eager engagement we experience at the top of the ladder through the ventral vagal response.

Three insights emerged for me while reading about nervous system function and our capacity for learning. First, polyvagal theory emphasizes co-regulation (regulating emotions with others) before self-regulation (or self-management), one of the core social-emotional learning capacities. Wilson highlights healthy, adaptive ways that we can “borrow and lend” our regulated nervous systems through structured academic play, movement, and stillness, for example.

Second, our capacity for resilience isn’t an all-or-nothing game largely dependent on the number of adverse childhood experiences we’ve had. It’s an open-ended, growth process of “befriending and retuning” the nervous system as we recognize our bodily states and draw on our ventral response resources through calming “safety rest stops” and ongoing repair of day-to-day “misses” or “ruptures” with one another.

Finally, this approach expands the notion of the mind-body connection to a dynamic “mind-body-world” exchange where things like tone of voice, a soft gaze, a friendly gesture, and an open posture can make us feel safer, more joyful, more motivated, and engaged in learning and growing together. —Amy L. Eva

Something, Someday , with words by Amanda Gorman and pictures by Christian Robinson

There is much that is hard in this world. An ever-worsening climate crisis , increased poverty and homelessness, violent wars …all problems that feel too big to fix, especially for young children. This beautifully illustrated picture book by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman reminds children (and all of us, really) that we do have the ability to make a difference . It offers up hope that when we come together, and build upon small acts of kindness , we can find beauty and create change in the world.

This book touches on themes that Greater Good has focused on this year: having the courage to take action when things feel hard or scary; the experience of awe that comes from collective effervescence (the feeling that arises when we work with others toward a common goal); approaching the world with openness, wonder , and curiosity ; and, lastly, the importance of community, connection, and compassion for those around us. —Mariah Flynn

Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education , by Tom Roderick

After leading the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility for 36 years with a commitment to furthering research-based programs in SEL, restorative practices, and racial equity, progressive educator and trailblazer Tom Roderick turns his focus to the struggle for climate justice. He argues that the “primary purpose of education at this turning point in history must be to nurture a generation of courageous, intelligent, and wise non-violent fighters for climate justice.”

His vision incorporates the work of outstanding educators who are attuned to their students’ needs and the needs of humanity during this time of environmental crisis, with the wisdom of luminaries such as Martin Luther King Jr., Joanna Macy, Parker J. Palmer, and many others who have led the way toward peace and justice for all.

A central theme of his book is that we must take the cares and concerns of our young people seriously. As climate activist Greta Thunberg has said, her generation is grieving over the threat to their future and is enraged at adults for “standing by while the house burns.” Teach for Climate Justice is a call to action—“an urgent plea for educators everywhere to rise up and demand the time and resources needed to express our caring by addressing our students’ true needs…[and] transform the dominant mind-set that sees our fragile environment as a field for unlimited exploitation into one based on humility and respectful reciprocity.”

What Roderick has learned in his long career advocating for racial equity and social responsibility provides a framework for this transformation. Each chapter describes one of eight dimensions for creating and sustaining environments where students understand the power of civil resistance, the ability to think intelligently about solutions to pressing needs, and the importance of caring for one another along the way. It is both an inspirational manifesto and a clear set of developmentally appropriate teaching strategies, examples of best practices, and links to resources for the classroom and school.

Although concern for the climate crisis may lead to anxiety, fear, and anger, Teach for Climate Justice describes a way forward where love, joy, and hope animate the work and provide inspiration and motivation to manifest a just and sustainable future for all. —Margaret Golden

Learning to Imagine: The Science of Discovering New Possibilities , by Andrew Shtulman

There is a misconception in popular culture that we become less imaginative as we get older, and that our capacity for imagination declines over our lifespan. In Learning to Imagine , cognitive scientist Andrew Shtulman argues the opposite: All that we learn through our lives serves to enhance our capacity to be imaginative. Knowledge actually powers imagination, and, as we live, learn, and reflect, we continue to grow our capacities to imagine throughout our lives.

Shtulman explores how, contrary to popular belief, children are not the most imaginative among us. Through a deep dive of research, the book illustrates how children’s capacities for imagination are actually fostered through education, not in spite of it; in fact, it takes care, learning, and support to nurture children’s imagination.

Replete with research across cognitive development, psychology, and education, the book is an inspiring and empowering nudge to nurture our knowledge banks to open up more possibilities, and affirms the importance of education in all its forms, from traditional pre-K–12 to Montessori, from unschooling to self-directed learning and higher education.

“Let’s stop thinking of imagination as a limited resource, found only in the minds of young children, and start thinking of it as it really is: a nascent capacity shared by all and expandable by all through learning and reflection.” —Lauren Lee

Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders , by Janet Patti and Robin Stern

When I left my position as a burned-out school leader, I embarked on a healing journey, determined to figure out what had happened. So much of what I’ve learned along the way—from my doctoral studies to my work at Greater Good—is encapsulated in Janet Patti and Robin Stern’s Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders . As school leaders, we can have the best of intentions to do right by our students and staff, but navigating the challenges of a flailing educational system and the unmet needs of so many people— without taking any of it personally —requires a skill set not taught in most principal training programs. Patti and Stern have done a great service to the field with this book. Not only do they acknowledge and empathize with the almost impossible job of a school leader (Patti herself tells some harrowing stories from her time as a leader), they also offer solace and hope and actual tools that leaders can start using today. Half the battle, they argue, is convincing policymakers and others that these skills are a vital necessity if schools are to succeed.

“Many believe that the purpose of school is to solely support and develop academic achievement,” they write, “Further, it’s not widely understood that an emotionally intelligent focus in a supportive environment begets high achievement. And the lack of time is always a culprit, especially in view of the ongoing pressure to achieve.” For school leaders who want to improve their emotional intelligence, growing one’s self-awareness is the first step. Patti and Stern urge leaders to do the inner work: School leaders need to develop the “capacity to tune into your feelings, sense inner signals, understand what you are feeling, and recognize how your emotions impact your ability to focus, make decisions, and maintain relationships.” From there, they offer concrete self-management and relationship skills, along with stories from the field and reflection questions for those who aren’t sure where to begin. Overall, this book should be required reading (and using!) for all pre- and in-service school leaders because “the practice of creating joy for yourself and others is uplifting for a school climate and serves as a protective factor for both self and others.” —Vicki Zakrzewski

New Course for Educators

Courage in Education: Facing Challenges with Strength, Determination, and Hope

About the Authors

Amy L. Eva, Ph.D. , is the associate education director at the Greater Good Science Center. As an educational psychologist and teacher educator with over 25 years in classrooms, she currently writes, presents, and leads online courses focused on student and educator well-being, mindfulness, and courage. Her new book, Surviving Teacher Burnout: A Weekly Guide To Build Resilience, Deal with Emotional Exhaustion, and Stay Inspired in the Classroom, features 52 simple, low-lift strategies for enhancing educators’ social and emotional well-being.

Mariah Flynn

Mariah Flynn is the Education Program Coordinator for the Greater Good Science Center.

Margaret Golden

Margaret Golden, Ed.D. , is the education community manager at the Greater Good Science Center. She is the coauthor of Teach Our Children Well: Essential Strategies for the Urban Classroom and editor of Teaching and Learning from the Inside Out: Revitalizing Ourselves and Our Institutions .

Lauren Lee is the education marketing and partnerships manager at the Greater Good Science Center. Passionate about character education and social-emotional learning, she supports the education team in promoting kinder, happier places to live and learn.

Vicki Zakrzewski

Vicki Zakrzewski, Ph.D. , is the education director of the Greater Good Science Center.

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• Our Mission

11 Books To Refresh Your Leadership Library

We asked educators in our community to share the books that most profoundly influenced their leadership approach in recent years. Here are their top picks.

From Warren Buffet to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, many of the most successful leaders are voracious readers . And yet, among school leaders, reading can get short shrift. “Of all the professional development lessons I’ve learned in the principalship, reading strikes me as one we don’t talk enough about,” writes Kathryn Fishman-Weaver , an author and the executive director of Mizzou Academy. “Are the texts we choose ones that shed light on a wide range of lived experiences, including the cultures and experiences included in our student body?”

We asked our community to weigh in and share which leadership books—recently published titles as well as classics—profoundly influenced their leadership approach in recent years. A few clear crowd favorites emerged, among them Harry and Rosemary Wong’s bestseller, The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher . Several authors—Anthony Muhammad, Brené Brown, Simon Sinek, and Shane Safir—had multiple titles nominated, though we selected just one from each in order to keep the list lean. Finally, several unexpected suggestions showed up in the threads, including The Tao of Pooh , The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , and Treasure Island . 

The following books offer a cornucopia of perspectives and cover topics ranging from grading practice to staff dynamics, school culture and climate, to classroom instruction. Here are eleven books that school administrators say will challenge and strengthen your leadership practice.  

The First Days of School: How to Be An Effective Teacher Harry and Rosemary Wong A teacher-focused how-to manual originally published in the nineties (now in its fifth edition) may seem like an unusual pick for the top of a leadership books list—but it garnered the most votes by far on our social channels. While it’s considered a “must read” for teachers, it’s also a valuable resource for administrators, educators told us. Chapters examine the evidence-based practices of high-functioning classrooms and offer teacher-tested advice for structuring and organizing classrooms, and holding high expectations for all kids. Though some critics argue that the authors’ approach to classroom management may “stifle spontaneity in classrooms and lead teachers to become overly controlling,” many consider The First Days of School an authoritative resource for all educators—especially leaders who regularly observe and evaluate teachers in action. 

Dare to Lead Brené Brown Brown believes leaders face pervasive cultural challenges to organizational success, including a desire to avoid hard conversations, a lack of honest but productive feedback, a fear of taking smart risks or sharing bold ideas, and perfectionism. Her exploration of vulnerability, shame, relationships, and communication echoes some of her other work, and the book’s inspirational and self-improvement focused tone may not be for everyone. Yet leaders looking to create a culture of empowerment may benefit from what Brown offers. Courage and trust are important components of any workplace, and this book offers a lens through which to look at both. 

The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity George Couros When a student walks into a classroom, full of questions and curiosity, what happens next? Couros—whose career credentials include classroom teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator—explores what it looks like to create a learning environment where students are encouraged to think differently, innovate, and do more than just perform well when tested. With accessible insights on leadership and learning interspersed with discussion questions, we heard from many educators and school leaders who tackled this text together in their PLCs or as part of their personal professional development. One caveat from a reviewer: “If you are looking for a book that provides all of the answers, this is not the one.” But it may be the book that inspires you to start looking in the right direction. 

Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students Erika Bare and Tiffany Burns After cataloging conversations that moved the needle with students, authors Bare and Burns—currently serving as an assistant superintendent and principal, respectively—felt they had hard-won insight to contribute on the topic of how to talk to kids in school. The pair channeled their collective 40 years of education experience to develop a student-centered, trauma informed, and culturally responsive framework for communicating with and building durable relationships with students. This book includes a conversation planning guide, sentence stems, and an array of other resources. Connecting Through Conversation, the authors explained in a Q&A , offers insights on how to “use body language, tone, and volume to communicate safety and invite connection,” navigating challenging behaviors, while also ensuring educators prioritize their own physical, emotional, and mental health.

Leaders Eat Last Simon Sinek In the U.S. Marines during mealtime, Sinek explains, it’s common for the highest ranking officers to fix their plates last. This not only ensures everyone on the team is fed, but sends an important message: Leaders look after their people first. But Sinek’s people-first approach is only one component of a larger narrative that includes segments on creating a safe environment within your organization—he refers to this as the “Circle of Safety”—and the surprising impacts of what he calls “selfless chemicals” like serotonin and oxytocin on leadership style. 

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Paulo Freire A lot has changed since 1968 when this book was first published in Portuguese, but it’s still widely considered a seminal text on education. Freire’s own experiences with poverty in Brazil, as well as his work with marginalized communities—many of which could not read—helped forge his views on knowledge, access, education reform, and class. Heavily academic and at times jargon-filled, this can be a dense philosophical read though its central message is simple: Education at its core, Freire writes, is a symbiotic relationship in which neither the role of the student or the teacher is fixed. Teachers themselves have many things to learn alongside their students; students have lots of things that they can teach. Freire’s pioneering analysis of the “banking” system of education urges educators to examine their pedagogy and practices. 

Street Data Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan When checking on the health of a school, administrators often turn to what the authors refer to as satellite data like attendance, graduation rates, and test scores. While this information is important, it doesn’t provide a nuanced enough picture, they argue. For a more equitable and comprehensive approach, the authors examine what they call map data , a sort of “GPS of learning trends and gaps in a school community,” Safir writes in EdWeek . They also look at street data , which provides “real-time, leading indicators on the messy work of school and instructional improvement.” For some schools already deep into their equity journey, this book may not feel particularly new, some reviewers say. What it may introduce, however, are resources and tools to help leaders and school communities understand why data should be utilized differently and how to begin that process. 

Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms Joe Feldman Ensuring accuracy, preventing bias and subjectivity, and presenting a dynamic picture of academic performance can all be factors that make grading a particularly challenging task. What’s more, how can educators help students focus on the learning and not the grade? Feldman examines these points as well as how grading relates to identity, the history of grading, unreliable practices, why traditional grading can demotivate and disempower students, and how to chart a path forward. In spite of the nuance involved in determining what works best for each school community, Feldman’s insights provide a starting point for an examination of school-wide grading practices. 

The Assistant Principal 50: Critical Questions for Meaningful Leadership and Professional Growth Baruti K. Kafele Whether you’re pursuing a career as an assistant principal or aspiring to become a principal, Kafele argues the role of an AP is “one of the most misunderstood and underutilized positions in education.” Kafele aims to help prospective and current APs navigate the ambiguity of each step of their journey, offering reflective questions, insights, and guidance with some personal anecdotes mixed in. Although some readers note the book's emphasis on the role of the administrator as disciplinarian, which may not apply depending on your school's culture and climate, Kafele offers a wealth of ideas that can be adapted to a variety of school ecosystems. 

Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division Anthony Muhammad Every school building has its own unique cast of characters. The tensions that may arise between them—potentially becoming a roadblock to progress and change, Muhammad explains—stem from shifting dynamics, relationships, and the beliefs or assumptions of four groups: the Believers, the Fundamentalists, the Tweeners, and the Survivors. Based on a study of 11 elementary, 14 middle, and 9 high schools, Transforming School Culture offers solutions for transforming an ailing school climate into a healthy high-functioning environment for learning. 

Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students Zaretta Lynn Hammond What does it mean to be a culturally responsive educator? Hammond’s take is informed by recent neuroscience research and aims to help schools with diverse classrooms bolster engagement and foster deeper learning in a way that honors students. Designed to prompt self-reflection and action, Hammond’s book aims to leave educators and instructional leaders with a more fleshed out understanding of how to effectively implement brain-based culturally responsive instruction and create a culture of independent learners.   

• West Michigan Leadership Academy
• Our partners

New in 2023: 15 Equity-Centered Professional Learning Leadership Books for Back to School

• August 21, 2023 |
• By The Leadership Academy

Through research and 20 years of experience working with nearly 14,000 education leaders across the country, we know that effective professional learning is critically important to keeping leaders in their jobs longer and creating better outcomes for students. To help celebrate the start of a new school year and kick off your own professional learning goals, we offer you this hot-off-the-presses book list comprised of resources –all of which are brand-new or coming soon in 2023 – to help support the creation of culturally responsive learning environments where every student can thrive.

