Leadership comes in many forms. Of course, you have your bosses, your managers, your C-suite executives… But parents, school teachers, and sports coaches are leaders, too. So what does it mean to lead well?
In search of an answer, we turn to the latest nonfiction books. Every season, our curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, and Adam Grant pick two exciting reads to share with Next Big Idea Club members. The rankings below, however, are based on the popularity of “Book Bite” audio summaries in the Next Big Idea App. In other words, they are among 2024’s best leadership books, according to our thousands of app users. No matter how or whom you lead, read on to discover the latest and greatest thinking on modern leadership.
15. The Explorers: A New History of America in Ten Expeditions
By Amanda Bellows
A fascinating new history of America, told through the stories of a diverse cast of ten extraordinary—and often overlooked—adventurers, from Sacagawea to Matthew Henson to Sally Ride, who pushed the boundaries of discovery and determined our national destiny. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Amanda Bellows, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
14. Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption
By Steve Dennis
Leaders Leap goes beyond the standard business playbook and teaches you the secrets to creating the bolder, faster, and essential transformation needed to avoid becoming irrelevant in an era of profound and accelerating change. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Steve Dennis, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
13. The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain
By Joe Davis
Through unvarnished and unforgettable stories, the author and CEOs of well-recognized companies reveal experiences and mistakes that informed their success and share actions that make the shift to more heart less scary, more satisfying, and incredible personal. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Joe Davis, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
12. Beyond Discomfort: Why Inclusive Leadership Is So Hard
By Nadia Nagamootoo
An acclaimed chartered psychologist reveals a new model of inclusive leadership, describing four belief systems and associated emotional responses to DEI. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Nadia Nagamootoo, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
11. Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion
By Anne Chow
Drawing from over three decades of experience, a former CEO of AT&T Business shares how to lead bigger by leveraging inclusion beyond DEI, to elevate your work, workforce, and workplace. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Anne Chow, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
10. Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents
By Nigel Hamilton
From a bestselling presidential biographer comes the greatest untold story of the Civil War: how two American presidents faced off as the fate of the nation hung in the balance—and how Abraham Lincoln came to embrace emancipation as the last, best chance to save the Union. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Nigel Hamilton, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
9. The AI-Savvy Leader: Nine Ways to Take Back Control and Make AI Work
By David De Cremer
This is not a book about mastering machine learning or any of the latest developments in AI technology itself. Rather, it’s a clarion call for leaders to take their rightful place at the front of the AI revolution and lead their organizations successfully into the new world. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author David De Cremer, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
8. The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out
By Dana Maor, Hans-Werner Kaas, Kurt Strovink, and Ramesh Srinivasan
This book is the first-ever explanation of McKinsey’s step-by-step approach to transforming leaders both professionally and personally, including revealing lessons from its legendary CEO leadership program, The Bower Forum. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Dana Maor and Ramesh Srinivasan, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
7. Leading Through: Activating the Soul, Heart, and Mind of Leadership
By Kim Clark, Jonathan Clark, and Erin Clark
Generative AI and the remote-work revolution show us every day that we’re in a new era. The rules and norms have changed—and so must leadership. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Kim Clark, Jonathan Clark, and Erin Clark, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
6. Ask: Tap into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life
By Jeff Wetzler
A globally recognized expert on learning and leadership offers a hands-on, surprisingly effective way to find out what others really think, know, and feel, leading to smarter decisions, more creative solutions, and deeper relationships. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jeff Wetzler, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
5. The Employee Advantage: How Putting Workers First Helps Business Thrive
By Stephan Meier
A behavioral economist explains why organizations must value their employees as much as—if not more than—their customers: those that pivot toward an employee-centric model will be more profitable, innovative, and appealing to top talent. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Stephan Meier, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
4. All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams
By Mike Michalowicz
An acclaimed entrepreneur shows readers how to recruit the right talent, transform struggling employees into superstars, match individual abilities to client and company needs, and motivate every employee to care as much as an owner. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Mike Michalowicz, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
3. Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings
By Steven Rogelberg
There are an estimated 200-500 million 1:1 meetings held each day around the world, but are they run as transformatively as they could be? Or are they just talk? Glad We Met helps us maximize the potential of these crucial conversations. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Steven Rogelberg, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
2. The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder
By Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao
The causes and solutions for five of the most common and damaging friction troubles: oblivious leaders, addition sickness, broken connections, jargon monoxide, and fast and frenzied people and teams. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-author Bob Sutton, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
1. The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking: Leading Your Organization into the Future
By Michael Watkins
The international bestselling author of The First 90 Days presents an actionable new framework to help aspiring leaders learn to think strategically—a set of skills more necessary than ever in a world of constant change. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Michael Watkins, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
“If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours—and you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the 5 key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea App, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “Book Bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much more—all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
Go Deeper with a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea App is free for anyone to try—and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, it’s all available through the Next Big Idea App.
Learn Faster, from the World’s Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the “Events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
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