Four Business Books To Read In 2017

To find the best business, communications and leadership books to add to my "to read" list for 2017, I reached out to some of the best experts in the field. Individuals I admire and respect.

Here is what they read this year and recommend adding to your 2017 "to read" list:

Paul Smith

Organizational Storytelling Speaker, Trainer/Coach, Author

The Elegant Pitch: Create a Compelling Recommendation, Build BroadSupport, and Get It Approved, by Mike Figliuolo.

"As a storytelling trainer and consultant, I’m constantly asked by companies to help their managers 'tell a better story.' When I dig in to find out what the issues and needs are, about half the time I conclude that it’s not actually storytelling that they need. What they need is the ability to craft a simpler, more logical, and more compelling argument that they can deliver in a presentation or in a memo. The Elegant Pitch teaches that and does it well," says Paul.

Web: www.LeadWithAStory.com

Twitter: @LeadWithAStory

Paul’s books:

Lead with a Story (Amazon #1 Bestseller in Business Communication)

Sell with a Story (Amazon #1 Bestseller in Sales and Selling)

Parenting with a Story

Debbie Laskey

Expert in Brand Marketing, Social Media, Employee Engagement, Leadership Development and Customer Service Marketing

Leading the Unleadable – How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, andOther Difficult People, by Alan Willett.

"There are so many how-to lead books on the market that it’s almost impossible to siphon out quality from the imposters, but Willett’s book stands apart as a must-read. Here’s the main theme of the book: While many people are destined to become leaders, how many actually create cultures of excellence where others aim to become leaders? As Willett explained, 'It is your job to provide each person you lead with inspiration, guidance, discipline, correction, training, and most of all, the opportunity to make mistakes and to excel.' Want to learn more? Visit www.leadtheunleadable.com," explains Debbie.

Debbie has served as a judge for the Web Marketing Association’s annual web award competition since 2002, and has been recognized as one of the "Top 100 Branding Experts."

Web: www.debbielaskey.blogspot.com

Twitter: @DebbieLaskeyMBA

Nathan Magnuson

Leadership Consultant, Coach, Speaker, Thought Leader

Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.

"I loved the gripping military stories but also the business tie-ins. The key message is that leaders can't lead until they accept the responsibilities that come with the job. I'd recommend this book to anyone faced with a critical job or project that will require 100% commitment," says Nathan.

Web: www.nathanmagnuson.com

Twitter: @NathanMagnuson

Nathan’s e-book: Trusted Leadership Advisor

David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA

Communications and Leadership Speaker, Consultant, Author

"This year, I re-read Lencioni's classic, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," says David.

"Trust continues to be one of the fundamental issues organizations, teams, and leaders face. His elegant model and its components have stood the test of time, and are even more relevant today as leaders often work to build high-performing teams without addressing the most fundamental building block - vulnerability-based trust."

David is Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, an award-winning Chicago-based communications consultancy focused on organizational consulting, strategic leadership development and internal communications.

Web: www.yourthoughtpartner.com

Twitter: @Thoughtpartner

David’s e-books include:
The Mistakes CEOs Can’t Help But Make and the Fixes They Can’t Afford Not to Make
The Definitive Guide to Taming the Email Monster.

Comments

Why A Team Needs More Than Strong Leaders

The book, Team Players , by leadership expert and New York Times bestselling author, Mark Murphy , explains why a team needs more than strong leaders—it needs the right mix of five roles and talents to succeed. In addition, Murphy reveals that the secret to extraordinary teams isn’t making everyone the same—it’s embracing and leveraging fundamental differences through those five distinct team roles. No amount of teambuilding, trust, or cohesion can overcome having the wrong mix of people in the room. The five essential roles and talents are: The Director assumes a leadership role within the team, guiding its direction and making important, difficult, and even unpopular decisions. The Achiever immerses themselves in the details of accomplishing tasks and getting things done, with a keen eye for delivering error-free work. The Stabilizer keeps the team on track with meticulous...

How To Lead From The Inside Out

The book, The Journey of Leadership , brings the experience of one of the world’s most influential consulting firms ( McKinsey & Compan y ) right to your fingertips. “We offer in this book a step-by-step approach for leaders to reinvent themselves both professionally and personally,” explain co-authors Dana Maor , Hans-Werner Kaas , Kurt Strovink and Ramesh Srinivasan . This book includes revealing lessons from McKinsey & Company’s legendary CEO leadership program, The Bower Forum , which has counseled more than five hundred global CEOs over the past decade. The authors assert that if you are a traditional left-brained leader who’s great at numbers, planning and scheduling, your job might be threatened in the future. “Going forward, the differentiating factor will be human leadership that gives people a sense of purpose and inspires them, and that cares about who they are and what they’re thinking and feeling....