Featuring several exciting new titles from our team here at The Leadership Academy as well as our partners in the work, this diverse list represents a range of perspectives and insights to help you to enhance your instructional leadership, deepen your equity work, drive change, and foster a thriving school or systems culture.  Click here for a printable version of the list .

• Blended Coaching: Supporting the Development and Supervision of School Leaders (2nd Edition) by Gary S. Bloom and Jackie Owens Wilson builds on the groundbreaking model outlined in the bestselling first edition of Blended Coaching, offering a powerful set of strategies for effective supervision with a significant new focus on coaching leaders through issues of equity.
• From Tinkering to Transformation: How School District Central Offices Drive Equitable Teaching and Learning by Meredith I. Honig and Lydia R. Rainey (available for preorder) is a guide to helping education leaders reimagine the central office through an equity-aligned, research-based approach. Using lively case studies, detailed examples, and performance data from ten US school districts, Honig and Rainey highlight how central offices must transform to support equitable teaching and learning in schools.
• Improving America’s Schools Together: How District-University Partnerships and Continuous Improvement Can Transform Education , edited by Louis M. Gomez, Manuelito Biag, David G. Imig, Randy Hitz, and Steve Tozer, focuses on continuous improvement in school district-university partnerships, highlighting in-depth stories, improvement methods, theory, research, and practical tools that can be adapted to any setting.
• Justice Seekers: Pursuing Equity in the Details of Teaching and Learning by Lacey Robinson discovers the many ways that justice is in the details of race, pedagogy, and standards-driven education. The book offers strategies to help educators see the ways in which they can contribute to eradicating racial inequity and methods for improving the quality of your own teaching here and now.
• Leading Your School Toward Equity: A Practical Framework for Walking the Talk by Dwayne Chism presents a four-step Equity Leadership Framework that is filled with practical guidance, exercises, and activities that you can apply to your school environment.
• Leading Within Systems of Inequity in Education: A Liberation Guide for Leaders of Color by The Leadership Academy’s own Executive Director of Curriculum Development & Equity Mary Rice-Boothe explores what leaders of color need to succeed in the systems that have often marginalized the populations they represent. With first-hand insights from equity officers and principals, this timely book will help leaders of color to succeed within white spaces while working to dismantle those spaces for a new system where they – and students – thrive.
• Leverage the People Who Love and Care About You Personally and Professionally by Ron Rapatalo is an amalgamation of the stories, values, and lessons of Rapatalo’s own personal “circle of champions,” which he offers alongside advice on seeking out your own circle of champions and how to learn from them.
• The Open System: Redesigning Education and Reigniting Democracy by Landon Mascareñaz and Doannie Tran is a call to action for school and community leaders to reframe educational institutions as open systems that are adaptable and responsive to the needs of students, families, and communities.
• Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal by Bettina L. Love lays bare the devastating effect on 25 Black Americans caught in the intersection of economic gain and racist ideology. With input from leading U.S. economists, Dr. Love then offers a road map for repair, arguing for reparations with transformation for all children at its core.
• Stay and Prevail: Students of Color Don’t Need to Leave Their Communities to Succeed by The Leadership Academy’s Lead Executive Officer & President Nancy Gutierrez & Roberto Padilla calls out deficit-based thinking that reinforces the idea that students of color living in low-income communities must leave their communities to succeed. With real-world examples of leaders who gave back to their communities as well as reflection questions and clear and simple tips, this book helps educators honor the backgrounds, cultures, and strengths of Black and Brown communities.
• Shifting Self and System: How Educational Leaders Propel Excellence for Achieving Equity by Ruby Ababio-Fernandez and Courtney Winkfield (available for preorder) presents an original framework built on the interdependent pillars of self-mastery, adaptive leadership, racial literacy, emergence, and whole-body healing.
• There Are No Deficits Here: Disrupting Anti-Blackness in Education by Lauren M. Wells disrupts the deficit beliefs that steal belonging, purpose, pride, and joy from Black students, examining school reform models and offering a counternarrative of how interrelationships and interdependence govern healthy systems.
• Understanding Your Instructional Power: Curriculum and Language Decisions to Support Each Student by Tanji Reed Marshall challenges us to question our assumed impact in the classroom and to reflect on whether we use our power for the betterment of students. The Power Principle Matrix is central to the book, pushing readers toward deep, critical self-examination through its two focus areas, teacher autonomy and instructional power.
• Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum and Instruction  by Gholdy Muhammad is a follow-up to Cultivating Genius, introducing the fifth pursuit of joy to her groundbreaking HILL (Histories, Identities, Literacies, and Liberation) model. Filled with quotes, poems, artwork, and playlists, this book awakens all of the senses for a truly joyful reading experience.
• Unwrapped: The Pursuit of Justice for Women Educators  by The Leadership Academy’s own Kendra Washington-Bass and Kelly Peaks Horner aims to create an inclusive space for women educational leaders to cultivate positive and enriching educational experiences that ensure equitable access for all students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds.
• Coming soon : Finding Your Leadership Soul by Carlos Moreno, releasing December 2023— while it’s not yet available for preorder, we encourage you to keep an eye out for this exciting new title.

If you’ve read or discovered a new equity-focused leadership book or resource that you don’t see on this list, we’d love to hear about it!  Feel free to tell us about it here .

Happy reading, and wishing you a phenomenal start to your new school year and professional learning journey!

The Leadership Academy

We build the capacity of education leaders from the school house to the statehouse to make sure children of every race, culture, and other identity characteristics have access to the learning opportunities they need to thrive.

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The Top 50 Best Books for Teachers – Professional Development Education Books You’ll Love

Table of Contents

1. the innovator’s mindset: empower learning, unleash talent, and learn a culture of creativity – george couros.

• 2. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits And Break Bad Ones – James Clear

3. So Much Reform, So Little Change: The Persistence Of Failure In Urban Schools – Charles M Payne 

4. vintage innovation: leveraging retro tools and classic ideas to design deeper learning experiences – john spencer.

• 5. An Educator’s Guide To STEAM: Engaging Students Using Real-World Problems – Cassie F Quigley, Danielle Herro, Deborah Hanuscin
• 6. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead – Brene Brown
• 7. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything – Ken Robinson, Lou Aronica
• 8. The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change – Adam Braun
• 9. Epiphany: True Stories of Sudden Insight to Inspire, Encourage and Transform, – Elise Ballard

Related articles:

10. the coddling of the amerian mind: how good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure – greg lukianoff, jonathan haidt, 11. the whole-brain child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind – daniel j. siegel, tina payne bryson, 12. the power of place: authentic learning through place-based education – tom vander ark, emily leibtag, nate mcclennen.

• 13. The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life – Chris Guillebeau
• 14. Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative – Ken Robinson
• 15. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are – Brene Brown
• 16. Walking on Water: Reading, Writing and Revolution – Derrick Jensen
• 17. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – Daniel H. Pink
• 18. The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact – Michael Fullan

19. Flipping Leadership Doesn’t Mean Reinventing the Wheel – Peter M DeWitt

• 20. Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator – Dave Burgess
• 21. Leverage Leadership: A Practical Guide to Building Exceptional Schools – Paul Bambrick-Santoyo
• 22. Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People From Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers – Todd Whitaker
• 23. The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools – Multiple Authors
• 24. What Great Teachers Do Differently: 17 Things That Matter Most – Todd Whitaker
• 25. The Tech-Savvy Administrator: How do I use technology to be a better school leader? – Steven W. Anderson
• 26. How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character – Paul Tough
• 27. Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and Student Achievement in Schools – Mary Cay Ricci
• 28. The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students – Daniel Rechtschaffen
• 29. The Way They Learn – Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
• 30. Why Don’t Students Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom – Daniel T Willingham
• 31. The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child – Richard Lavoie
• 32. Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning – Peter C Brown
• 33. How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching – Multiple Authors
• 34. Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning – John Hattie
• 35. Design For How People Learn (Voices That Matter) – Julie Dirksen
• 36. Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools – Michael B Horn, Heather Staker
• 37. The Relevant Educator: How Connectedness Empowers Learning – Tom D Whitby, Steven W. Anderson
• 38. Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success – Carol Dweck
• 39. School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It – Steve Gruenert, Todd Whitaker
• 40. Shaping School Culture: Pitfalls, Paradoxes, and Promises – Terrence E Deal, Kent D Peterson
• 41. Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School – Andy Hargreaves, Michael Fullan
• 42. Cultures Built to Last – DuFour Richard, Fullan Michael
• 43. The Six Secrets of Change: What the Best Leaders Do to Help Their Organizations Survive And Thrive – Michael Fullan
• 44. Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World – Tony Wagner
• 45. Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day – Jonathan Bergmann, Aaron Sams
• 46. Worlds of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School – Laura Fleming
• 47. Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners – Multiple Authors
• 48. Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner – Persida & William Himmele
• 49. Disrupting Class, Expanded Edition: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns – Multiple Authors
• 50. Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding – Jay McTighe, Grant Wiggins
• 51. The Understanding by Design Guide Set (2 Books)– Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe
• 52. Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty – Elizabeth F Barkley
• 53. Reinventing Writing: The 9 Tools That Are Changing Writing, Teaching, and Learning Forever – Vicki Davis
• 54. Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom – Sylvia Libow Martinez, Gary S Stager

More Professional Development Books and Educator Books For Teachers Reading List

There are a LOT of great books for teachers out there. Picking just fifty is no easy feat, but we’ve done our best to cover the best books for teachers from five different angles .

All of these are exceptional reads for teachers. They are in no particular order ; number one’s content is just as significant a teacher resource as number fifty. So, take a browse through the list or jump directly to your area of interest as a teacher, whether it’s inspiration, mindfulness, leadership ways, classroom management, improved student outcomes, teaching, learning culture, or educational psychology.

Top Professional Development Books For Teachers Compared

One of our favorite professional development books for teachers, The Innovator’s Mindset, contains numerous practical examples of innovative leadership. George Couros encourages any school teacher and administrator to shape students’ natural curiosity by empowering them to question and explore. Innovation starts at the top; this book shows educators how to become innovative thinkers. 

2. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits And Break Bad Ones –  James Clear

While not strictly a professional development book, it is one of my favorite books for teachers. In Atomic Habits, world-renowned habits expert James Clear explains how small changes can transform a teacher’s life and impact student learning and student behavior. This practical book reveals simple life hacks and explains why they form good habits and break bad ones.  

In this book, Charles M Payne vividly portrays the weakness of the social infrastructure and daily realities in today’s urban schools. However, the last decade has brought hope with insights into the causes of school failure and how some schools succeeded in improving.

John Spencer’s professional development books answer questions real teachers have about being innovative in the classroom without the best technology, spark creativity within constraints, and how to use vintage tools and approaches in new ways. Vintage Innovation shows the relevance for teachers to look back and forward, using timeless skills and strategies in new ways. 

5. An Educator’s Guide To STEAM: Engaging Students Using Real-World Problems –  Cassie F Quigley, Danielle Herro, Deborah Hanuscin

An Educator’s Guide to STEAM is a practical book to help K-8 grade teachers understand STEAM. The conceptual model illustrates key STEAM teaching aspects like integrating STEAM content and the correct teaching environment. One of the best STEAM-related professional development books for teachers, this book also offers strategies and elements of connected learning to help learners connect STEAM to real-world issues. 

6. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead – Brene Brown

In Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. Understanding these concepts can help a teacher in teaching learners and classroom management.

7. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything – Ken Robinson, Lou Aronica

The Element is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. When people arrive at the Element, they feel most themselves and most inspired and achieve their highest levels. With a wry sense of humor, Ken Robinson looks at the conditions that enable us to find ourselves in the Element and those that stifle that possibility.

8. The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change – Adam Braun

The riveting New York Times bestseller is about a young man who built more than 250 schools worldwide—and the steps anyone can take to lead a successful and significant life. The Promise of a Pencil chronicles Braun’s journey to find his calling, as each chapter explains one clear step that every person can take to turn their most significant ambitions into reality. An inspiring book to add to the reading list of professional development books for teachers.

9. Epiphany: True Stories of Sudden Insight to Inspire, Encourage and Transform, – Elise Ballard

Have you ever experienced an epiphany, a life-changing moment, or a realization? Elise Ballard has, and she was so stunned by its effect on her life that she started asking others if they had ever experienced these kinds of breakthroughs.

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First Amendment expert Greg Lukianhoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt make a case for how three terrible ideas in childhood education are the origins of new problem trends on college campuses. The three untruths are: What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker, Always trust your feelings, and Life is a battle between good people and evil people. Embracing these untruths has a negative influence on the social, emotional, and intellectual development of children, hence poor school discipline and relationships. According to them, cognitive behavioral psychology (CBT) has tools to evaluate and rectify these situations. Excellent reading material for teachers, parents, and mainstream society concerned about a generation setup for trauma and failure. 

Teachers are lifelong learners, and this book is a great practical book on how to develop healthy brain development in children. New York Times bestsellers, the authors, offer a revolutionary approach to rearing children. Based on the latest neuroscience research on how young children’s right brain emotions rule over their logical left brain, they offer 12 key age-appropriate strategies to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development. According to the authors, the brain is “under construction” until a child is in their mid-twenties. This is a recommended reading not just for parents and new teachers in elementary education but for all teachers with a passion for teaching; an excellent.

Placed-based education (PBE) is adaptable learning anytime and anywhere where learning leverages the power of place for personalized learning. Since birth, children learn from their surroundings, and history shows that before industrialized education, the community was the classroom. Instead of the American classroom becoming an aspect of learning, it became the place where parents send their children to learn. This book provides teacher educators with ideas on how to enhance the benefits of place-based learning in the teaching profession. Another good read to add to parents’ and teachers’ bookshelves.

13. The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life – Chris Guillebeau

A remarkable book, the content, like his other books, will guide and inspire the teacher and students in the classroom. The Happiness of Pursuit reveals how anyone can bring meaning into their life by undertaking a quest. When he set out to visit all of the planet’s countries by age thirty-five, compulsive goal seeker, Chris Guillebeau never imagined that his journey’s biggest revelation would be how many people like himself exist – each pursuing a challenging quest.

14. Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative – Ken Robinson

“It is often said that education and training are the keys to the future. They are, but a key can turn in two directions. Turn it one way, and you lock resources away, even from those they belong to. Turn it the other way, and you release resources and give people back to themselves.” Learning to be Creative is one of the best books for teachers to inspire learners and educators to think and act differently toward each other.

15. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are – Brene Brown

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown, a leading expert on shame, authenticity, and belonging, shares ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living—a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.

16. Walking on Water: Reading, Writing and Revolution – Derrick Jensen

Remember the days of longing for the hands-on classroom clock to move faster? Most of us would say we love to learn, but we hate school. Why is that? This book addresses what happens to creativity and individuality as we pass through the educational system. How can we change our lesson planning to help students retain their love for learning?

17. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – Daniel H. Pink

Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That’s a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink. In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction at work, at school, and home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

18. The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact  –  Michael Fullan

One of the best-known leadership authors in education, Fullan, explains why the answer isn’t in micro-managing instruction nor autonomous entrepreneurialism. He systematically shows how the principal’s role should change, demonstrating how it can be done in short order, at scale.

