3-minute read
For the past couple of years, we’ve been hearing from healthcare leaders at the top of their game whom we’ve featured in our podcast, The Backstory.
Guests come from a wide range of backgrounds – they’re hospital CEOs, captains of healthcare investment firms, founders of innovative health services companies and more. And while they may have taken different paths to the C-Suite, they have in common these attributes of great leadership:
- A deep sense of mission and purpose
- A relentless focus on people, not as a tool to be used but as, well, people – to be invested in and mentored and served
- A self-awareness that allows them to honestly assess their mistakes, humbly acknowledge their strengths and receive feedback that helps them and their organizations move forward
- An ability to observe, learn, apply the good and avoid the bad
They’ve learned from experience and from mentors who have poured into them the way they now pour into others.
They’ve also learned from books that give practical advice for understanding and leading others.
In short, these are people who have walked the walk, so their ideas and recommendations carry weight. And the entire team behind The Backstory thought you might find them valuable, too.
Want to know what’s on the list?
Best of the best
Good to Great
Jim Collins
By far the most often referenced leadership book, with one-third of our 28 podcast guests giving this classic a shoutout. What stood out?
- A focus on having the right players in the organization and in the right seats
- Reinforcement of continuous improvement and growth.
- Visionary framing of leadership and discussion about company impact.
- The idea that teams are more important than strategies
- Servant leadership put into words
10 other top reads referenced
Leaders Eat Last
Simon Sinek
This book captures servant leadership. Leaders work for the people in the organization, not the other way around.
From Strength to Strength
Arthur C. Brooks
This benefits anyone growing in their leadership and career as they think about career progression, aging and helping the next generation come along.
CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest
Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra
These mindsets are great for anyone interested in executive-level decision-making, prioritizing time and generally understanding from a research-based perspective how CEOs succeed.
CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job–and Keep the Job
Mark Thompson
For early-career professionals, this book offers practical advice on preparing to meet leaders, giving presentations and thinking about their career trajectory.
Irrational Persistence: Seven Secrets That Turned a Bankrupt Startup Into a $231,000,000 Business
Dave Zilko
These seven secrets provide a thoughtful look at how leaders work and problem-solve through the most challenging times.
Leadership on the Line
Ronald Heifetz and Martin Linsky
This book resonates because it deals with why leadership is hard, talks about adaptive leadership, and helps people think about moving an organization through change.
On Becoming a Servant Leader
Robert K. Greenleaf
A go-to for anyone with a belief in and focus on servant leadership and creating environments for others to be their best.
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Need help prioritizing and focusing? Give it a read.
The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
Kevin Leman
The shepherd metaphor is powerful, challenging. It provides a unique way of thinking about correction, guidance, protection, and taking care of those under one’s care.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
No need to describe this one. You’ve already read it.
Four wild cards
Man’s Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl
Just because it’s not a leadership book doesn’t mean we can’t learn a lot about humanity – and the humanity of leadership.
The Little Engine That Could
Watty Piper
It speaks to persistence through challenges: believing you can, pushing forward, and not falling back when things are hard.
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
An off-the-wall leadership pick about curiosity, finding one’s way, and staying true to convictions and values.
Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America
Garry Wills
We won’t spoil this. But see Chapter 3. Read it and learn from it.
Good reads, indeed.
Leadership isn’t built from a single book, but the best leaders never stop learning.
Which book has most influenced the way you lead? Join the conversation on LinkedIn.
And if you’d like to hear more insights from healthcare’s top leaders, explore additional episodes of The Backstory.
Contributors: David Shifrin and Emme Nelson Baxter
Image Credit: Shannon Threadgill
