Each quarter I list a group of books from my current personal reading list which will make you a better leader. This quarter’s collection will help you with personal growth, spiritual development, creativity, learning the secrets of championship teams, and even your marriage,
Also, I can’t recommend enough that you become a reader and continual learner. There are issues you are facing today which can be solved in 48 hours by simply purchasing one or more of the books listed below.
The following are The Top 10 Books Leaders Need To Read In Spring 2021 listed alphabetically by author:
- Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff. Overthinking isn’t a personality trait. It’s the sneakiest form of fear. It steals time, creativity, and goals. It’s the most expensive, least productive thing companies invest in without even knowing it. And it’s an epidemic. When New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff changed his life by transforming his overthinking, he wondered if other people might benefit from what he discovered. He commissioned a research study to ask 10,000 people if they struggle with overthinking too, and 99.5 percent said, “Yes!”
- Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe by Voddie Bauchman Jr. The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in the summer of 2020 shocked the nation. As riots rocked American cities, Christians affirmed from the pulpit and in social media that “black lives matter” and that racial justice “is a gospel issue.” But what if there is more to the social justice movement than those Christians understand? Even worse: What if they’ve been duped into preaching ideas that actually oppose the Kingdom of God? In this powerful book, Voddie Baucham, a preacher, professor, and cultural apologist, explains the sinister worldview behind the social justice movement and Critical Race Theory—revealing how it already has infiltrated some seminaries, leading to internal denominational conflict, canceled careers, and lost livelihoods. Like a fault line, it threatens American culture in general—and the evangelical church in particular. Whether you’re a layperson who has woken up in a strange new world and wonders how to engage sensitively and effectively in the conversation on race or a pastor who is grappling with a polarized congregation, this book offers the clarity and understanding to either hold your ground or reclaim it.
- Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger. Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along. Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world. If you’re going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools.
- The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin. Creative work doesn’t come with a guarantee. But there is a pattern to who succeeds and who doesn’t. And engaging in the consistent practice of its pursuit is the best way forward. Based on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, The Practicewill help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer’s block is a myth, that consistency is far more important than authenticity, and that experiencing the imposter syndrome is a sign that you’re a well-adjusted human. Most of all, he shows you what it takes to turn your passion from a private distraction to a productive contribution, the one you’ve been seeking to share all along.
- Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant. Great book! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people’s minds–and our own. As Wharton’s top-rated professor and the bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he’s right but listen like he’s wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners.
- Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Craig Groeschel. This is the best book I read during Q1 of this year. Drawing upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science, Groeschel lays out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of harmful, destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of joy and peace that God intends you to live. Winning the War in Your Mind will help you:
- Learn how your brain works and see how to rewire it
- Identify the lies your enemy wants you to believe
- Recognize and short-circuit your mental triggers for destructive thinking
- See how prayer and praise will transform your mind
- Develop practices that allow God’s thoughts to become your thoughts
- Barça: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World by Graham Hunter. “I doubt whether there will ever be a more definitive book about the making of the greatest football team our generation. Pep Guardiola once said to his team that Andres Iniesta would retire them all. Graham Hunter has retired all of us who aspire to write about this team.” —Mail on Sunday. Sports Illustrated added, “‘We’ll be talking about this Barcelona team decades from now, and thankfully we’ll still have Graham Hunter’s magisterial book explaining how it came about. Just as Barca didn’t happen by accident, neither does Hunter’s acutely observed account. An instant classic.'”
- Before You Split: Find What You Really Want for the Future of Your Marriage by Toni Nieuwhof. If you’ve ever wanted to say, “I can’t do this anymore!” out of frustration with your marriage, you’re definitely not alone. In this practical and insightful guide, former divorce attorney Toni Nieuwhof shows that even if you feel disconnected or stuck in your troubled marriage—and worry about its impact on your kids—there is a way forward. Before You Split helps you find what you really want from your marriage and how to move forward to a better future by:
• seeing yourself and your spouse more clearly
• dealing with unrealistic expectations
• empowering you with constructive ways to respond to difficult emotions
• engaging the power of forgiveness
• increasing your peacemaking skills
• advancing your journey of personal growth
Even if it feels like it’s over, it’s not too late. Change takes place one step at a time. Before You Split will help you make choices with your eyes wide open. - At the End of the Storm: Stories from Liverpool’s Historic Title Win by James Pearce, Oliver Kay, and Simon Hughes of The Athletic. As Liverpool ended their 30-year wait to be crowned champions of England, they were followed by their equivalent from the world of sports writing: a team of elite talents, assembled to leave all competition trailing in their wake. This is the story of Liverpool’s title win in the longest season, as told by the writers of The Athletic, with their blend of inside access and expert analysis; great ideas and beautiful writing.
- Great Lives: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit (Great Lives Series) by Charles Swindoll. The apostle Paul was, by his own description, “the chief of all sinners.” Yet, this colossal figure left an indelible signature of greatness never to be forgotten. Some would argue, no other person in the Bible, aside from Christ Himself, had a more profound influence on his world and ours today than Paul. In this book, Charles Swindoll paints a vivid picture of this remarkable man and his story. He shows how God reached down to Paul in all his self-righteous zeal and
- crushed his pride,
- softened his heart, and
- transformed this once-violent aggressor into a powerful spokesman for Christ.
Paul pursued his divine mission with unflinching resolve, and God used him mightily to turn the world upside down for Christ in his generation. Perhaps that’s why Paul’s life is such a source of hope for us. If the chief of sinners can be forgiven and become God’s chosen vessel, can He not forgive and use us as well? Paul is the sixth of a multi-volume series exploring Great Lives from God’s Word and searching them to find the qualities that made them great.
That is my reading list for the quarter. What other great books are you currently reading?
#CommissionsEarned
Also, my book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.