Part of The Corwin Connected Educator series, in this volume, you’ll use the principles of connectedness and flipped learning to engage stakeholders—teachers, administrators, and parents—digitally, so they’re ready for productive discussion when you meet in person.

20. Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator  –  Dave Burgess

Based on Dave Burgess’s popular “Outrageous Teaching” and “Teach Like a PIRATE” seminars, this development book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help the teacher increase student engagement, boost your creativity and transform your life as an educator.

Also, see Fractus reviews of  Play Like a Pirate  and  Explore Like a Pirate .

21. Leverage Leadership: A Practical Guide to Building Exceptional Schools  –  Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

One of the best professional development books for teachers on leadership, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo (Managing Director of Uncommon Schools), shows leaders how to raise their schools to greatness by following a core set of principles. These seven principles, or “levers,” allow for consistent, transformational, and replicable growth. With an intentional focus on these areas, leaders will leverage much more learning from the same amount of time investment.

22. Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People From Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers  –  Todd Whitaker

Poor employees get a disproportionate amount of attention. Why? Because they complain the loudest, create the greatest disruptions, and rely on others to assume the responsibilities they shirk. Learn how to focus on your good employees first and help them shift these monkeys back to the under-performers.

23. The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools  –  Multiple Authors

Why do some leaders double their team’s effectiveness while others seem to drain the energy right out of the room? Using insights from more than 100 interviews with school leaders, this development book pinpoints the five disciplines that define how Multipliers bring out the best across their schools and classroom.

24. What Great Teachers Do Differently: 17 Things That Matter Most  –  Todd Whitaker

In the third edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers and explains what they do differently.

25. The Tech-Savvy Administrator: How do I use technology to be a better school leader?  –  Steven W. Anderson

How can school leaders use technology to be more effective? In this professional development book, award-winning blogger and educational technology expert Steven W. Anderson explain how and why leaders should use technology and outlines what should be in every leader’s digital toolkit.

26. How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character  –  Paul Tough

How Children Succeed introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their stories—and the stories of the children they are trying to help—Tough reveals how this new knowledge can transform young people’s lives inside and outside the classroom.

27. Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and Student Achievement in Schools  –  Mary Cay Ricci

When students believe that dedication and hard work can change their performance in school, they grow to become resilient, successful students. Inspired by the popular mindset idea that hard work and effort can lead to student success, Mindsets in the Classroom provides educators with ideas for building a growth mindset school culture. Learners are challenged to change their thinking about their abilities and potential.

28. The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students  –  Daniel Rechtschaffen

With attention spans waning and stress on the rise, many teachers are looking for new ways to help students concentrate, learn, and thrive. The Way of Mindful Education is a practical guide for cultivating attention, compassion, and well-being in these students and mindfulness in teachers themselves.

29. The Way They Learn  –  Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

Draw out the best in your children—by understanding the way they learn. If you’re frustrated that your child isn’t learning the way you did, chances are they are too! In this practical resource, Cynthia Ulrich Tobias explains that understanding how you learn can make all the difference.

30. Why Don’t Students Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom  –  Daniel T Willingham

Easy-to-apply, scientifically-based approaches for engaging students in the classroom. Cognitive scientist Dan Willingham focuses his acclaimed research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning. His professional development books will help teachers improve their practice by explaining how they and their students think and learn.

31. The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child  –  Richard Lavoie

The Motivation Breakthrough explores proven techniques and strategies—based on six possible motivational styles—that will revolutionize the way teachers and parents inspire kids with learning disabilities to succeed and achieve. Backed by decades of experience in the classroom, educator and acclaimed author Rick Lavoie explodes common myths and gives specific advice for motivating children with learning disabilities.

32. Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning  –  Peter C Brown

Drawing on cognitive psychology and other fields, Make It Stick offers techniques for becoming more productive learners and cautions against study habits and practice routines that turn out to be counterproductive. It’s one of those professional development books that speak to students, teachers, trainers, athletes, and all those interested in lifelong learning and self-improvement.

33. How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching  –  Multiple Authors

Distilling the research literature and translating the scientific approach into language relevant to college or university, this book for teachers introduces seven general principles of how students learn. The authors have drawn on research from a breadth of perspectives to identify a set of fundamental principles underlying learning, from how effective organization enhances retrieval and use of information to what impacts motivation.

34. Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning  –  John Hattie

Visible Learning for Teachers brings the results of more than fifteen years of research to an entirely new audience. Written for students, pre-service, and in-service teachers, it explains how to apply the principles of Visible Learning to any classroom anywhere in the world.

35. Design For How People Learn (Voices That Matter)  –  Julie Dirksen

Products, technologies, and workplaces change so quickly today that everyone is continually learning. Many of us are also teaching, even when it’s not in our job descriptions. Whether it’s giving a presentation, writing documentation, or creating a website or blog, we need and want to share our knowledge with other people.

36. Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools  –  Michael B Horn, Heather Staker

Blended is the practical field guide for implementing blended learning techniques in K-12 classrooms. Readers will find a step-by-step framework to build a more student-centered system, along with essential advice that provides the expertise necessary to make the next generation of K-12 learning environments.

37. The Relevant Educator: How Connectedness Empowers Learning  –  Tom D Whitby, Steven W. Anderson

This information-packed resource from digital experts Anderson and Whitby makes it easy to build a thriving professional network using social media. Easy-to-implement ideas, essential tools, and real-life vignettes help a teacher learn to: Find and choose the best social media tools, products, and communities. Start and grow a collaborative, high-quality PLN using Twitter, blogging, LinkedIn, and more.

38. Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success  –  Carol Dweck

In decades of research on achievement and success, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea of the power of our mindset. Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success – but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset.

39. School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It  –  Steve Gruenert, Todd Whitaker

Your school is a lot more than a center of student learning–it also represents a self-contained culture with traditions and expectations that reflect its unique mission and demographics. In this groundbreaking book for teachers, education experts Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker offer tools, strategies, and advice for defining, assessing, and ultimately transforming your school’s culture into one that is positive, forward-looking, and actively working to enrich students’ lives.

40. Shaping School Culture: Pitfalls, Paradoxes, and Promises  –  Terrence E Deal, Kent D Peterson

In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of their classic book, Shaping School Culture, Terrence Deal and Kent Peterson address the latest thinking on organizational culture and change. They offer new ideas and strategies on how stories, rituals, traditions, and cultural practices create positive, caring, and purposeful schools.

41. Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School  –  Andy Hargreaves, Michael Fullan

Winner of the 2015 Grawemeyer Award in Education! In this latest and most important collaboration, renowned educators Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan set out a groundbreaking new agenda to transform the future of teaching and public education.

42. Cultures Built to Last  –  DuFour Richard, Fullan Michael

Take your professional learning community to the next level! Discover a systemwide approach for re-envisioning your PLC while sustaining growth and continuing momentum on your journey. You’ll move beyond isolated pockets of excellence while allowing every person in your school system—from teachers and administrators to students—the opportunity to be an instrument of lasting cultural change.

43. The Six Secrets of Change: What the Best Leaders Do to Help Their Organizations Survive And Thrive  –  Michael Fullan

Successful organizations adjust quickly and intelligently to shifts in consumer tastes, political climate, and economic opportunity. How do they do it? The Six Secrets of Change explores essential lessons for business and public sector leaders to thrive in today’s complex environment.

44. Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World  –  Tony Wagner

In this groundbreaking book, education expert Tony Wagner provides a powerful rationale for developing an innovation-driven economy. He explores what parents, teachers, and employers must do to develop the capacities of young people to become innovators.

45. Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day  –  Jonathan Bergmann, Aaron Sams

It started with a simple observation: students need their teachers present to answer questions or provide help if they get stuck on an assignment; they don’t need their teachers to listen to a lecture or review content. From there, authors Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams began the flipped classroom – one of the best professional development books for a modern classroom.

46. Worlds of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School  –  Laura Fleming

Get the nuts and bolts on imagining, planning, creating, and managing a cutting-edge Makerspace for your school community. Nationally recognized expert Laura Fleming provides all the answers. From inception through implementation, you’ll find invaluable guidance for creating a vibrant Makerspace on any budget.

47. Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners  –  Multiple Authors

Visible Thinking is a research-based approach to teaching thinking, a proven program for enhancing students’ thinking and comprehension abilities. Begun at Harvard’s Project Zero, the teaching way develops students’ thinking dispositions while at the same time deepening their understanding of the topics they study.

48. Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner  –  Persida & William Himmele

Total Participation Techniques presents dozens of ways to engage K 12 students in active learning and allow them to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge and understanding. The book provides easy-to-use alternatives to the stand-and-deliver approach to teaching that causes many students to tune out–or even drop out.

49. Disrupting Class, Expanded Edition: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns  –  Multiple Authors

Filled with fascinating case studies, scientific findings, and unprecedented insights on how innovation must be managed, Disrupting Class will open your eyes to new possibilities, unlock hidden potential, and get you to think differently. Professor Christensen and his coauthors provide a bold new lesson in innovation that will help you make the grade for years to come.

50. Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding  –  Jay McTighe, Grant Wiggins

What are essential questions, and how do they differ from other kinds of questions? What’s so great about them? Why should a teacher design and use essential questions in your classroom? Essential questions help target standards as you organize curriculum content into coherent units that yield focused and thoughtful learning.

51. The Understanding by Design Guide Set (2 Books) –  Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe

Unit creation and planning made easy for Understanding by Design novices and veterans alike! Introduction to version 2.0 of the UbD Template is one of the most practical professional development books for teachers. It allows you to download fillable electronic forms to help you more easily incorporate standards, advance your understanding of backward design, and improve student learning.

52. Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty  –  Elizabeth F Barkley

Student Engagement Techniques is a comprehensive resource that offers college teachers a dynamic model for engaging students. It includes over one hundred tips, strategies, and techniques proven to help teachers from various disciplines and institutions motivate and connects with their students.

53. Reinventing Writing: The 9 Tools That Are Changing Writing, Teaching, and Learning Forever  –  Vicki Davis

In this much-anticipated book from acclaimed blogger Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher), you’ll learn the key shifts in writing instruction necessary to move students forward in today’s world. Vicki’s book describes how the elements of traditional writing are being reinvented with cloud-based tools.

54. Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom  –  Sylvia Libow Martinez, Gary S Stager

There’s a technological and creative revolution underway. Excellent new tools, materials, and skills turn us all into makers. Using technology to make, repair or customize the things we need brings engineering, design, and computer science to the masses. Fortunately for educators, this maker movement overlaps with the natural inclinations of children and the power of learning by doing.

• The Teacher’s Guide To Self-Care: Build Resilience, Avoid Burnout, And Being A Happier And Healthier You To The Classroom – Sarah Frost
• I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything For Our Kids –  Kyle Schwartz
• Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones for Succes – John C Maxwell and other Professional Development and Leadership Books by John C Maxwell
• Teach Like A Champion 3.0: Techniques That Put Students On The Path To College – Doug Lemov
• Educated: A Memoir –  Tara Westover
• Whole Brain Teaching: 122 Amazing Games!: Challenging Kids, Classroom Management, Writing, Reading, Math, Common Core/State Test s – Chris Biffle
• What School Could Be: Insights And Inspiration From Teachers Across America – Ted Dintersmith
• The First Days Of School: How To Be An Effective Teacher – Harry Wong
• Disruptive Thinking: Why How We Read Matters – Kylene Beers, Robert E. Probst

What are your best books for teachers? Leave your favorites in the comments below.

The founder of Fractus Learning, Nick is a pizza-loving Aussie living and working in Dublin, Ireland. With a background in education, engineering and digital product development, Nick launched Fractus to connect people with a shared passion for technology and how it can bring education to life.

10 Comments

This is a great list, and very current. I would add Debbie Silver’s Fall Down 7 Times, Get up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed. It’s a wonderful blend of theory, practice and narrative.

Thanks Susie! Appreciate the recommendation and it’s now on the Amazon Wish List ;)

Excellent List! Thanks very much for creating and sharing it!

Another great book that was recently published and is a real self-training manual for language teachers is the book ‘Optimise your Teaching Competences: New Teaching Methodologies and CLIL Applications in Foreign Languages’. It contains innovative teaching methodologies and approaches as well as a wealth of teaching ideas for pair-work and group-work activities.

Thanks Eugenia, sounds great! Who is the author?

Great list, but I would have liked to see some more critical works that can incite discussion about the systems and conditions of learning. For example, Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Pedagogy of Freedom, McLaren’s Life in Schools, hooks Teaching to Transgress, Kumashiro’s Bad Teacher and Against Common Sense. As teachers we need to engage in theory and practice to make our reflections more than just a practitioner’s work.

Thanks for the comment and recommendations Chris!

Now many self help books are in the markets. But I couldnot understand why the readers are decrasing . I can’t say why the majority peoples hate books.

Great list. Some of your books are now on my order list. Thank you.

I suggest to add “Clean Language in the Classroom” by Julie McCracken. It has been published a few days ago. I do like it very much and I think it has the power to change the methods of teaching in grammar schools. It is a book not only for teachers, but also a great source for inspiration to all kind of educators and to parents. I got a lot of ideas from it as a coach and trainer.

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Top 15 Books for Teachers 2023 – Educational Material Recommended by Masters

• McArthur Wesley
• Published: March 13, 2023
• Updated: April 3, 2024

Are you looking for the most impactful, the most inspiring, the most beneficial books for teachers that will help you succeed in the classroom?

Perhaps you need ways to improve how you motivate students.

Or do you want to build a better classroom culture, and now need new ways to teach reading and writing across the curriculum?

I went through all of the episodes of the podcast and reached out to teachers on Twitter to share the best professional book they have read recently.

1. Mindset – The New Psychology of Success

World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck , in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea–the power of our mindset.

Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success–but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset.

She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may jeopardize success.

With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals–personal and professional.

Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.

2. Teach Like a Pirate – Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator

Pogledajte ovu objavu na Instagramu. Objavu dijeli Dave Burgess (@dbc_inc)

Based on Dave Burgess ’s popular “Outrageous Teaching” and “ Teach Like a PIRATE ” seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator. You’ll learn how to:

• Tap into and dramatically increase your passion as a teacher
• Develop outrageously engaging lessons that draw students in like a magnet
• Establish rapport and a sense of camaraderie in your classroom
• Transform your class into a life-changing experience for your students

This groundbreaking inspirational manifesto contains over 30 hooks specially designed to captivate your class and 170 brainstorming questions that will skyrocket your creativity. Once you learn the Teach Like a PIRATE system, you’ll never look at your role as an educator the same again.

3. Notice and Note – Strategies for Close Reading

Kylene Beers and Bob Probst introduce 6 “signposts” that alert readers to significant moments in a work of literature and encourage students to read closely.

Learning first to spot these signposts and then to question them, enables readers to explore the text, any text, finding evidence to support their interpretations.

In short, these close reading strategies will help your students to notice and note.

Notice and Note will help create attentive readers who look closely at a text, interpret it responsibly, and reflect on what it means in their lives.

It should help them become the responsive, rigorous, independent readers we not only want students to be but also know our democracy demands.

4. The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life

This book builds on a simple premise: good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher.

Good teaching takes different forms but good teachers share one trait : they are authentically present in the classroom, in community with their students and their subject.

