Essential Leadership Reads: 5 Books to Elevate Your Impact [part 3]
If you’re new here, welcome! I’m passionate about exploring leadership development books and distilling their key insights into actionable strategies for leaders and executives. Each month, I highlight a thoughtfully selected book that aligns with the principles I explore in my coaching sessions and offer real-world applications to elevate your leadership journey.
As we navigate the complexities of leadership in 2025, the call for mindfulness, adaptability, and authentic connection has never been more pronounced. The following five books offer profound insights and practical strategies to help leaders cultivate presence, foster trust, and drive meaningful impact.
Let’s dive in.
Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy
Brief Summary:
Inner Excellence teaches that true leadership and performance come from mastering your mindset. Success is less about outcomes and more about consistent effort, mental resilience, and being present. The book highlights common mental obstacles like self-doubt, distraction, and avoidance, and offers simple techniques to overcome them.
Putting it into Practice:
To apply the principles of Inner Excellence, start by redefining success as the effort and purpose you bring to each day, rather than focusing solely on results. When you feel overwhelmed or distracted, use mindfulness techniques such as the “Basic Reboot”—pausing to focus on a distant point while taking deep breaths to reset your mind and calm your emotions. Be aware of mental blockers like your inner critic or restless thoughts, and practice naming these voices to create distance from them, replacing negativity with empowering and realistic self-talk. Lastly, commit to staying present by concentrating on the best effort you can give today, rather than worrying about past mistakes or future potential. This approach helps cultivate resilience and clear-headed leadership that supports both personal growth and team success.
The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni
Brief Summary:
This book introduces six types of “working genius” that represent different ways people naturally contribute to work: Wonder, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, Invention, and Tenacity. Everyone has two geniuses (where they thrive), two competencies (where they’re capable but not energized), and two frustrations (where they struggle). Understanding your type—and your teammates'—helps improve collaboration, productivity, and morale.
Putting it into Practice:
Start by identifying your two working geniuses so you can focus on the parts of work that energize you and bring out your best. Notice which stages of a project drain you, and communicate that with your team so you can collaborate more effectively. When working with others, consider what genius they bring and lean on their strengths where you lack energy or clarity. For example, if you’re strong in Invention but weak in Tenacity, partner with someone who enjoys finishing tasks and following through. As a leader or team member, using this model allows you to delegate more intentionally, reduce burnout, and build trust by recognizing everyone’s unique contribution to the process.
📚 Read my full review of The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni here.
Playing Big by Tara Mohr
Brief Summary:
Tara Mohr’s Playing Big is a guide for women who want to overcome self-doubt and step into their full potential. The book explores inner barriers like the inner critic, fear, and people-pleasing, while also offering tools to reconnect with your inner wisdom (“inner mentor”) and take bolder steps in your career and life. Mohr encourages women to define success on their own terms rather than following external expectations or traditional leadership models.
Putting it into Practice:
Begin by noticing the voice of your inner critic—how it sounds, when it shows up, and what it says. Instead of trying to silence it, recognize it as a normal part of growth and learn to separate it from your true voice. Then, regularly connect with your “inner mentor” by visualizing the future version of yourself who’s calm, wise, and grounded. Let her guide your decisions instead of fear or self-doubt. You can also practice “leaping,” a key concept in the book, by taking small, bold actions before you feel fully ready. Whether it’s launching a project, sharing your ideas, or setting a boundary, the goal is to build confidence through doing, not waiting. Over time, these shifts help you play bigger on your own terms.
The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins
Brief Summary:
The First 90 Days is a strategic playbook for navigating the transition into a new role or organization. Watkins outlines how the first three months are critical for establishing credibility, building momentum, and setting yourself up for long-term success. The book provides a structured framework for assessing your new situation, securing early wins, aligning with key stakeholders, and avoiding common transition traps.
Putting it into Practice:
Start by diagnosing the type of situation you’re entering—is it a turnaround, a start-up, a realignment, or sustaining success? This will guide your priorities. Then, focus on learning the culture, challenges, and expectations quickly through structured conversations with colleagues and stakeholders. Use that insight to build a 90-day plan with clear goals, early wins, and strategies for building alliances. Be intentional about how you show up. Listen more than you speak in the beginning, but don’t delay making visible progress. Schedule regular check-ins with your manager to ensure alignment, and be ready to adapt your plan as you learn more. The first 90 days are about gaining trust and setting a foundation that pays off for months and years to come.
📚 Read my full review of The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins here.
Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
Brief Summary:
Creativity, Inc. is a behind-the-scenes look at Pixar’s unique approach to creativity and leadership. Written by co-founder Ed Catmull, the book explores how to build and maintain a creative culture that embraces risk, candor, and continuous improvement. It emphasizes the importance of protecting the creative process, empowering people at every level, and building systems that allow honest feedback and collaboration to thrive.
Putting it into Practice:
To bring the lessons of Creativity, Inc. into your work, start by creating an environment where people feel safe sharing ideas, even the imperfect or unfinished ones. Encourage candid feedback without fear of judgment, and model vulnerability by admitting your own mistakes. Build in regular opportunities for reflection and revision, rather than chasing perfection from the start. Structure your team or process in a way that supports experimentation, iteration, and open dialogue. And most importantly, keep people—not products—at the center of your creative process. The most innovative work emerges when trust, curiosity, and communication are prioritized.
📚 Read my full review of Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull here.
Final Thoughts
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about staying curious, open to growth, and committed to making an impact. The insights in these books offer practical tools for navigating change, leading with clarity, and showing up with greater confidence and intention.
What matters most is how you apply them. Growth happens not in the reading, but in the doing—in the conversations you lead differently, the choices you make more intentionally, and the perspective you bring to your day-to-day.
If you’re ready to put these ideas into action, let’s talk. You can, book a complimentary discovery session to explore what coaching could look like. You can also subscribe to my newsletter for actionable leadership insights or connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram for daily tips and inspiration.
Note: Links (🔗) to recommended books are affiliate links. Please consider supporting your local independent bookstore or borrowing books from your library.
