If you ask a CEO, a chief of staff, and an executive director how they became such great leaders, there’s one answer you’ll likely hear: They read. A lot. So if you’re ready to become a leader yourself, follow in their footsteps by checking out the seven insightful, inspiring books below.
The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership
By Adam Bryant
A playbook full of practical strategies and tactics for building a loyal following, moving up quickly to broaden your impact, and making the subtle but crucial mindset shifts that are required to lead others effectively. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Adam Bryant, in the Next Big Idea App
Lead Like a Marine: Run Towards a Challenge, Assemble Your Fireteam, and Win Your Next Battle
By John Warren and John Thompson
Two decorated veterans lay out the simple, universal rules that helped them succeed, from valuing grit and potential over pedigree, to condensing large groups into resilient “fireteams,” to cross-training team members so that anyone can step up to the plate in a crisis. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors John Warren and John Thompson, in the Next Big Idea App
Credible: The Power of Expert Leaders
By Amanda Goodall
A leading business expert shows why expertise really matters, and how leaders who deeply understand the nuts and bolts of their organization make all the difference for its success and the happiness of people who work there. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Amanda Goodall, in the Next Big Idea App
1% Leadership: Master the Small, Daily Improvements That Set Great Leaders Apart
By Andy Ellis
One of the most well-known and experienced cybersecurity leaders shares dozens of lessons and observations that anyone, at any stage of their career, can use to create a work culture of continuous improvement and strong leadership. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Andy Ellis, in the Next Big Idea App
Leading Through Disruption: A Changemaker’s Guide to Twenty-First Century Leadership
By Andrew Liveris
A former Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company presents a variety of powerful tools that will enable you to tackle any problem quickly and responsively, with an eye to creating a more equitable, sustainable future. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Andrew Liveris, in the Next Big Idea App
Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams from Isolated to All In (Wall Street Journal Bestseller)
By Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen
Connectable shows you what’s causing today’s loneliness, the role inclusion plays in solving it, and how you can decrease loneliness and increase belonging, engagement, and performance with employees at every level―including yourself. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen, in the Next Big Idea App
The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists
By Richard P. Rumelt
Leaders become effective strategists when they focus on challenges rather than goals, pinpointing the crux of their pivotal challenge—the aspect that is both surmountable and promises the greatest progress—and taking decisive, coherent action to overcome it. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Richard P. Rumelt, in the Next Big Idea App
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
“If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours—and you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the 5 key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea App, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “Book Bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much more—all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
Go Deeper with a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea App is free for anyone to try—and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium video e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, it’s all available through the Next Big Idea App.
Learn Faster, from the World’s Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the “Events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