They possess “ a capacity for connectedness ” and can weave a complex web of connections between themselves, their subjects, and their students, helping their students weave a world for themselves.

The connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts – the place where intellect, emotion, spirit, and will converge in the human self – supported by the community that emerges among us when we choose to live authentic lives.

5. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money. The carrot-and-stick approach. That’s a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others).

In this provocative and persuasive new book , he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction at work, at school, and home – is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does – and how that affects every aspect of life.

He examines the three elements of true motivation – autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.

6. The End of Molasses Classes – Getting Our Kids Unstuck-101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers

Pogledajte ovu objavu na Instagramu. Objavu dijeli Ron Clark Academy (@ronclarkacademy)

Ron Clark is widely known as “America’s Educator” and was Oprah Winfrey’s first pick as her “Phenomenal Man.”

He is a New York Times bestselling author and has been featured on The Today show , CNN , and The Oprah Winfrey Show .

He challenges parents, teachers, and communities everywhere to embrace a difference in the classroom and uplift, educate, and empower our children.

Read this book to find out why so many across the country have embraced these powerful rules.

7. The Best Lesson Series – Literature: 15 Master Teachers Share What Works

This book is different from the rest. It is the most practical on the list because it is not pedagogy or theory, The Best Lesson Series: Literature contains the best work done by the best teachers, straight from their classroom to yours.

Each lesson will increase student engagement, boost their appreciation of literature, and transform your classroom into a place of discovery and deep critical thinking.

Every teacher guides you through their plan with clarity while offering options for differentiation.

8. Creating Innovators – The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World

Harvard education expert Tony Wagner explores what parents, teachers, and employers must do to develop the capacities of young people to become innovators.

In profiling compelling young American innovators such as Kirk Phelps , product manager for Apple’s first iPhone, and Jodie Wu, who founded a company that builds bicycle-powered maize shellers in Tanzania, Wagner reveals how the adults in their lives nurtured their creativity and sparked their imaginations while teaching them to learn from failures and persevere.

Play, passion, and purpose : These are the forces that drive young innovators.

Wagner takes readers into the most forward-thinking schools, colleges, and workplaces in the country, where teachers and employers are developing cultures of innovation based on collaboration, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and intrinsic motivation.

The result is a timely, provocative, and inspiring manifesto that offers crucial insight into creating the change makers of tomorrow.

9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

In Quiet,  Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture.

Pogledajte ovu objavu na Instagramu. Objavu dijeli Susan Cain (@susancainauthor)

She also introduces us to successful introverts – from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions.

Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally importantly, how they see themselves.

10. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

Donalyn Miller says she has yet to meet a child she couldn’t turn into a reader.

No matter how far behind Miller’s students might be when they reach her 6th-grade classroom, they end up reading an average of 40 to 50 books a year.

Miller’s unconventional approach dispenses with drills and worksheets that make reading a chore.

Instead, she helps students navigate the world of literature and gives them time to read books they pick out themselves.

Her love of books and teaching is both infectious and inspiring.

The book includes a dynamite list of recommended “kid lit” that helps parents and teachers find the books that students like to read.

11. Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level

You’ve heard the complaints too many times: When am I ever going to use this in the real world?

Why are we learning this? When are we going to learn about something interesting?

But what if your students came to class excited?

What if they were passionate about their projects?

What if they grasped the connection between today’s work and tomorrow’s careers?

In classrooms across the nation, innovative teachers are employing passion-based, open-source learning to improve their student’s education.

In Pure Genius , Don Wettrick encourages teachers and administrators to collaborate–with experts, students, and one another–to create interesting, and even life-changing opportunities for learning.

12. Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College

Teach Like a Champion offers effective teaching techniques to help teachers, especially those in their first few years, become champions in the classroom.

These powerful techniques are concrete, specific, and easy to put into action the very next day.

Training activities at the end of each chapter help the reader further their understanding through reflection and application of the ideas to their practice.

The book includes a DVD of 25 video clips of teachers demonstrating the techniques in the classroom.

13. With Rigor for All, Second Edition: Meeting Common Core Standards for Reading Literature

Again and again the Common Core Standards state that students must read “proficiently and independently” but how do we achieve this when students are groaning about having to read demanding literature and looking for ways to pass the class without turning pages?

Carol Jago shows middle and high school teachers how to create English classrooms where students care about living literate lives and develop into proficient independent readers.

Students need books that mirror their own experiences and if you teach literature that you love, your students will be more likely to love it too.

14.  The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 4th Edition

The best-selling book ever on classroom management and teaching for student achievement with over 3.7 million copies sold.

The book walks a teacher, either novice or veteran, through structuring and organizing a classroom for success that can be applied at any time of the year at any grade level, pre-K through college.

It is used in thousands of school districts, in over 120 countries, and in over 2,114 college classrooms, and has been translated into 5 languages. It’s practical, yet inspiring. But most important, it works!

15. Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition

This book poses the core , essential questions of understanding and design, and provides readers with practical solutions for the teacher-designer.

The book opens by analyzing the logic of backward design as an alternative to coverage and activity-oriented plans.

Though backward from habit, this approach brings more focus and coherence to instruction.

The book proposes a multifaceted approach, with the six “facets” of understanding.

The facets combine with backward design to provide a powerful, expanded array of practical tools and strategies for designing curriculum, instruction, and assessments that lead students at all grade levels to genuine understanding.

As a mentor, I share my knowledge with educators worldwide, believing in the power of collective wisdom to shape a better future.

My leadership has turned Talks With Teachers into a haven for educators to grow and celebrate their profession, truly embodying the organization’s pioneering and caring ethos.

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The 10 Books Every School Leader Should Read

Blog » Authentic and Ethical Leadership » The 10 Books Every School Leader Should Read

  Recently, I’ve been finding that I’m increasingly asked by the School Leaders I work with and by others who’ve read my book “Staying A Head: Stress Management Secrets for School Leaders” for recommendations as to what books can help them to further their learning and in turn, better support their leadership practice.   I’ve noticed more and more that I frequently refer leaders to the same books time and again, not for lack of ideas but rather because they are quite simply the best I’ve come ever come across in the field, in terms of both inspiration and expertise.   In fact, I recommend these books so frequently that I thought I’d create a list of these 1o books for you in case you ever need a great book to help alleviate the stress of the day-to-day and bring a sense of perspective back into their lives. I hope amongst the recommended titles, that you might find a book or two that you’d like to add to your reading list…  

1. “ The Element”  – 

Ken robinson.

  We all love Sir Ken Robinson and eagerly await the day when he is appointed Minister of Education! Until that day, we’ll all have to take comfort from his inspirational TED talks and this wonderful book. If you are ever in need of inspiration and a reminder of why you are a teacher or Headteacher then read this book.   It will make you laugh, it will make you smile, and it will remind you of what passion is all about and why each and every day you need to remain connected to what matters to you most.  

2. “Resonant Leadership” –  

Richard boyatziz and annie mckee.

  This book is a must for all stressed head teachers and School Leaders! It gets to the very core of what happens to leaders who are in ‘high power, high stress’ roles. It also talks with real compassion about what successful leaders need to do, to stop themselves become victims of the Sacrifice Syndrome.   A syndrome that is common to so many head teachers … that of sacrificing your own needs in order to meet the needs of others. If you want to know how to lead a far healthier and happier life as a School Leader, then this book should definitely be on your reading list.  

3. “Thinking, Fast and Slow” –

  daniel kahneman.

  If you want to understand yourself better as a School Leader and exhibit greater control over your thoughts and actions, then this is the book for you! It may take you some time to plough through it, but what you will gain in the end, will be well worth the effort!  

4.  “ Mindset: How you can fulfil your potential – 

Dr carol s.dweck.

  I love this book!  If you have ever wondered why some teachers cause you more stress than others, then this book will definitely give you a few key insights. Dweck explains that  “It’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success, but whether we approach our goals with a fixed or growth mindset.”    When you understand the traits of each mindset, you will get a far better understanding of your staff team and how their behaviours impact on your efforts to drive forward school improvement.  

5. “Well Being: The Five Essential Ele ments” –

  tom rath and jim harther.

  Co-written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tom Rath, this book takes ‘five  universal, interconnected elements that shape our lives:  Career Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing, Financial Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, and Community Wellbeing.”  If you want to give yourself a personal MOT over a weekend or holiday period,  then this is another book to add to your list.  

6. “Daring Greatly” – 

Brene brown.

  For any School Leader this is a must read. It is a book that I recommend to all head teachers and senior leaders that I work with.  Brene Brown reminds us that contrary to commonly perceived wisdom on the subject, vulnerability is more a sign of courage and strength, than it is a sign of weakness.   Her writings and insight on the subject are like a breath of fresh air. In an educational climate in which so many false and conflicting messages about strength in leadership abound, Brene Brown shows us how the ability to be vulnerable reconnects us with our humanity and it is here, where we find our strength.  

7 . “Leading out of Who You Are” –

   simon p walker.

  How many of us, would like to be able to lead from a place where we truly trust ourselves? Where we were not knocked from pillar to post by the opinions and advice of others, but were able to lead from a place of deep inner trust and self belief?   From my own experience as a Headteacher and from the work that I now do as an Executive Coach for School Leaders, I know  it is a place that we all long to be able to lead from. In his sensitively written book on the subject of leadership, Simon P Walker provides an excellent overview of the inner journey every leader needs to go on, if they are ever to experience true inner trust and self belief.  

8 . “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” – 

 stephen r covey.

  An all time favourite. If you haven’t read this book, then it really is one that you should go out and buy now. Not only will his seven habits help you to develop the tools to lead yourself better, but hey will also help you to understand how you can get the best out of those that you lead and manage.   When you read his book you will have no doubt about how you can excel as a School Leader and equally what others will need from you so that they can also excel.  

9. “Every  Teacher Matters” –

  kathryn lovewell.

  As a School Leader you know that your teachers are your most valuable resource. You will also know from your own experience as a classroom teacher the types of stress that many of your teachers face and the impact that it has on their ability to perform well.   If you want to give your teachers really practical advice on managing stress then buy this book for each and every one of them.  Kathryn’s book will show them how mindfulness not only reduces stress , but also helps to re-ignite a sometimes forgotten passion for teaching.  

10. “Supporting the Emotional Work of School Leaders” –

 belinda harris.

  In those dark times, when the pressures of the role seem insurmountable, this book will remind you that you are not alone! Harris’ book is an honest account of what it really means to be a School Leader today, ‘ exploring the personal, social and emotional challenges of School Leadership.’   If you are seeking to develop your own emotional resilience this book will provide you with a few tools to help you bounce back that much higher when the inevitable challenges of School Leadership come your way.

“Staying A Head – Stress Management Secrets of Successful School Leaders” by Viv Grant

Every School Leader should read this book because it opens the closed world that many School Leaders inhabit. But rather than leave the world ‘exposed’, it offers new and experienced School Leaders practical and effective methods that nurture inner understanding to bring out the best in others and foster organisational transformation. Mike Jones Head teacher, South Failsworth Primary School, Oldham

If you’d like to get a flavour of the book. then you can now download a completely free Chapter of my book! In this chapter, you’ll discover why the meeting of your emotional needs are central to your success as a School Leader and  find answers to the questions:

  – What are our basic emotional needs? – Why do School Leaders need to have their emotional needs met? – What are the consequences of unmet emotional needs? – What role does empathic listening play in meeting emotional needs?  

To download your copy of this chapter, simply follow the link below…

Download a Free Chapter of “Staying A Head”

One Response

I’ve read someof those but if I had to pick one it would be Belinda Harris.

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Ten of the best leadership books for 2023

Discover fresh insights from leadership experts in this year’s award-winning and popular titles.

Many of the greatest thought leaders like Warren Buffet, Mark Cuban and Bill Gates invest time in reading, whether they glean their information from weekly newsletters, audiobooks or physical books published by industry experts.

Like financial wealth, turning reading into a regular habit has a cumulative effect in building your knowledge and expanding your horizons. We are fortunate to have access to a wealth of information at the click of a button.

If you’re wanting to improve in a particular area of leadership or business, researching suitable titles can take time, which is the purpose of this guide – to provide leaders with the best titles on the market today.

Either they have been authored by industry leaders or they have the Nonfiction Authors Association’s (NFAA) stamp of approval. Gold medal recipients of the Nonfiction Book Award signify a high-quality investment on the reader’s part that deserves a top spot on your list of priorities for the week ahead.

Rest assured that this list featuring the latest book titles promises to guide you on the next step in negotiating, leading a team or making the switch to a new role.

Best leadership books for 2023

Opening Your Presence: Presenting the YOU You Want Others to See

By Greta Muller

Awards: Gold Medal winner of the Nonfiction Authors Association Book Award from the NFAA.

Summary: Written for the non-professional speaker, this book is designed to teach you how to have a presence that is genuine and powerful within formal and informal professional contexts. Muller has channeled her two dozen years of experience working as a coach and consultant with Fortune 500 companies and other organizations to help readers craft their message, have more confidence and reduce their fears in order to make a great impression.

Leading Inclusion: Drive Change Your Employees Can See and Feel

By Gena Cox

Summary: Cox is an organizational psychologist and executive coach who has turned to science, interviews with leaders and diversity, equity and inclusion experts to unpack the meaning of true inclusion. Its purpose is to guide C-suite executives and board members on how to model inclusion using a top-down approach that employees will thank you for.

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

By Brené Brown

Summary: This book reframes leadership in terms of those who identify potential in ideas and people, and who are guided by the mindset that power is infinite and should be shared. The book answers the questions of how leaders can be more daring and how courage can be embedded within a workplace culture, along with actionable advice to put the ideas into practice.

Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work and World

By Ginni Rometty

Summary: In her memoir, Rometty reflects on her journey from a challenging childhood to becoming the influential former CEO of IBM. She introduces the concept of ‘good power’, which can be harnessed to bring about positive change in organizations and to propel people’s careers to new heights. She also highlights lessons learned on the path to becoming an authentic and influential leader. Stories are grounded within five core principles to further inspire meaningful change.

Leading Lightly: Lower Your Stress, Think With Clarity and Lead With Ease

By Jody Michael

Awards: Silver Medal winner of the Nonfiction Authors Association Book Award from the NFAA.

Summary: This book is for those who find themselves feeling exhausted, anxious or stressed by their circumstances. It offers a fresh perspective from which to view your life in order to make better choices, improve your performance at work and have more control in your life overall. It touches on the areas of mental fitness , health and leadership as a well-rounded guide to helping you reach your fullest potential.

The Power of Potential: How a Nontraditional Workforce Can Lead You to Run Your Business Better

By Tom D’Eri

Summary: When D’Eri and his father launched a car wash in 2013 that set out to hire people struggling to find employment, they probably didn’t think that their business model would lead to multiple successful outcomes, including an impressive employee retention rate compared to its competitors. Learn how the neurodivergent workforce at Rising Tide Car Wash in Florida has created a culture of excellence as well as the hidden benefits of leveraging the expertise of the one in 54 Americans who have autism.

Breaking Why: Hacking and Rebuilding Strategic Emotions for Authentic Success

By Frankie Russo

Summary: In this book, Russo examines how our emotions can hinder or empower us in both our personal and professional lives. He asks the reader to question what authentic success means and how to harness your emotions to achieve it. The book details the steps needed to create a more substantial definition of purpose that disrupts the rules we carve out for ourselves for a more authentic life. It builds on Russo’s previous book, The Art of Why .

