
Even those possessing exceptionally innate leadership skills can always gain a little something from refining them. For those who are either stepping into their first leadership role or looking to improve their existing skills, here’s a list of five must-read leadership books in 2021:

In most companies these days, building a good software team is essential for delivering value and maintaining a sustainable value stream. But how do you do that? Using their unique model to turns teams into an effective delivery system, IT consultants Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais show you one way forward. Read this if you would like to understand communication pathways, a team structure’s role in technological and organizational growth, and organizational design for software.

Two of the Wharton School’s best strategic thinkers explain how organizations harness digital platforms to cultivate foresight and better vigilance, enabling them to respond more quickly to emerging threats and opportunities. They’ve used brands like Amazon, MasterCard, and Adobe as primary examples, with the overarching mantra being “if it worked for them, it should work for you”. Give this book a read for a good idea of how to survive in an age of digitally enabled turbulence.

Creating a competitive advantage for long term growth and getting leaders to be more proactive about it are the two key talking points of this strategy guide. The author worked with leaders who shaped their brands’ futures without sacrificing short term value. Read this to see how focusing on attributes and qualities work well in building strategic leadership.

Author Kevin Kruse drives home two points: one - leadership is like a superpower. And two - everything we’re taught about it is wrong! This book offers 10 principles of better, faster, and easier leadership. For a fresh perspective on leadership in every sense of the word, give this book a good read.

Zhou states that managers are made, not born, and that management skills can be taught. She builds her case using transformative insights, as well as a plethora of daily life examples that include strange job interviews, trust-building, losing faith, and getting it back. From finding mentors for a new career to handling unexpected events and turning teamwork into value, Zhou offers important insights on how to become a successful business leader.