Top 5 Leadership Books That Can Help You Use Your Values To Lead Better

To be an effective leader, you must consciously adapt your leadership and communication styles to the needs of your team members. This means that you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for another, and what works in one situation can’t be applied to all scenarios. So how can you navigate the roadmap of leadership in a way that takes you to the destination you desire?

Reading widely is a great way to start with the added benefit that it helps you unwind and reflect on your purpose and goals. The more you read, the more you come to know-and the more you know, the better you become at making decisions.

Leadership is the most evergreen of business topics, yet it remains evasive because it is constantly adapting to a changing world. Year after year, an array of authors do their part to bring fresh insights, and varied perspectives to keep the topic growing and evolving for the better. Let’s take a look at some of the best values-based leadership books, written by leaders for leaders, that will help you fine-tune your leadership approach:

Values-Based Leadership: A Revolutionary Approach to Business Success And Personal Prosperity

Author: Kenneth Majer

Synopsis: A story of triumph that urges readers to join the movement to recover business ethics. Written in parable-like format, Dr. Kenneth Majer weaves a tale that demonstrates how to apply key elements of leadership based on solid personal values.

The principles in this book provide a great foundation for aligning an organization in an ethically based culture and illustrate the positive impact leader with integrity can have on business performance. Goes beyond the boardroom and shows how to develop strong character as a leader in business,

Top Reviews:

• “The concepts are simple and easy to apply. Effective leadership produces a good team. Values-based leadership produces cohesive, exceptional winning teams.” – Anonymous reader
• “The parable in this easy to read book is also summarized nicely into concise guidance for managers. The parable itself is modern, but the leadership values learned are timeless.” – Anonymous reader
• “This book is not only easy to read but also sells a much-needed message of honesty and integrity. Unlike so many others, this story is long on practical solutions that can engage any manager at any level. Ignore the message in this book today and be a feature story on ’60 Minutes’ tomorrow.” – Anonymous reader

From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership

Author: Harry M. Kraemer Jr.

Synopsis: In this highly-anticipated book, Harry Kraemer argues that today’s business environment demands values-based leaders who, in ‘doing the right thing,’ deliver outstanding and lasting results. The journey to becoming a values-based leader starts with self-reflection. He asks, ‘If you are not self-reflective, how can you know yourself? If you do not know yourself, how can you lead yourself? If you cannot lead yourself, how can you lead others?’ Kraemer identifies self-reflection as the first of four principles that guide leaders to make choices that honor their values and candidly recounts how these principles helped him navigate some of the toughest challenges he faced in his career.

Top Reviews:

• ‘A worthy read for any aspiring leader. Kraemer leverages his unique collection of world-class experiences to bring the leadership journey to life in a compelling and practical fashion.’-Douglas R. Conant, president and CEO, Campbell Soup Company”
• ‘Values-based leadership has never been more important. For anyone wanting to be a better leader, every page of Kraemer’s book offers practical advice.’-Greg Case, president and CEO, Aon Corporation
• ‘There’s a difference between doing things right-and doing the right thing. This is the essence of values-based leadership, which Kraemer captures in this lively and highly readable book. A must-read for traveling the road ahead.’-Gary Burnison, CEO, Korn/Ferry International.”

Act Like a Leader, Think Like A Leader

Author: Herminia Ibarra

Synopsis: barra turns the usual “think first and then act” philosophy on its head by arguing that doing these three things will help you learn through action and will increase what she calls your outsight-the valuable external perspective you gain from direct experiences and experimentation. As opposed to insight, outsight will then help change the way you think as a leader: about what kind of work is important; how you should invest your time; why and which relationships matter in informing and supporting your leadership; and, ultimately, who you want to become.

Top Reviews:

• “Packed with self-assessments and a huge amount of practical advice this book will help you to devise a plan of action to become a better leader and bring your career to the next level. One of the best self-improvement and leadership books now around.” – Andreas von der Heydt, Head of Kindle Content at Amazon, Germany
• “The opposite of a traditional guidebook, the book will inspire you to achieve success and satisfaction in a fast-evolving workplace.” – Business Insider
• “Herminia Ibarra’s insightful new book is an inspirational read for everyone who has a passion for leading and developing people. In times of rapid change, her profound research and hands-on approach of ‘transforming by doing’ is broadening horizons.” -Joe Kaeser, CEO, Siemens AG

Fair Value: Reflections On Good Business

Author: Jozef Opdeweegh

Synopsis: Fair Value is a unique – a book about business that serves not as a blueprint but as a reflection on our lives, and how we might live them better.

With the courage to confront, and learn from, contemporary issues, Jozef Opdeweegh draws on thinkers past and present to show how our values shape the value we create. Taking us on a path of discovery, these essays address the world as we know it and offer a unique perspective on how it might be.

Founded on a long tradition of reflective wisdom, this nuanced approach is one modern reader, in our quest for sound-bite solutions, would do well to heed.

Top Reviews:

• ‘Fair Value is a must-read — for business leaders who desire to improve corporate culture — in order to more fully engage all stakeholders in maximizing value for all. Mr. Opdeweegh’s writings are a rare and honest look into the thinking and values of one of the preeminent global business leaders of our time.’ – Mark J. Gendregske, Principal, St. Charles Holdings, former CEO Allied Systems Holdings, former President and CEO Vector Supply Chain Management and former Vice President Canada HR, DaimlerChrysler.
• “Rarely do you see such a close coupling of an author’s reflections and how they live their lives – this is Jos! Reflective, philosophical, questioning, translating to practical implementation and refreshingly focused on all aspects of society as beneficiaries of vision and leadership.” – Gary Kennedy, Board Chairmain, Greencore Group PLC
• “A different kind of management book. A soulful series of reflections on values and virtues in business, which manages to be at once both profoundly personal and yet universal.” – Jonathan Obermeister, Managing Partner, Change Agency

The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness

Author: Todd Rose

Synopsis: Weaving science, history, and his personal experiences as a high school dropout, Rose offers a powerful alternative to understanding individuals through averages: the three principles of individuality. The jaggedness principle (talent is always jagged), the context principle (traits are a myth), and the pathways principle (we all walk the road less travelled) help us understand our true uniqueness – and that of others – and how to take full advantage of individuality to gain an edge in life.

Listen to this powerful manifesto in the ranks of Drive, Quiet, and Mindset – and you won’t see averages or talent in the same way again.

Top Reviews:

• “Found it really inspiring and thought-provoking. The notional fallacy of average where one size fits all actually translates to one size fits none because nobody is perfectly average.” – Anonymous reader
• “The examples given of how using average criteria to make decisions in every walk of life and business is something everyone should be aware of.” – Anonymous reader
• “This book explains perfectly the flaws with using averages and outlines a better way to celebrate and support individuality. I love the evidence for changing our school system and hope more people can recognize the importance of changing an outdated system that limits a significant proportion of young learners through labeling.” – Anonymous reader

Contact: Andrew Mitchell, media@cambridgeglobal.com

SOURCE: Cambridge Global