Negotiation Simplified: A Framework and Process for Understanding and Improving Negotiating Results

By Jim Reiman

Summary: Have you ever wondered what distinguishes a skilled negotiator from one who isn’t? This book provides the framework needed to improve in this area of business regardless of your current level of expertise. Find out from leading experts how the four elements in the book – goal-setting, preparation, listening and self-awareness – have helped them in their careers, and recognize the different options available to you to navigate different negotiation scenarios. From deciding who will clean the dishes to the many high-stakes decisions in business, negotiating is a non-negotiable part of life that is simplified in this book for better outcomes.

Work From the Inside Out: Break Through Nine Common Obstacles and Design a Career That Fulfills You

By Tammy Gooler Loeb

Summary: People use age, their family or past experiences as an excuse not to grow in their careers. With two decades of experience helping people navigate career transitions, Gooler Loeb shares the steps needed to step up onto a more fulfilling path. With the help of other people’s inspiring stories and reflective activities, you’ll be able to overcome the limiting behaviors and thought patterns that are hindering your growth. As a certified professional co-active coach and podcast host, Gooler Loeb’s book is a resource that empowers readers to take the right action and be guided down a path of self-discovery.

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Are you a supply teacher or teaching assistant looking for some help and advice? If so, you are in the right place. Our blogs offer tips and tricks on everything from classroom management to interview tips and support, along with day in the life case studies from real supply teachers, ECTs and cover supervisors. They also give you an insight into what  working for Smile  is like, the ways which we support local communities and charities  and the training and events that we offer. 

For more good stuff like this, follow us on social media - you can find us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and LinkedIn . Or pick up the phone and give us a call .

The 10 must-read books for every school leader

Lots of school leaders often ask us what books we’d recommend and so we’ve put together this handy list of our 10 top must reads. Below you’ll find books on everything from wellbeing to practical tips and advice on becoming a leader. 

Making the Leap: Moving from Deputy to Head - Jill Berry

Is currently number 1 on Amazon’s best sellers list for school governors. The book offers practical advice to anyone considering a headship. The book leans on Jill’s own experiences in the matter and answers questions such as how can I ensure the early months and years of headship are as successful as possible and how can I establish the most positive and productive relationship with the outgoing head?

It’s a definite must read for any teachers, middle leaders or senior leaders who are considering becoming a headteacher within a school setting. 

A Manifesto for Excellence in Schools - Rob Carpenter

Rob Carpenter is the CEO of the Inspire Partnership and author of the aforementioned book. He took  a school from Special Measures to Outstanding in less than two years and firmly believes that the quality of teaching and leadership holds the key to raising standards in our schools today.

The book contains a balance of practical advice, examples, resources and ideas to help teachers and school leaders alike plan and deliver high quality learning experiences. When asked why he wrote A Manifesto for Excellence Rob said:

“I want people to use A Manifesto for Excellence in Schools as a reference point for what schools can be when we place 'whys' before 'whats' and 'hows'. Above all else, I hope those who read this can feel inspired to stand up to the policy wonks, placing children at the centre of our beliefs and actions. There is a better way….”

Back on Track: Fewer Things, Greater Depth - Mary Myatt

Released just last year, Back on Track is already becoming a firm favourite for school leaders. The book calls upon leaders to reevaluate their focuses and look at whether some of the processes in our schools are really adding value to the core purposes of schools.

Chunked into short sections the book is easy to read and easily digestible. Despite only being released less than a year ago It’s racked up 165 reviews on Amazon with 93% of those being 5-4 star! 

Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools: A blueprint for a revitalised profession - John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley

Wellbeing is high on everyone’s agenda so it’s no surprise that this book made its way onto the list. Authors John Tomsett (headteacher at Huntington School, York) and Jonny Uttley (CEO of The Education Alliance Multi Academy Trust) believe that happy teachers provide the best educational experience for their students. In their book is a blueprint which unapologetically puts staff first.

The Wisdom of Heads: short advice for school leaders - Dr Denry Machin PhD

Combining wisdom and humour with knowledge and experience, you’ll certainly find it tough to put this book down. This book full of insightful anecdotes from a range of headteachers on a variety of topics. One reviewer actually described it as being similar to a “Zoom meeting between the world’s best heads”.

Reading this book will give you an insight into how leaders cope with change and how they survive the stresses of the job and what resources you should buy to make your life easier and those to avoid - all from headteachers who have been there and done it. 

The Headteacher's Handbook: The essential guide to leading a primary school - Rachel Snape

As the title suggests this book is aimed at primary headteachers - both aspiring and existing. Though, we have a slight confession to make - it’s not actually out yet - it gets released in August this year. Early reviews, however, have been positive and describe the book as: “comprehensive guide which covers every aspect of taking on the headteacher role. It is at once practical, honest, insightful and, probably most importantly, incredibly useful.”

If that doesn’t convince you, it may be worthwhile knowing a little more about Rachel who is an experienced headteacher in Cambridge and is a National Leader of Education.  She is also Vice Chair of the DfE's Primary Headteachers' Reference Group, Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, and Ambassador for HundrED.org. 

Riding the Waves: Finding joy and fulfilment in school leadership - James Hilton

Here, author James Hilton explores how primary and secondary school leaders can find fulfilment in their challenging roles in order to lead their schools successfully. Riding the Waves offers practical strategies, advice, reflective questions and activities for developing the fulfilling aspects of school leadership to carry school leaders through these challenging times.

This is the book for you if you are a school leader looking enhance your mental health, improve your work-life balance, you want to take control and take a break. 

Supporting the Emotional Work of School Leaders - Belinda Harris 

Another book which focuses on wellbeing. This practical book deals with the emotional and moral dimensions of school leadership. If you are seeking to develop your own emotional resilience this book will provide you with a few tools to help you bounce back that much higher when the inevitable challenges of school leadership come your way. Belinda provides a range of person-centred strategies for building communities of professionally committed, relationally competent, collaborative individuals.

It comes highly recommended by headteachers and deputy heads alike with one saying commenting that if schools leaders are to read any book it should be this one! 

Staying A Head: The Stress Management Secrets of Successful School Leaders - Viv Grant

Staying A Head is a book about overcoming the stresses of school leadership. The book is written by Executive Coach and Director of Integrity Coaching, Viv Grant, specialises in working with head teachers and school leaders in urban schools, where both the challenge to succeed and the stress levels are high.

You should read this book if you are a school leader who is looking to develop greater emotional resilience, stop stressing and achieve their vision without sacrificing their own health and personal wellbeing. 

Leaders With Substance: An Antidote to Leadership Genericism in Schools' - Matthew Evans

This book draws on research evidence to explore the specific things that expert leaders know and do, arguing for a notion of school leadership rooted in the realities of leaders' daily experiences. It presents a case for how school leaders can develop their expertise and, in doing so, places domain-specific knowledge at the heart of school improvement efforts.

But do not be fooled, Leaders With Substance is not a handbook. It sets out to change the way we think of leadership and school improvement. It is both a critique, a manifesto, and a call to arms.

If you’d like more help or advice, Smile Leadership is on hand to help. We have over 10 years experience working in a range of educational settings and have supported school leaders all over the UK in finding their dream role.

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Leadership Books That’ll Up Your Game

There’s a book for every skill you need to work on.

Being a school leader means constantly being in improvement mode. It also means having an ever-running loop of new ideas about how to make your school the best it can be for your students, staff, and community. And though there is a seemingly endless supply of valuable advice, time is precious, and you can’t read every leadership book on the market. That’s why we put together this list of thought-provoking school leadership books.

Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!

Start strong.

The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by Julie Zhuo

In a personal, approachable style, Julie Zhuo, a VP of design at Facebook, writes, “Your job, as a manager, is to get better outcomes from a group of people working together.” This is an essential read for anyone just starting out as an administrator.

Lead boldly.

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown

Brené Brown is the leadership guru that we’ve been waiting for. With her approachable style and her honest storytelling, Brown has the unique ability to inspire with the truth. In Dare to Lead, she lays out four skill sets that are, in her words, “100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable.”

Seek balance. 

The Principal’s Survival Guide: Where Do I Start? How Do I Succeed? When Do I Sleep? by Susan Stone Kessler, April Snodgrass and Andrew Davis

Most school leadership books focus on how to juggle the many aspects of the job from a performance perspective. This one has a refreshing focus on not only meeting the needs of your students and teachers, but doing so in a way that ensures you also take care of yourself. A great for newbies and veterans alike. 

Challenge conventional thinking. 

Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm by Hamish Brewer

Brewer, a National Distinguished Principal®, is on a mission of “total passion and purpose.” His no-holds-barred approach to placing love at the center of the practice will empower children to overcome adversity and create a better future for themselves. 

Fine-tune your vision.

Good to Great : Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t  by Jim Collins

As an administrator, it’s common to lose your way at times. Collins’ classic book can help an administrator get to the heart of what’s important. Best of all, he addresses how to get even your grumpiest faculty member on board.

Be a better coach.

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More and Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier

This book provides a fascinating framework for helping your colleagues reach their full potential. Rather than doling out advice and suggestions, Stanier’s method is to ask simple yet strategic questions which can have transformational results. The questions that Stainer has designed clearly communicate and prompt the people you are trying to support, even in moments when communication is difficult.

Master the art of giving essential feedback.

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott

If you are an introvert and a naturally empathetic person, total candor can be a challenge. However, if you have found yourself struggling to deliver important feedback to members of your team, this book has exactly what you need. This former Google manager lays out real solutions for communicating essential feedback with positivity.

Think about your staff in a new way. 

Move Your Bus: An Extraordinary New Approach to Accelerating Success in Work and Life by Ron Clark

For fans of Ron Clark’s hard-nosed, no-nonsense approach to school leadership, Move Your Bus identifies the many types of workers that make up any organization. From drivers and runners to joggers, walkers, and riders, it’s the school leader’s job to recognize where their team members fall and encourage them to keep the “bus” moving by working together.

Manage change more smoothly.

Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives by Jennifer Abrams 

Change is difficult for everyone, especially in education, where it seems like something new is coming down the pike at every turn. Enact strategic change in your school by following Abrams’ four basic principles: think before speaking, preempt resistance, respond to resistance, and manage oneself through change and resistance. 

Run better meetings.

Making Every Meeting Matter by the Harvard Business Review

Who among us can say that every single meeting they’ve run has been an amazing and efficient use of time? How many of us can say we’ve walked away from every meeting inspired and with a clear directive? I can do better, and so can you. Reading this book is the first step toward making meetings productive. Now let’s design better faculty meetings !

Rally your crew.

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek

Thought leader Simon Sinek’s hypothesis in Leaders Eat Last is a simple one: Behind every great team is an awesome leader. Here’s what an awesome leader does: They protect their team, and they help teams manage internal threats that could keep them from performing their best. Your job as leader, Sinek suggests, is to keep your team healthy and whole. If you want to make your team stronger and more nimble, this book should be at the top of your list.

Learn to speak your staff’s language.

The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman and Paul White

Have you ever wondered how some colleagues get very excited about donuts in the breakroom, while others complain about them? How can it be that some people love icebreakers , while others roll their eyes? This excellent book will help you meet more needs and differentiate your approach to team building.

Build a stronger team.

The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard And Spencer Johnson

An easy read that breaks down three of the most practical tent poles of good leadership—setting goals, praising your team, and redirecting when things go awry. You’ll develop ways to do so quickly, concisely, and of course, effectively!

Discover what motivates your people.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

If you can’t motivate, you can’t lead—and this book is packed with the secrets of motivation. Hint? Rewards and punishment actually don’t bring out the best in others!

Improve your communication.

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John C. Maxwell 

“Connecting is everything when it comes to communication,” counsels John Maxwell. This book, told in an engaging anecdotal style, pins down the principles and practices that will help you connect with your staff as a school leader. 

Pare down your tasks.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

The idea is if you can discipline yourself to take on only the tasks that are absolutely essential—your level of productivity will soar, opening up more time and energy in your life to focus on the things that really matter—and really make you happy.

Play to your strengths.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

The big question asked in this book is: What makes high achievers different? The answers may surprise you, as Gladwell looks at success from an unconventional perspective—including what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Boost your confidence.

The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

A 2018 Pew study polled over 4,000 Americans to explore what personal characteristics we value in people. Would you be surprised to know that strength and ambition were more highly valued in men, while compassion and responsibility were more valued in women? The Confidence Code addresses this disconnect head on. With a truthful analysis of how gender dynamics can play out in the workplace, this book is a must-read for women interested in strengthening their self-confidence .

Change how you start your day.

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM) by Hal Elrod

Change your morning routine, change your life is the message of this best seller. You’ll learn how to wake up each day with more energy, motivation, and focus so you can take your personal and professional life to the next level.

Write your way into leadership.

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

Creative thinkers have been following Cameron’s 12-week program for years, crediting it for the ability to finish novels, write songs, or reignite a passion for the arts. So, what can you learn here about leadership? Well, if you’re feeling creatively fulfilled, it becomes contagious to those around you.

Listen to your heart.

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho

This classic fable about a traveling shepherd boy who meets several spiritual messengers on his quest for treasure may not seem like a leadership guide. But this boy’s encounters are great lessons about listening to your heart and following your dreams—two qualities every great leader adheres to.

Reframe your thinking.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

This book is about reframing your mental outlook to create affluence. But at the core, it’s about changing your mindset to achieve anything you desire. And it’s a nice reminder that positivity is the best motivator in the workplace!

Create a leadership plan.

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George

True North teaches you how to create your own Personal Leadership Development Plan. It’s centered on knowing your authentic self, defining your values and leadership principles, understanding your motivations, building your support team, and staying grounded by integrating all aspects of your life.

Master your core principles.

The Truth About Leadership by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

Trust, credibility, and ethics are the core principles discussed in this book. The authors say these are crucial for every good leader who wants to succeed!

See what other leaders have done.

Winners by Alastair Campbell

From Michael Phelps to Barack Obama, this collection features real, raw, and in-depth interviews with some of the most successful people on the planet. They don’t hold back about their drive and how they achieved goals beyond their wildest dreams.

What are your favorite books on leadership? Share with us in our  Principal Life Facebook group . 

Plus, leadership videos you don’t want to miss.

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15 of the World’s Best Leadership Books

Great leaders intentionally make time for continued education. As difficult as it may be to step away from the office, reading a variety of books on leadership is an important key to refueling and refocusing yourself as a leader. For instance, it helps reveal your strengths, weaknesses, and provide the tools needed for innovation and growth.

The 15 top leadership books every great leader needs on their bookshelf :

1. the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership.

Author: John Maxwell 

Favorite Quote: “ I believe the bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives. ”

2. Good to Great : Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t

One-Sentence Description: This book follows a five-year study that determines how “good” companies become great, beat their competitors, and achieve long-lasting success. 

Why You Should Read It: Good to Great : Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t emphasizes the point that success doesn’t happen overnight. For entrepreneurs and leaders who feel frustrated, tired, and out of steam, this book helps reinvigorate drive and passion . Additionally, it’s comforting to know that many of the difficulties business owners experience as they grow aren’t uncommon. In fact, growing pains are evidence that a company is developing. Overall, the core message is progress is a process.  

3. Start with Why

Author: Simon Sinek

Favorite Quote: “ People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe. ”

4. Think and Grow Rich 

One-Sentence Description: Published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich studies the lives of wealthy individuals such as Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie, defining 13 habits successful people share. 

Why You Should Read It: Consistently ranked as one of the best books on leadership of all time, Think and Grow Rich helps readers understand the unique mindset of high performers. On the whole, Hill spent 25 years researching, analyzing, and understanding what makes people successful. Through 500 interviews, he found and wrote a formula for prosperity. Undoubtedly, the directive strategies are easily applicable, motivational, and provide timeless wisdom to anyone interested in leadership .

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5. Wooden on Leadership 

Author: John Wooden

Favorite Quote: “ The best leaders are lifelong learners; they take measures to create organizations that foster and inspire learning throughout. The most effective leaders are those who realize it’s what you learn after you know it all that counts most. ”

6. Extreme Ownership

One-Sentence Description: Written by two Navy SEAL officers, this best-selling book relates their special operations experience to the leadership qualities all business owners, executives, and managers should possess.  

Favorite Quote: “ Implementing Extreme Ownership requires checking your ego and operating with a high degree of humility. Admitting mistakes, taking ownership, and developing a plan to overcome challenges are integral to any successful team. ”

Why You Should Read It: The unique, interesting angle the authors take creates a fresh perspective within the genre. While some professionals might not feel this book would be applicable to their businesses, Extreme Ownership teaches lessons that help leaders understand what it truly means to lead—not manage or direct—others. With unique messaging filled with real-life experience, the book additionally provides instruction on how to successfully develop high-performing teams that can fulfill even the most difficult mission.

7. Dare to Lead

Author: Brené Brown

Favorite Quote: “ I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential. ”

8. The Effective Executive

One-Sentence Description: This book focuses on effectiveness as a form of self-discipline—a requirement for all leaders (and a skill anyone can learn).

Why You Should Read It: Success is dependent on effectiveness. From exacting change to inspiring employees, this is a quality leaders can’t afford to lack. Nevertheless, many business owners and executives unknowingly or knowingly behave, act, and communicate in ways that don’t positively impact their organizations. For example, ineffective leaders lack emotional intelligence and don’t dedicate themselves to learning how to become stewards of their employees and customers. In essence, The Effective Executive is for people who want to actively learn how to work on eliminating ineffective leadership traits and become drivers of positive impact.

9. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Author: Stephen R. Covey 

Favorite Quote: “ As you care less about what people think of you, you will care more about what others think of themselves .”

10. The Art of War

One-Sentence Description: The Art of War teaches leaders how to create and implement strategic initiatives.

Why You Should Read It: Out of all the best leadership books mentioned, this 5th century B.C. military treatise is the oldest. There’s a reason it’s continued inspiring generations of strategic thinkers. While it was written for military leaders, the text translates well for business owners and executives who are responsible for developing and executing the company’s vision. In short, it takes readers through 13 chapters, each dedicated to a particular stage in the strategic implementation process.

 11. Awaken the Giant Within

Author: Tony Robbins

Favorite Quote: “ Enjoy making decisions. You must know that in any moment a decision you make can change the course of your life forever . . . If you really want your life to be passionate, you need to live with this attitude of expectancy. ”

  12. The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team

One-Sentence Description: Lencioni uses his knack for storytelling to resolve five common dysfunctional behaviors that inhibit even the best teams.  

Why You Should Read It: Leaders must know how to both guide their teams and be a team player. This book stresses the importance of having a cohesive team dynamic. While the book is a fictional fable, it is a story many business owners and executives struggle with. Companies cannot succeed unless their teams work together. For this reason, the book points out dysfunctional behaviors that harm team culture . As a result, leaders can repair and avoid toxicity within their organizations using this insight.

13. How to Win Friends and Influence People 

Author: Dale Carnegie 

Favorite Quote: “ You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. ”

14.   Team of Rivals

One-Sentence Description: In this Lincoln biography, Kearns shows how the president united his former political competitors to abolish slavery and win the Civil War. 

Why You Should Read It: This leadership book is a masterclass on leadership and an interesting read for anyone who loves history. It shows how important it is to toss your ego aside when working with others. Rather than punishing his rivals, Lincoln welcomed several of these people into his cabinet and created a unified front that was capable of holding the country together. While the book has a rather political motif, it teaches executive leaders the value of bringing teams together toward a collective cause. Personal beliefs of individual group members may vary but there can be healthy competition among them, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of a larger, common objective.

15.   15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

Author: John C. Maxwell

Favorite Quote: “ Most people who decide to grow personally find their first mentors in the pages of books. ”

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Leaders in Education You Should Follow in 2023

At Edurio, we spend a lot of time meeting, reading about, working with, and engaging with some of the most impactful educationalists and school & trust leaders. This year we have decided to share 20 of these School/Trust CEOs and 20 thought leaders in education to follow on social media in 2023.

Don't miss out! Read our curated list of must-read education leadership books for 2024.

THIS BLOG INCLUDES:

20 thought leaders in education to follow in 2023 :

Becky Francis CBE

Bennie kara, david weston, emma knights obe, geoff barton, hannah wilson, jeffrey boakye, dr kate chhatwal obe, leora cruddas cbe, loic menzies, dame rachel de souza, ruth golding, russell hobby cbe, sufian sadiq, steve chalke, stephen morales.

20 school trust or MAT CEOs to follow in 2023 :

Wayne Norrie FCCT

Cathie paine, sir martyn oliver, debbie stratton, jonny uttley, benedick ashmore-short, cassie buchanan obe, gavin booth, lesley gwinnett, liz robinson, luke sparkes, marie sweetlove, rebecca boomer-clark, richard gill, rowena hackford, sajid gulzar obe, stuart lock, 20 thought leaders in education to follow in 2023.

Here’s a list of 20 thought leaders and social media influencers with which more people should follow and interact in 2023. Ordered alphabetically by first names.

Author, TEDx speaker and Senior Leader

Topics to follow for : educational research, pupil safeguarding, teaching resources

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Amjad is a teacher, trainer, TEDx speaker and Senior Leader. Amjad has spent his teaching career working in challenging, diverse schools. He is a qualified SENDCO and was also trained as an Advanced Skills Teacher in Teaching and Learning. Before stepping into the world of education, he spent time as Play Worker and Teaching Assistant in Young Offender Prisons.

CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation

Topics to follow for : educational challenges, educational dates and deadlines, educational research & resources

Rebecca Francis CBE FAcSS FBA specialises in educational inequalities. Since January 2020, she has been the Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Before joining the EEF, she was Director of the UCL Institute of Education at University College London. She has also been the Director of Education at the Royal Society of Arts (2010–12) and an advisor to the Education Select Committee of the House of Commons since 2015.

Diverse Educators

Topics to follow for : educational challenges, inclusive education, equity & diversity

Bennie is an award-winning speaker, writer and trainer on diversity in schools and the curriculum and a deputy headteacher. Alongside supporting schools to diversify their curriculum, she is the author of ‘A Little Guide for Teachers: Diversity in Schools’ (Sage Education) and has been featured in educational books on the topic of leadership, diversity and English teaching.

CEO of the Teacher Development Trust

Topics to follow for : educational news & trends, teacher career development, educational research & teaching resources

David Weston is the CEO of the Teacher Development Trust, and Former Chair of the Department for Education CPD group. He is an author, school governor, a former secondary maths and physics teacher and a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Chief Executive of National Governance Association

Topics to follow for : educational policies in the UK, educational management and governance, educational research & equality

Emma Knights is the CEO of the National Governance Association. Before that, she worked in several roles in the voluntary sector, particularly in the Legal Services Commission, Citizens Advice and the Local Government Association. She also leads projects on child poverty and educational attainment. Emma has written on a wide range of topics and is a co-author of the Chair’s Handbook .

Falling pupil numbers is a big issue for governing boards, some already overseeing primary mergers, and not just in London. Will become a more common topic at leadership strategy days in 2023 https://t.co/cOkB1wBDYZ — Emma Knights #VisibleGovernance (@NGAEmmaK) January 7, 2023

General Secretary, the Association of School & College Leaders (ASCL) & Writer

Topics to follow for : academic literature, reading recommendations, ASCL views, educational politics & trends

Follow on Twitter

Geoff Barton is a founding fellow of the English Association and writes for various newspapers and journals. He was a longstanding member of the ASCL Council and became General Secretary of ASCL in April 2017. Geoff most recently edited ‘If I Were Education Secretary…': Views from the Frontline .

Did you know that many of the top influential leaders in education have collaborated with Edurio on our thought-leadership pieces? Find out more: home.edurio.com/insights

Leadership Development Consultant, Coach and Trainer

Topics to follow for : education equality, diversity, equality & inclusion, educational leadership, management, and inspiration

As one of the more prominent EDI leaders in education, Hannah is a leadership & development consultant, coach and trainer, a DfE coach for the Women Leading in Education initiative, and an advocate for flexible working. Hannah specialises in diversity, equity and inclusion and is the Company Director of Diverse Educators.

Co-executive leader at Whole Education Network and Founder at HeadsUp4HTs

Topics to follow for : mental health, fitness, educational news, teacher mental health, coaching & education trends

James Pope is the founder of HeadsUp4HTs. He has extensive education experience as a teacher, leader and mentor. He is also a Director at EInspir and an Exec. Director at Wholeeducation .

I am endlessly hopeful and positive about the work of our education system and the impact on young people… reinforced over the last 48 hours through conversation with wonderful organisation leaders in the @bigchange_ and @WholeEducation networks… inspiring people!! — James Pope #HeadsUp4hts (@popejames) December 8, 2022

Topics to follow for : inspiration, popular culture, literature, educational trends, challenges & social justice

Jeffrey Boakye is an author, broadcaster, educator and writer with an interest in issues surrounding education, race, masculinity and popular culture. Originally from Brixton in London, Jeffrey taught English to 11- to 18-year-olds for 15 years. Jeffrey is the author of several books, co-host of BBC Radio 4’s double award winning Add to Playlist, Senior Teaching Fellow at Manchester Institute of Education, an occasional journalist and provides CPD and student sessions at schools and universities and talks for companies.

Chief Executive at Challenge Partners

Topics to follow for : family life & sports, equality, inclusion and diversity, inclusive education in the UK

Kate helps schools and other education organisations better evaluate what they do and prioritise what makes the most significant difference for young people. She also co-founded the Leading Women's Alliance.

Chief Executive and Founder at Confederation of School Trusts and Visiting Professor at UCL Institute of Education

Topics to follow for : school trust news, education news, educational politics, education-related media

Leora Cruddas is the Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts – the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. In recent years Leora has advised successive governments and sits on several Department for Education Advisory bodies, including the Head Teacher Standards Review Group.

Education and Youth Policy Specialist and Third Sector Leader

Topics to follow for : education policy in the UK, educational employment, leadership and management

Loic Menzies is a researcher and policy specialist. He was previously CEO of the think-tank 'The Centre for Education and Youth'. Loic has publications around educational marginalisation, the teaching workforce and accountability. Most notably, his edited collection " Young People on the Margins " was published by Routledge in 2021.

Check out: 10 Must-Read Books on School Improvement

Children’s Commissioner for England

Topics to follow for : education policy in the UK, educational politics, school legislation

As Children’s Commissioner, Rachel de Souza takes on a crucial role, sitting at the heart of the Government, delivering for children, and championing their voices and needs.

Good to contribute to #fileon4 about warnings the cost of living crisis will see more children going into care. Supporting families & early family help matter so much & I share why we must do more for families - & especially those with disabled children. #FamilyReview https://t.co/3Nar6Ev32q — Dame Rachel de Souza (@Rachel_deSouza) December 21, 2022

Founder of DisabilityEd UK

Topics to follow for : recruiting & staff wellbeing, inclusion, educational challenges & resources

Ruth is Head of School in Plymouth, England. She is an experienced senior leader, trainer and coach and the founder of @DisabilityEdUK. In addition to this, Ruth is a National Leader for WomenEdEngland and has written a chapter on leading with a disability for the forthcoming book ‘Being 10% Braver’. Ruth has written a number of articles on disability for various education and disability magazines. She has recently become Vice Chair of Governors in a local secondary school and she hopes through DisabilityEdUK we will attract more disabled people to governing bodies and Trust Boards.

CEO of TeachFirst, Former General Secretary of the NAHT

Topics to follow for : educational challenges, staff and management, educational news, policy & research, teaching resources

Russel is the CEO of TeachFirst, particularly interested in unlocking the potential of all children to ensure that opportunities in life are not predetermined by wealth or background. Russel was the National Association of Head Teachers General Secretary until September 2017.

Director of Talent and Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust

Topics to follow for : personal development, culture in schools, education news, educational leadership and management

Sufian Sadiq is a passionate activist within the educational landscape, particularly around equity and inclusion. Sufian is the Director of the Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust. He is also a Fellow and Board Member of the Chartered College of Teaching and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors.

Founder of Oasis Charitable Trust, British Baptist Minister

Topics to follow for : equity, inclusion and diversity, academies and trust news, educational leadership and management, education trends, inclusive education

Steve Chalke MBE is a British Baptist minister, the founder of the Oasis Charitable Trust, a former United Nations Special Adviser on Human Trafficking, is a social activist. He is also the author of a large number of books and articles as well as a former presenter and now regular contributor and commentator on television, radio and other media.

CEO at the Institute of School Business Leadership

Topics to follow for : educational news, UK educational policies, educational research, educational politics

Stephen is the Chief Executive of the Institute of School Business Leaders. Previously a finance director in the UK education system, Stephen has a 20-year career history in operations and finance, working at a senior level in both the public and private sectors.

Executive Director of Programmes at Ambition Institute

Topics to follow for : educational challenges, school improvement, educational blogs and media, educational research, educational teaching resources, school leadership

Tom Rees is the Executive Director of Programmes at Ambition Institute. Tom served on the Regional School Commissioner’s headteacher board and is a trustee of two Multi Academy Trusts. In 2019, he was appointed by the Department of Education to the Headteachers' Standards review group.

Special Educational Needs and Disability is still framed within a deficit narrative – it conceptualises learning disability and special educational needs them – as something wrong that should be fixed. — Tom Rees (@TomRees_77) December 12, 2022

Director of Integrity Coaching, Author, Education Commentator for The Guardian

Topics to follow for : coaching, leadership & school management, professional development & success

Viv has been in the education profession for over thirty years. She is a former primary Headteacher and over twenty years ago was one of the youngest Heads in the country to turn around a failing primary school.

20 school trust or MAT CEOs to follow in 2023

Throughout 2022, Edurio engaged with many CEOs and trust & school leaders. During that time, we collated a list of CEOs who we found interesting and active on social media. This list brings together 20 inspirational leaders in education who also happen to be school or trust CEOs worth following on social media in 2023.

CEO of Greenwood Academies Trust

Talks about : leadership and staff development, leadership in schools, educational policies

Wayne often posts about charity and community work in which the trust is involved. He also posts commentary on educational news and trends.

Wayne is the CEO of Greenwood Academies Trust, which consists of 37 open academies. GAT is a 'not for profit’ organisation, and any income received is spent for the benefit of our pupils.

CEO of REAch2 Academy Trust

Talks about : community ethos, leadership in schools, large MATs

Cathie often posts about education and community outreach and shares successes and responsibilities involved in being a CEO.