70 New Year's Resolutions For Leaders

With 2026 fast approaching, it's a good time to identify your New Year's Resolutions for next year. To get you started, how about selecting one or more of the following 70 New Year's resolutions for leaders? Perhaps write down five to ten and then between now and January 1, think about which couple you want to work on during 2026. Don't micromanage Don't be a bottleneck Focus on outcomes, not minutiae Build trust with your colleagues before a crisis comes Assess your company's strengths and weaknesses at all times Conduct annual risk reviews Be courageous, quick and fair Talk more about values more than rules Reward how a performance is achieved and not only the performance Constantly challenge your team to do better Celebrate your employees' successes, not your own Err on the side of taking action Communicate clearly and often Be visible Eliminate the cause of a mistake View every problem as an opportunity to grow Summarize group consensus after each deci...

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership . In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catal...

Resolve To Find A Mentor In 2026

Having a mentor is one of the best things you can do to advance your career as a leader. So, decide soon to secure a mentor who will work with you during 2026. Make that one of your New Year’s resolutions. A mentor can benefit leaders new to their leadership role, and they can benefit experienced and seasoned leaders, as well. A strong mentoring relationship allows the mentor and the mentee to develop new skills and talents, to build confidence, and to build self-awareness. Proper mentoring takes a commitment from both parties, and it takes time to develop and to reap the rewards of the relationship. Plan to work with your mentor for no less than three months, and ideally for six months or longer. When seeking out a mentor, think about these questions : 1. Will the relationship have good personal chemistry? 2. Can this person guide me, particularly in the areas where I am weakest? 3. Will this person take a genuine interest in me? 4. Does this person have the tra...

The Playbook For How To Get Along With Anyone

T he book, How To Get Along With Anyone , by John Eliot and Jim Guinn , is the playbook for predicting and preventing conflict at work and at home. As you read the book, you will discover how to defuse any heated conflict by learning which of the five conflict styles you are and how to resolve even the most sensitive dispute with this must-read guide. Through decades of building and facilitating team chemistry for Fortune 500 companies, professional sports franchises, schools and government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and families, Eliot and Guinn have discovered people respond to conflict in one of these five ways: Avoider : Uninterested in minor details; excels in solitary work with a knack for concentration. Competitor : Always pushing the envelope; never rests on laurel and takes risks for achievement. Analyzer : Evidence-based and methodical; patiently gathers information before acting. Collaborator : A deeply carin...

7 Honest-Feedback-Extracting-Questions To Ask When Hiring

Awhile ago, the Harvard Business Review published some great questions that Gilt Groupe CEO Kevin Ryan asks when he is checking references. Ryan serves on the board of Yale Corporation, Human Rights Watch, and INSEAD , and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and a M.B.A from INSEAD. His main seven honest-feedback-extracting-questions (and follow-ups) are: Would you hire this person again? If so, why and in what capacity? If not, why not? How would you describe the candidate's ability to innovate, manage, lead, deal with ambiguity, get things done and influence others? What were some of the best things this person accomplished? What could he or she have done better? In what type of culture, environment, and role can you see this person excelling? In what type of role is he or she unlikely to be successful? Would you describe the candidate as a leader, a ...

Best New Leadership Book Of 2025

Each year, after reviewing dozens of books about leadership, management, business and life skills, I select my pick for the best new leadership book of the year. During 2025, I reviewed on this blog 48 books, and I choose Radical Listening: The Art Of True Connection as the best new leadership book of 2025. To be an excellent leader you need to be an exceptional listener. Sadly, too many business leaders don't listen well or don't listen to a broad enough range of their employees. This great book will help leaders become better listeners – radical listeners. “For leaders, radical listening must start at the top of an organization,” state the authors Prof. Christian Van Nieuwerburgh (PhD) and Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener . “Unless there is a clear and sustained commitment to radical listening from leaders, others are less likely to be fully engaged with the idea. This is, of course, easier said than done.” “Most leaders woul...

The Psychology Of Leadership

I read many books about leadership and this book is one of my favorites. It’s The Psychology of Leadership by Sebastien Page . It offers a fresh take on leadership through the lens of groundbreaking research in positive, sports, and personality psychology. “Like exercise strengthens your body, practicing positive, sports, and personality psychology will make you a better leader,” says Page. The book blends research, fascinating true stories, humor, and self-improvement advice to deliver simple yet powerful principles to master the mental game of leadership. Page reveals timeless strategies for achieving lasting impact, fostering growth, and promoting well-being. He demonstrates how leaders and individuals can balance measurable goals with practical approaches to maximize performance and fulfillment. “Effective leadership is not merely about achieving measurable outcomes. It requires aligning goals with intrinsic motivations and psychological ins...

Effective Listening: Do's And Don'ts

Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability . They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Don't : Interrupt Show signs of impatience Judge or argue mentally Multitask during a conversation Project your ideas Think about what to say next Have expectations or preconceived ideas Become defensive or assume you are being attacked Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language Listen with biases or closed to new ideas Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog