Reading has always been one of the ways I slow my thinking down enough to notice what actually matters.
Last year, I read 6 books.
This year, I read to hit a number, but I did not have a predetermined list. I read in response to the season I was in — leading people, building systems, navigating change, selling with integrity, and trying to stay human in the process. Looking back, the books tell a clearer story than I realized while I was in it.
What stands out isn’t just what I read, but why. I wasn’t chasing new ideas as much as I was pressure-testing old ones: How do leaders scale without becoming bottlenecks? What actually creates trust? Where does discipline help—and where does it hurt? And how do you keep your inner life intact while carrying responsibility for others?
This list is less a recommendation list and more a reflection. These books shaped how I think about leadership, culture, sales, productivity, and myself.
And together, they reveal the lessons this year was trying to teach me.
Let’s dive into the list:
Leadership
- Irreplaceable, Kevin Kelley
Argues that leaders build lasting organizations by developing people and systems rather than depending on individual heroes. - Sully, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger
Recounts the Miracle on the Hudson and the leadership, preparation, and teamwork behind it. - A Giant Step Forward, Tom Nebel et al.
Explores how leadership growth enables organizations to scale with clarity and purpose. - Leadership and the One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard
Combines situational leadership with simple, effective management practices. - Do You Care to Lead?, Lisa Earle McLeod
Challenges leaders to prioritize purpose, people, and impact over authority. - The Starfish and the Spirit, Lance Ford
Explores decentralized leadership and movement-based organizational change. - Voice-Driven Leader, Jeremie Kubicek
Encourages leaders to find and use their authentic voice to inspire others. - Values-Based Organizations, Thomas Epperson
Demonstrates how values-driven leadership strengthens trust and performance. - The Business of Character, Jonathan Cotten
Argues that character is foundational to effective leadership and culture.
Sales & Sales Leadership
- The Snowball System, Mo Bunnell
Shows how generosity and strategic relationships drive sustainable business growth. - Give to Grow, Mo Bunnell
Demonstrates how giving value first builds trust and fuels long-term growth. - Fanatical Prospecting, Jeb Blount
Emphasizes disciplined prospecting as the foundation of sales success. - Scale Your Sales, Walter Crosby
Provides systems and strategies for building predictable, scalable sales teams. - Inside Out, Walter Crosby
Explores sales leadership through mindset, discipline, and personal accountability. - Brand It Like Serhant, Ryan Serhant
Applies branding principles to personal reputation and business growth. - Sell It Like Serhant, Ryan Serhant
Offers a modern, high-energy approach to selling and persuasion.
Culture, Values & Organizations
- Love as a Business Strategy, Mohammad Anwar et al.
Argues that care, empathy, and belonging are competitive advantages in business. - The Science of Culture, Bronson Taylor
Examines how beliefs, values, and systems shape organizational culture. - The Fearless Organization, Amy Edmondson
Explains how psychological safety enables learning, innovation, and performance. - Blackinese, Patricia Bradby Moore
Explores identity, belonging, and culture through a Black and Chinese lens. - The Devil Is in the Details, Mark Rypka
Tells the story of building a distinctive brand through obsessive attention to experience and culture.
Productivity & Mental Performance
- Slow Productivity, Cal Newport
Presents a philosophy for sustainable achievement by doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and focusing on quality over volume. - Deep Work, Cal Newport
Makes the case that the ability to focus deeply is increasingly rare and valuable in the modern economy. - It Takes What It Takes, Trevor Moawad
Explains how neutral thinking and emotional discipline drive consistent high performance. - Do Hard Things, Steve Magness
Redefines mental toughness as emotional awareness, adaptability, and sustainable resilience.
Communication & Storytelling
- The Next Conversation, Jefferson Fisher
Focuses on communication techniques that reduce conflict and build trust. - Data Story, Nancy Duarte
Teaches how to communicate data effectively through narrative structure. - Slideology, Nancy Duarte
A guide to designing persuasive, visually compelling presentations. - Influence, Robert Cialdini
Explains the psychological principles behind persuasion and decision-making.
Operations, Product & Scaling
- Managing the Professional Service Firm, David Maister
Provides practical guidance on leading, growing, and managing firms built on expertise and client trust. - The Goal, Eliyahu Goldratt
Introduces the Theory of Constraints through a story about improving operational performance. - The Phoenix Project, Gene Kim et al.
Uses a fictional narrative to explain DevOps principles, systems thinking, and IT transformation. - Shape Up, Ryan Singer
Introduces a structured approach to product development without backlogs or burnout. - Science of Scaling, Ben Hardy
Presents a framework for achieving exponential growth by redefining focus and setting bold goals.
Memoir & Essays
- Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance
A memoir exploring family, culture, and social mobility in a struggling Appalachian community. - Shoe Dog, Phil Knight
A memoir chronicling the creation and growth of Nike from a startup to a global brand. - The Next Day, Melinda French Gates
Reflects on navigating major life transitions with resilience, clarity, and purpose. - The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green
Essays reviewing aspects of human life with insight, humor, and emotional depth. - The Baseball, Zack Hample
Explores obsession, joy, and meaning through the pursuit of baseball experiences.
Mental Health, Faith & Meaning
- We’re All Perfectly Fine, Dr. Jillian Horton
Chronicles a physician’s experience with burnout and the importance of addressing emotional well-being. - Before You Go, Jack Hempfling
Encourages intentional living by focusing on legacy, meaning, and the impact we leave behind. - The Purpose Formula, Jessica Rimmer
Provides a framework for defining purpose and aligning it with meaningful action.
Fiction & Thrillers
- Killing Floor, Lee Child
Introduces Jack Reacher in a thriller involving corruption, murder, and justice. - Night School, Lee Child
A Jack Reacher thriller involving espionage, deception, and global intrigue. - In Too Deep, Lee Child
A Jack Reacher thriller centered on organized crime and personal accountability. - Running Blind, Lee Child
A fast-paced espionage thriller involving pursuit and survival. - The Never Game, Jeffery Deaver
Introduces Colter Shaw in a thriller centered on tracking, survival, and justice. - Looking for Alaska, John Green
A coming-of-age novel about friendship, loss, and the search for meaning.
True Crime & History
- The Barn, Wright Thompson
Investigates the history and legacy of the site where Emmett Till was murdered, examining memory, race, and justice in America. - McMillion, James Verini
Investigates the true-crime story behind the McDonald’s Monopoly fraud. - Texas Murders, James Patterson
Examines real-life murder cases from Texas, highlighting investigation, justice, and human impact. - Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann
Investigates the Osage murders and the origins of the FBI.
Youth & Development
- Believe in HER, Diljeet Dosanjh Taylor
Empowers girls to dream big, overcome societal expectations, and cultivate confidence through practical guidance.