Cathie is the CEO of REAch2 Academy Trust, the largest primary-only academy trust in the country. They currently support 60 primary academies across England, all of whom share the trust's mission to provide the best possible education for our young people.

At the heart of this mission is the unshakeable belief that every child deserves a rich, rewarding education, regardless of their background or geographical location.

CEO of Outwood Grange Academies Trust

Talks about : educational resources, teacher training, leadership in schools, educational reform

Martyn often posts about popular educational issues and news and regularly shares teacher training resources and programs.

Martyn is the CEO of the Outwood Grange Academies Trust, an education charity and not-for-profit sponsor of primary, junior and secondary academies. The Trust is recognised nationally as one of the highest-performing families of schools in the North of England.

So very proud of all the students and staff @OAEasingwold ... from Special Measures to OUTSTANDING at first @Ofstednews inspection. Great school getting superb outcomes and supporting children from 11-18 in @northyorkscc — Sir Martyn Oliver (@martyneoliver) September 20, 2022

CEO of The Island Learning Trust

Talks about : leadership in schools, trust community, UK educational policy, UK education news

Debbie often posts educational activities students in her trust have completed or retweets trust newsletters which share great insights into her Trust.

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Debbie is the CEO of The Island Learning Trust, which consists of three primary schools. The trust is committed to creating a learning community in which children are perseverant, resilient risk-takers who take responsibility for their learning and develop their critical, creative and social abilities fully.

CEO at The Education Alliance

Talks about : leadership in schools, mental health, educational reforms

Jonny published co-authored book “Putting Staff First” in 2020 and regularly posts about mental health in the workplace support and educational trends.

Jonny is the CEO of The Education Alliance Multi Academy Trust, an established MAT developing collaborative partnerships with academies across the Humber region. 

We regularly partner with various leaders in education to discuss aspects of pupil learning experience, staff wellbeing, and parental engagement. Follow us on social media to get the latest updates on our research first!

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CEO of The Park Academies Trust (5-school trust)

Topics to follow for : community ethos, educational change & news

CEO of Charter Trust (6-school trust)

Topics to follow for : educational research, leadership in schools, community ethos, educational development

CEO of Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust (large MAT)

Topics to follow for : educational resources, UK educational policy, leadership in schools

A day of staff collaborating, connecting and challenging each other. Days like these can fuel a whole term. Feeling very lucky indeed to work with such brilliant colleagues across @DartmoorMAT — Dan Morrow (@MoreMorrow) January 3, 2023

CEO of Infinity Academy (large MAT)

Topics to follow for : leadership in schools, educational successes, teacher training, CPD

CEO of United Learning (large MAT)

Topics to follow for : sports, leadership in schools, trust management

Edurio has been supporting United Learning in feedback collection since 2016. Leaders in education as much as true pioneers of stakeholder feedback -- our partners within United Learning have revealed that " What’s been really interesting is that sometimes it’s given us an insight into an issue we thought we understood very well ".

CEO of Endeavour Learning MAT

Topics to follow for : leadership in schools, equality in schools, inclusive education

CEO of Big Education (3-school trust)

Topics to follow for : educational politics, inclusive education

CEO of Dixons Academy Trust

Topics to follow for : workplace culture, educational research, leadership in schools, inclusive education

Never has our mission @DixonsAcademies been more important: To challenge educational and social disadvantage in the North. Many minds, one mission! https://t.co/JFxNpjcZhA — Luke Sparkes (@ldsparkes) October 22, 2022

CEO of Fortis Trust (2-school trust)

Topics to follow for : educational politics, literacy in education

CEO of White Horse Federation

Topics to follow for : leadership in schools, school trust communities, educational insights

Topics to follow for : educational policies, school management, leadership in schools, work-life balance

CEO of Arthur Terry Learning Partnership

Topics to follow for : leadership in schools

CEO of Astrea (large MAT)

Topics to follow for : leadership in schools, educational resources

CEO of PACT

Topics to follow for : leadership in schools, UK educational politics, community ethos

CEO of Advantage Schools (4-school trust)

Topics to follow for : leadership in schools, career opportunities, school culture

Hear From the Most Influential Leaders in Education

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14 Best Leadership Books to Read

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: July 23, 2022

You discovered our list of the best leadership books .

Leadership books are resources that teach leadership competencies, skills, and best practices. These works analyze which qualities great leaders share, and provide frameworks for building effective teams.

These books are similar to management books and books for CEOs , and include leadership books by women and mentorship books . These books help explore styles of leadership and develop leadership skills , executive skills and good leaders .

This article contains:

• the best leadership books for new leaders
• top leadership books
• good business leadership books
• executive leadership books
• the best books on leadership and management

So, here is the list!

List of leadership books

Here is a list of newer releases and older bestsellers that cover effective leadership.

1. Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Like many great leadership books, Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek draws inspiration from military principles. The concept in question: high-ranking officers eat after their men, putting their reports’ needs before their own. Sinek makes the case that people-first leadership makes crews feel supported and respected. These feelings in turn compel employees to exhibit loyalty and exceed expectations. Sinek states that trust and psychological safety are the keys to excellence, illustrating this argument with multiple examples from different types of organizations around the world.

Notable Quote: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Buy Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek .

2. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sanderson

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Facebook executive Sheryl Sanderson is one of the most popular leadership books for women. Inspired by personal experience and a TED Talk Sanderson gave in 2010, Lean In details the ways women hold back and miss career opportunities by being passive and polite. Sanderson encourages women to seek strong mentors, advocate for themselves, and assert their place in the business world. These actions can empower women to transform into leaders instead of merely accepting assigned roles.

Although the book is a few years old, the lessons are still relevant. Given the challenges to women’s careers a remote workforce presents, Lean In is worth a revisit.

Notable Quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”

Buy Lean In .

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3. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell

In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell outlines clear guidelines for leaders to follow to maximize influence and ensure that employees achieve a common vision. The book shares wisdom such as “leadership develops daily, not in a day,” and “leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment.” The book explains each rule plainly and provides anecdotal examples, covering every aspect of leadership from attracting and forming teams to securing legacy by planning for succession.

Notable Quote: “You can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion…. The heart comes before the head.”

Buy The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership .

4. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown

Dare to Lead shares lessons on the power of vulnerability and empathy in leadership. Renowned “courage and shame” researcher Brené Brown makes the case that leadership is not about status or control, but rather recognizing potential in individuals and ideas. Dare to Lead presents a guide to becoming a courageous and confident leader.

Notable Quote: “I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.”

Buy Dare to Lead .

5. The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently by Tony Dungy

Tony Dungy is a celebrated former NFL coach, and this work is a valuable leadership book. The Mentor Leader explains how to elevate those around you towards success with one simple principle: “your only job is to help your players be better.” Dungy outlines the critical elements of mentor leadership, including introspection, altruistic mindset, and modeling values. The Mentor Leader demonstrates how to maximize team potential and drive individuals towards optimal performance.

Notable Quote: “Engage, educate, equip, encourage, empower, energize, and elevate. Those are the methods for maximizing the potential of any individual, team, organization, or institution for ultimate success and significance. Those are the methods of a mentor leader.”

Buy The Mentor Leader.

6. Minority Leader: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrahms

Representative Stacey Abrahms’ Minority Leader: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change is one of the best leadership books around. The book gives instructions for leading as an outsider. For example, by using your unique perspective and resilience to enact impactful and lasting change even in the most seemingly rigid institutions. This work is a mix of memoir and instruction, guiding readers through steps to find passion and develop skills through topics like embracing otherness, owning opportunity, and overcoming failure.

Notable Quote: “Logic is a seductive excuse for setting low expectations.”

Buy Minority Leader .

7. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

Becoming a leader may not mean assuming a pre-existing executive position within an established organization, but rather blazing an entirely new path and creating a company from scratch. In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz illustrates the realities of entrepreneurship, addressing how to build a business from the ground up, uncover unclear answers, and make tough calls and hard decisions with minimal guidance or backup.

Notable Quote: “Build a culture that rewards—not punishes—people for getting problems into the open where they can be solved.”

Buy The Hard Thing About Hard Things .

8. Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard E. Boyatzis, and Annie McKee

Emotional intelligence is one of the most underrated leadership skills. Leaders need to connect with their people to motivate and resonate with employees. Primal Leadership teaches professionals to identify and navigate feelings, empathize with employees, and build emotionally intelligent organizations. Emotionally intelligent leadership enables leaders to avoid misunderstandings and incorrect judgements, relate more closely to workers, and collaborate in true tandem with employees. The authors are professionals with years in the psychology and business consulting worlds, and illustrate their arguments through lived and observed experiences.

Notable Quote: “Not that leaders need to be overly “nice”; the emotional art of leadership includes pressing the reality of work demands without unduly upsetting people.”

Buy Primal Leadership .

9. Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Leaders have a lot of pressure to lead their staff through times of turmoil. Perhaps the guidance leaders most need is on navigating a crisis, and reassurance that history’s greats encountered comparable challenges. Leadership: In Turbulent Times analyzes the obstacles faced by four American presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. Goodwin’s work examines the struggles, triumphs, and tactical approaches of each subject, holding each president up as an example of how to turn tragedy into achievement. This book is a masterclass in crisis management and transformational leadership, as well as a roadmap out of dark times.

Notable Quote: “Establish a clear purpose; challenge the team to work out details; traverse conventional departmental boundaries; set large short-term and long-term targets; create tangible success to generate accelerated growth and momentum.”

Buy Leadership: In Turbulent Times .

10. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

The extreme environments of Navy SEAL missions provide the ultimate platform for leadership. Former commanders Jocko Willink and Leif Babin apply battlefield wisdom to the business world, preaching the philosophy of admitting mistakes and owning failure as a means to earn trust and respect from followers. Only by overcoming ego and facing reality head-on can leaders gain the clarity and strength to act in difficult situations. The authors employ military discipline and combat strategy to break down traits and approaches necessary to effective leadership.

Notable Quote : “Implementing Extreme Ownership requires checking your ego and operating with a high degree of humility. Admitting mistakes, taking ownership, and developing a plan to overcome challenges are integral to any successful team.”

Buy Extreme Ownership .

11. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People is one of the top leadership books of all time. Almost a century after the book’s initial publication, the sentiments within the pages still ring true. Carnegie’s guide to winning favor in the business world is a masterclass in soft skills. Leadership hinges upon resonating with people and winning followers. Carnegie breaks down the basics of persuasion, revealing how to sell others’ on your abilities, convince them of your vision, and assure folks that you have their best interests in mind. After all, one of the main components of effective influence is reading your audience’s feelings and motivations and reflecting that psychology and desire in your pitch.

Notable Quote: “Instead of condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness. “To know all is to forgive all.”

Buy How to Win Friends & Influence People .

12. Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business by John Mackey, Steve Mcintosh, and Carter Phipps

Conscious Leadership is a manifesto to moral business practice. Head author John Mackey founded Whole Foods, and his commitment to sustainability, integrity, and compassion flavor his leadership advice. Conscious Leadership champions purpose and value-based leadership, urging leaders to embody beliefs and serve as role models for their working and wider communities.

Notable Quote: “Whether they know it or not, every person and every organization has the potential to embrace, enact, and unify people around a higher purpose.”

Buy Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business .

13. Leadership: Theory and Practice by Peter G. Northouse

Peter G Northouse’s Leadership: Theory and Practice is one of the best leadership books for new leaders. The book serves as a comprehensive textbook for leaders, covering a wide range of academic concepts and evidence-based learnings related to the field of leadership. The book covers various traits, behaviors, approaches, theories, and styles of leadership, serving as a catch-all index and manual for managers looking to make a mark.

Notable Quote: “Leaders who use coercion are interested in their own goals and seldom are interested in the wants and needs of followers. Using coercion runs counter to working with followers to achieve a common goal.”

Buy Leadership: Theory and Practice .

14. How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers by David M. Rubenstein

In How to Lead, David M. Rubenstein gathers insight, advice, and philosophies from trailblazing visionaries like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and more. Each chapter has a unique perspective on leadership, offering multiple viewpoints on the secrets of success and the qualities of an effective leader . From these examples, readers can find inspiration and guidance to achieve their own visions. The content of How to Lead comes straight from Rubenstein’s own experience interviewing these industry leaders throughout the years.

Notable Quote: “A fair question might be, why should anyone really want to be a leader? First, a leader can create the type of change or results that will improve the lives of others. Second, a leader can motivate others to become leaders, and in turn improve others’ lives. And third, a leader can feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement that provides human fulfillment and happiness.”

Buy How to Lead .

The simple act of reading a book will not automatically transform an individual into a skilled leader. However, these books provide insight, guidelines, and actionable advice to build strong teams, earn respect, maximize potential, and leave a lasting impression on organizations.

Next, check out our lists of employee engagement books and books on diversity and inclusion , and these post with employee engagement best practices and leadership activities for work .

You may also be interested in executive team building activities , these ways to differentiate managers vs leaders , this guide to collaborative leadership and this one on servant leadership at work .

Plus, this guide to employee management styles and this list of the top leadership conferences .

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FAQ: Leadership Books

Here are answers to common questions about leadership books.

What are leadership books?

Leadership books are works that teach readers how to be skilled and influential leaders. These books tend to be a mix of instructions, advice, and anecdotes from experts in the realms of psychology and business, and provide step by step guides to becoming a role model and visionary.

What are the best books about leadership to read?

There is no shortage of books about leadership full of expert advice on the market. Some great options include:

• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
• Lean In by Sheryl Sanderson
• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
• The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy
• Minority Leader by Stacey Abrahms
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
• Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman
• Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
• How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Conscious Leadership by John Mackey, Steve Mcintosh, and Carter Phipps
• Leadership: Theory and Practice by Peter G. Northouse
• How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers by David M. Rubenstein

Though these authors employ different approaches, one underlying principle runs throughout these works: good leaders are not necessarily born gifted, but rather, leadership is a developed skill that requires continual learning and effort.

What are good leadership books for women?

There are certain books that speak to the unique challenges of being a female visionary in the modern workforce. Particularly good leadership books for women include Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sanderson, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown, and Minority Leader: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrahms.

What are the best leadership books for new leaders?

The best leadership books for new leaders include Leadership: Theory and Practice by Peter G. Northouse, How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers by David M. Rubenstein, How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.

Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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The Top 20 Best Selling Leadership Books of 2023

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Throughout the year I constantly point this site’s readers to some of the best leadership content available.  One of those resources is books.  As you finalize the Christmas shopping for the leader(s) in your life, I want to provide you The Top 20 Best Selling Leadership Books of 2023 as sold on this site.

