Many of you reading this site are going to be getting Amazon gift cards for Christmas. I want to help you know how to best leverage those resources.
Frequent visitors to this site know my love for reading and my desire to promote quality authors and resources. As a result, A LOT of books get purchased through this site. A few learnings come from this year’s most-purchased list:
- As much I enjoy sports, military, and business writings, all but one of the entire Top 10 consists of Christian or faith-based leadership books. Even the three books with a business focus have strong Christian messages in them and are clearly applicable to church environments.
- Three of the Top 10 are repeats from 2019. It is great to see these have an extended shelf-life and still continue to add value to people.
The following are The Top 10 Selling Leadership Books Of 2020 as determined by you the readers:
- Jesus: The God Who Knows Your Name by Max Lucado – I’m very happy this was the best-selling book of 2020 because it was also the most impactful book I read this past year. So much so, it was the inspiration for the post The Myth Of The “Great Leader” and changed my personal reading strategy. In short, I cannot recommend this book enough. It simply focuses on the greatest leader of all-time.
- Lead Like A Shepherd: The Secret To Leading Well by Larry Osborne – This is a repeat from 2019. Ironically, this was the most impactful book I read last year. I am often asked what leadership style will be most successful as we move into the future. My response is always a shepherding style. This book will tell you who it’s done.
- Confident Leader!: Become One, Stay One by Dan Reiland – Dan is one of my favorite leaders in the world! As part of this book’s promotion, I wrote Dan Reiland’s 15 Things You Should Do When You Are Around Bigger, Stronger And Faster Leaders. There is simply not a wiser, more intelligent, and kinder leader than Dan Reiland, especially on the level he is on as one of the Christianity’s greatest executive pastors. Get this book!
- The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders by John Maxwell. February 7, 2020 was one of the most impactful days I have ever had in leadership. That was the day my wife and I attended the taping of the accompanying digital training product to go along with this book. Read 40 Quotes From John Maxwell’s The Leader’s Greatest Return Digital Training Taping. In my opinion, this is the second greatest book John has ever writing behind The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You.
- The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities by Patrick Lencioni. Lencioni thrusts his readers into a day-long conversation between rival CEOs. As he does in his other books, he then provides a straightforward summary of the lessons from the fable, combining a clear explanation of his theory with practical advice to help executives examine their true motivation for leading. For more lessons from this book, read 10 Leadership Quotes From Patrick Lencioni’s Book The Motive.
- Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program by Urban Meyer. This is my top-selling sports book of 2020. I don’t think there is a best leadership speaker in the world today than Coach Meyer. Don’t believe me, click HERE and watch the video contained. In this book, he offers readers his unparalleled insights into leadership, team building, and the keys to empowering people to achieve things they might never have thought possible. Meyer shares his groundbreaking game plan—the game plan followed every day in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ championship season—for creating a culture of success built on trust and a commitment to a common purpose. Also, pick up the free ebook listed below if you have not already.
- Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God by Tim Keller. I LOVE this book!! Keller provides a profile of Jesus’s life by studying the Book of Mark. In it, Keller shows how the story of Jesus is at once cosmic, historical, and personal, calling each of us to look anew at our relationship with God. It is an unforgettable look at Jesus Christ, and one that will leave an indelible imprint on every reader. Every Bible teacher should have this resource as part of their library.
- The Original Storyteller: Become a Better Storyteller in 30 Days by Robert Carnes. This is second consecutive year on the best-selling list for this book. Stories are the common theme shared by all people. They exist in every language, culture, time period and nation. Stories engage and entertain. They create emotion and empathy. Stories unite and connect. But why? What makes stories so powerful? Why are they so universal? How is a good story able to penetrate the distractions of a busy world? What causes a story to activate the minds of people anywhere? The Original Storyteller seeks to answer those questions through the lens of God’s stories. He is the first and best storyteller. His stories reveal the essence of all great stories.
- A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller (Tie). I actually participated in a Bible study centered around this book in 2020. It is outstanding! As an actual shepherd, Keller shares his insights into the life and character of sheep–and of the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for them. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 will give new meaning to the ageless Shepherd Psalm, enriching your trust in and love for the Lord who watches closely over you.
- The Power of a Positive Team: Proven Principles and Practices that Make Great Teams Great by Jon Gordon (Tie). Jon needs no introduction at all. Utilizing examples from the writing team who created the hit show Billions, the National Champion Clemson Football team, the World Series contending Los Angeles Dodgers, The Miami Heat and the greatest beach volleyball team of all time to Navy SEAL’s, Marching bands, Southwest Airlines, USC and UVA Tennis, Twitter, Apple and Ford, Jon shares innovative strategies to transform a group of individuals into a united, positive and powerful team. The Power of a Positive Team also provides a blueprint for addressing common pitfalls that cause teams to fail―including complaining, selfishness, inconsistency, complacency, unaccountability―while offering solutions to enhance a team’s creativity, grit, innovation and growth.
- Hero Maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders by Dave Ferguson (Tie). Here is an interesting statistic – this is the THIRD consecutive year this book made my best seller list. Just in case you don’t already own it, drawing on five powerful practices found in the ministry of Jesus, Hero Maker presents the key steps of apprenticeship that will build up other leaders and provides strategies for how you can activate gifts, help others take ownership, and develop a simple scorecard for measuring your kingdom-building progress.
#CommissionsEarned
That’s the list for the last 12 months. I can’t wait to continue pointing you to great books in 2021!
During the 2019 college football season, fans were given a gift when legendary coach Urban Meyer joined Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff preview show as a studio analyst. As a three-time national championship head coach, Coach Meyer’s ability to deliver complex leadership principles with brevity and concise terminology created a compelling experience for educated and “smart” fans. Throughout the season, I captured Coach Meyer’s best leadership quotes from this weekly show. I wanted to make them available to you in this new complimentary resource Urban Meyer 2019 Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff Ebook.
The contents includes Winning Cultures, 3 Types of Teams, Strategy and Competition, Recruiting, Rivalry Games, Personal Performance, and much, much more. Click HERE to get your complimentary copy today! Trust me – this resource will make you a better leader.