• The Score Takes Care Of Itself: My Philosophy Of Leadership by Bill Walsh – One of the top five leadership books I’ve ever read!  Bill Walsh is a towering figure in the history of the NFL. His advanced leadership transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty. In the process, he changed the way football is played.  Prior to his death, Walsh granted a series of exclusive interviews to bestselling author Steve Jamison. These became his ultimate lecture on leadership.  Bill Walsh taught that the requirements of successful leadership are the same whether you run an NFL franchise, a fortune 500 company, or a hardware store with 12 employees. These final words of ‘wisdom by Walsh’ will inspire, inform, and enlighten leaders in all professions.
• The 16 Undeniable Laws Of Communication: Apply Them And Make The Most Of Your Message by John Maxwell – This is the best book on communication I have ever read!!!  Everyone has a message to share. Whether you want to improve your ability to inspire employees, speak at PTA meetings, report to a board of directors, teach students, deliver a sermon, address a small group, speak from a stage, or communicate to an arena full of people, this book can help you.
• Leadership As An Identity: The Four Traits Of Those Who Wield Lasting Influence by Crawford Loritts – As I have often said, this is the best leadership book I have ever read!!!  The question itself assumes an atypical answer, simply because it leaves out so much. To ask only about one’s character seems inadequate when defining a leader. We surely need to ask about character, but also about personality, communication skills, IQ, education, previous experience, and more… don’t we?  Crawford Loritts disagrees. He answers the question with four simple words: Brokenness, communion, servanthood, and obedience.  These four traits form the framework for Leadership as an Identity . By examining each trait, Loritts undermines many pervasive assumptions about leadership that are unbiblical.
• Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life by James Kerr – Difficult times call for different solutions.  In his global bestseller, Legacy , James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world’s most successful team, the New Zealand All Blacks, to help understand what it takes to bounce back from adversity and still reach the top.  It is a book about leading a team or an organization – but, more importantly, about leading a life.  The kind of life that you want to lead.
• Hidden Potential: The Science Of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant – Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Grant weaves together groundbreaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.
• Gridiron Genius: A Master Class In Winning Championships And Building Dynasties In The NFL by Michael Lombardi – Why do some NFL franchises dominate year after year while others can never crack the code of success? For 30 years Michael Lombardi had a front-row seat and full access as three titans–Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick–reinvented the game, turning it into a national obsession while piling up Super Bowl trophies. Now, in Gridiron Genius , Lombardi provides the blueprint that makes a successful organization click and win –and the mistakes unsuccessful organizations make that keep them on the losing side time and again.  Also, check out Lombardi’s latest book Football Done Right: Setting The Record Straight On The Coaches, Players, And History Of The NFL .
• The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates The World’s Greatest Teams by Sam Walker – A true classic!   The sixteen most dominant teams in sports history had one thing in common: Each employed the same type of captain—a singular leader with an unconventional set of skills and tendencies. Drawing on original interviews with athletes, general managers, coaches, and team-building experts, Sam Walker identifies the seven core qualities of the Captain Class—from extreme doggedness and emotional control to tactical aggression and the courage to stand apart. Told through riveting accounts of pressure-soaked moments in sports history,  The Captain Class  will challenge your assumptions of what inspired leadership looks like.
• Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments Into Extraordinary Results by Shane Parrish – Clear Thinking gives you the tools to recognize the moments that have the potential to transform your trajectory, and reshape how you navigate the critical space between stimulus and response. As Parrish shows, we may imagine we are the protagonists in the story of our lives. But the sad truth is, most of us run on autopilot. Our behavioral defaults, groomed by biology, evolution, and culture, are primed to run the show for us if we don’t intervene. At our worst, we react to events without reasoning, not even realizing that we’ve missed an opportunity to think at all. At our best, we recognize these moments for what they are, and apply the full capacity of our reasoning and rationality to them.
• 4th And Goal Every Day: Alabama’s Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection by Phil Savage – Phil Savage first worked with Nick Saban when they both joined the Cleveland Browns’ coaching staff in 1991. They were reunited in 2009 when Savage became part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network as the radio color analyst. Since then, Savage has enjoyed an up-close view of the Alabama program’s dedication to recruiting, its commitment to practice, and devotion to fundamentals.  Through those years of observation, now comes his 360-degree perspective on Alabama football and Coach Nick Saban’s unique coaching style, a style that has led the Crimson Tide to five Southeastern Conference titles, three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances and five national championships.
• The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership: Follow Them And People Will Follow You by John Maxwell – Dr. Maxwell had two of the Top 10 best-selling books on this site.  In this classic, you’ll learn the key principles of successful leadership such as vision, influence, responsibility and commitment. It highlights ways to set goals for yourself and your team while maintaining emotional balance during difficult times. Each law is backed up by inspiring and practical examples from Maxwell’s personal experience.
• Know What You’re FOR: A Growth Strategy For Work, An Even Better Strategy For Life by Jeff Henderson – In Know What You’re FOR , entrepreneur and thought leader Henderson makes it clear that if we want to change the world with our products or our mission, then we must shift the focus of our messaging and marketing. Rather than self-promoting, we must transform our organizations to be people-centric. This sounds like a no-brainer, but looking closer shows just how little this is true and how impactful the change would be if it were. Whether you’re a business leader, a change advocate, or a movement maker, Know What You’re FOR will help you – and your organization – thrive.  Also, make sure you check Jeff’s new book What To Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain.
• The Secret Power Of Kindness: 10 Keys To Unlocking Your Capacity To Change The World by Greg Atkinson – The old axiom is true: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. We find ourselves in a cultural moment where people simply want to feel seen, heard, and loved. The good news? A little kindness goes a long way. It’s time for this overlooked and underappreciated fruit of the Spirit to get its due.
• You Win In The Locker Room First: The 7 C’s To Build A Winning Team In Business, Sports, And Life by Jon Gordon – You Win in the Locker Room First draws on the extraordinary experiences of Coach Mike Smith and Jon Gordon—consultant to numerous college and professional teams—to explore the seven powerful principles that any business, school, organization, or sports team can adopt to revitalize their organization.  Step by step, the authors outline a strategy for building a thriving organization and provide a practical framework that give leaders the tools they need to create a great culture, lead with the right mindset, create strong relationships, improve teamwork, execute at a higher level, and avoid the pitfalls that sabotage far too many leaders and organizations.  Also, make sure you check out Jon’s new book The One Truth: Elevate Your Mind, Unlock Your Potential, Heal Your Soul .
• Valuable leadership lessons through powerful parables and stories from well-known leaders.
• The actionable steps leaders must take to change their thinking and become the leader they want to be.
• The necessary mindset to push through the challenges you face and take control of your career and home life.
• Tips and techniques to excel and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and challenges.
• Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways Of Thinking The Power The World’s Most Successful People by Polina Marinova Pompliano – After five years of writing The Profile, Polina Marinova Pompliano has studied thousands of the most successful and interesting people in the world and examined how they reason their way through problems, unleash their creativity, and perform under extreme pressure.  The highest performers don’t use tricks or hacks to achieve greatness. They use mental frameworks that fundamentally change the way they see the world. They’ve learned how to unlock their hidden genius in order to reach their full potential.
• Inspired Every Day: Three Indispensable Ingredients To Connect With Your Passion by Kevin Paul Scott – The word inspiration can sound, well, less than substantial, but it’s much more than a momentary flash of enthusiasm or an isolated brilliant idea. The genius of a flashbulb moment happens much more often when a person has developed a lifestyle that blends three indispensable ingredients: a purpose to live for, a problem to tackle, and a partnership with likeminded people. One or two won’t do. It takes all three. Living inspired every day isn’t limited to certain personality types. Everyone can cultivate an inner fire that ignites creativity, instills lasting determination, and brings more fulfilment than we ever thought possible. In this book, Kevin Paul Scott is both engineer and coach: he carefully explains the interwoven elements of an inspired life and he encourages us in our pursuit. Kevin knows that an inspired life is one that’s worth living that will outlast us.
• Going On Offense: A Leader’s Playbook For Perpetual Innovation by Benham Tabrizi – Going on Offense is a powerful resource for anyone looking to transform their organization and their people into a perpetual innovator. Based on a comprehensive seven-year study from Stanford University, Going on Offense provides an insider view into the drivers of success and challenges in 26 organizations—including industry giants like Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks—along with actionable advice on replicating their winning approaches.  In addition, the book highlights the similarities and differences among their five cultures, which, interestingly, mirror the five icons of industry who are leading or led them: Steve Jobs (Apple), Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), and Howard Schultz (Starbucks).  The findings draw on a survey of over six thousand executives, academics, and consumers and interviews with several dozen current and former employees of most of the 26 firms.
• Same As Ever: A Guide To What Never Changes by Morgan Housel – Every investment plan under the sun is, at best, an informed speculation of what may happen in the future, based on a systematic extrapolation from the known past.  Same as Ever reverses the process, inviting us to identify the many things that never, ever change.  With his usual elan, Morgan Housel presents a master class on optimizing risk, seizing opportunity, and living your best life. Through a sequence of engaging stories and pithy examples, he shows how we can use our newfound grasp of the unchanging to see around corners, not by squinting harder through the uncertain landscape of the future, but by looking backwards, being more broad-sighted, and focusing instead on what is permanently true.
• Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, And Become Extraordinary by Ozan Varol – Extraordinary people carve their own paths as leaders and creators. They think and act with genuine independence. They stand out from the crowd because they embody their own shape and color.  We call these people geniuses—as if they’re another breed. But genius isn’t for a special few. It can be cultivated.  This book will show you how. You’ll learn how to discard what no longer serves you and discover your first principles—the qualities that make up your genius. You’ll be equipped to escape your intellectual prisons and generate original insights from your own depths. You’ll discover how to look where others don’t look and see what others don’t see. You’ll give birth to your genius, the universe-denter you were meant to be.
• The Creative Act: A Way Of Being by Rick Rubin – Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer.  The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments—and lifetimes—of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.

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More From Forbes

On a culture of physician leadership development.

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In the military, physician leadership qualities are constantly being assessed and developed.

If you’ve read my book, All Physicians Lead, or attended one of my talks, you know I’m passionate about advancing the leadership capabilities of all physicians—not just those in titled organizational leader roles. A proven way to accomplish this goal is by creating a culture of physician leadership in healthcare. But of course, this is easier said than done. How do we create a culture of continuing physician leadership development?

Over a decade ago, I was tasked with answering this very question. As a senior army surgeon, I approached the two-star general in the Army Medical Corps. I asked if I could put together a comprehensive program for physician leadership development for the 4200+ doctors in the US Army.

After discussing the details a bit, he said yes. In preparation for this work, an impressive team of advisors and contributors came together to develop a template for physician leadership development and training in the Army Medical Corps.

We concluded that four distinct LOEs (lines of effort) needed development and implementation to create a culture of physician leadership. These LOEs, it turns out, are just as applicable in civilian healthcare as they were in the armed forces.

1. Develop Interest

Create early exposure to leadership theory and practice. The first step in building a culture of physician leadership is to pique physicians’ interest early in their careers in the idea that leadership is critical to good patient care.

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Student doctors are famously busy people who tend to disregard anything that detracts from their acquiring of clinical skills and knowledge. It’s best to help physicians—from day one—learn to see leadership development as integral to the work they do for patients rather than a distraction from it.

Senior physicians can train young doctors in leadership skills in parallel with their teaching of clinical skills. In this way, young doctors can see leadership—i.e., influencing thought and behavior to achieve desired results—as an essential part of how they work with patients, families, teammates, and other professionals within the healthcare system.

Soon after new physicians hit the ground, we can get them involved in some aspect of the hospital business. There are dozens of committees that need people. Committee membership could be thought of as an elective experience for young physicians.

Through this participation, they would learn early on that running a healthcare system is complicated and that resources are limited – while developing empathy for their professional colleagues in other clinical and administrative roles. This could also help develop an early interest in leadership.

2. The Foundation

Provide leadership education. Leadership education would be most effective if it started in medical school and continued through residency and beyond via healthcare organizations and physician societies.

Ideally, there should be a core leadership curriculum that all young doctors learn—just as they learn a core clinical curriculum—regardless of which institution they attend. We needn’t reinvent the wheel for this. A great deal of excellent leadership theory already exists. It simply needs to be adapted for healthcare, adopted, and taught.

Once a core curriculum is established, education providers can customize their leadership training programs to reflect their institutions’ mission, vision, and specific needs.

3. Apprenticeship Refined

Coach and mentor physicians throughout their careers. Next, we should develop a system of mentors, coaches, and other leaders who can work with physicians throughout their careers to develop their leadership abilities.

Historically, medicine has always used an apprenticeship style of training. Why not use the same approach for developing leadership skills? In the military, leadership qualities are constantly being assessed and developed simultaneously with other skills. We can use “teachable moments” to do the same in healthcare.

4. Build the Bench

Identify, recruit, and train future senior leaders. Finally, we can develop systems for identifying physicians with top-level leadership potential and providing them with the experience and training they need to develop their skills.

Healthcare has an ongoing need for physicians to fill roles within our organizations. We must constantly look to identify potential leaders to be part of a succession pipeline—our “bench.” Toward this end, there should be people within our organizations specifically tasked with identifying potential “superstars” as early as possible, identifying gaps in experience or training, and providing them with the education they need to grow their leadership abilities.

Developing a culture of physician leadership requires a sustained, integrated, multi-pronged approach. The four LOEs above offer one such system to consider.

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Ohio State extends Dean Rustin Moore’s term through 2027

Article by: Allison Burk

Originally Published

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Since assuming the role of the 11th dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine on Sept. 1, 2015, Moore has led the college through two five-year terms, marked by a series of notable accomplishments and far-reaching impacts.

Under his leadership, the program, which had been a top-five program in the U.S. News & World Report rankings for well over a decade, increased from fifth to fourth to third, marking the highest ranking the college has ever achieved . The program’s reputation of excellence has allowed the college to recruit and retain outstanding faculty leaders and increase research faculty and funding. Moore emphasized that these accomplishments and impact are thanks to the contributions from many people both within and outside the college and are truly a testament to an incredible team effort. of an incredible team effort from many people both within and outside the college.

“I am grateful to Dean Moore for his visionary leadership and deep commitment to the college’s aspirations for excellence in education, research, outreach, and service,” said Karla Zadnik , interim executive vice president and provost at Ohio State and Glenn A. Fry professor in optometry and physiological optics. 

The college launched the first-of-its-kind competency-based curriculum under Moore’s leadership with the class of 2026 at the beginning of the fall semester in 2022. The goal of this curriculum, which includes a focus on the concept of Spectrum of Care, is to enhance the competence and confidence of our graduates to provide care to animals and serve the owners across a broad array of socioeconomic, demographic, and other attributes and characteristics. 

A champion for the veterinary profession and animal health-related industries in Ohio and beyond, Moore helped to secure a $5M per year new line item from the state to advance and sustain Ohio’s only college of veterinary medicine, which serves the animals and people of Ohio. From safeguarding Ohio’s $120 billion agricultural sector—the state’s top industry—to enhancing the lives of companion animals that enrich our daily experiences, Moore remains a strong advocate for the critical role Ohio State veterinarians and College of Veterinary Medicine graduates play in every facet of our lives.

With the assistance of the university, state, and other partners, Ohio’s only college of veterinary medicine will be poised to have an even more significant impact on agricultural and companion animal health and wellbeing, wildlife and the environment, and public health through a One Health approach.

The College of Veterinary Medicine continues to advance its ambition to Be The Model® comprehensive college of veterinary medicine in the world. Guided by an ambitious strategic plan developed and implemented during Dean Moore’s deanship, the college continues to benefit society and enhance the health and well-being of animals, people, and the ecosystem through innovation in research, education, patient care, outreach and service. 

Moore outlined that the focus in the coming years will be on collaborating with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters to build a sustainable financial foundation for the college. This will ensure a more accessible and affordable education, attract and retain top faculty and staff, advance animal and public health, and better serve the people and animals of Ohio.