Leadership Books a Global Mobility Professional Should Read

What do successful leaders have in common?  They take time to read, and they pour their eyes over chapters of printed pages bound between leather or scrolled down a tablet or smartphone.  Leaders do a lot at least an hour a day to read books – let’s repeat that, books – because reading books (as opposed to skimming websites) adds to their knowledge, exercises their brain power, and sharpens their reading skill.

Shave off an hour off your schedule to read in a quiet corner.  If this habit is good enough for giants like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Warren Buffett, then it’s good enough for you.

Start with these top four that can expand your horizons on global leadership:

The Industries of the Future by Alec Ross:  As a global mobility professional, you should stay on top of trends that will affect the quality and nature of the assignees you hire, the skills they bring to the table, and the way that they can impact your industry.  One way to anticipate that is to get ahead and obtain a preview of how industries will develop in the near future.  Or better yet, forecast the rise of industries that are still nascent or non-existent.  Alex Ross’ book does give you a bird’s eye view on the subject — and a head start.

laws of leadership

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell:  Nobody teaches leadership like John Maxwell, and the influential guru lays down 21 rock-solid principles and code of conduct that every influencer, executive, or company head should aspire to.  What makes these principles noteworthy is that they have been heavily-researched and been tested and proven over time, by giants whose names fill our libraries, museums, and institutions today.

true north

True North:  Discover your Authentic Leadership by Bill George.  Bill George’s tome makes leadership more personal by taking you an inward journey to discover your own unique traits, characteristics, and strengths that can influence people, move mountains, and get the job done. While helping you pinpoint the things you can improve on, it also challenges you to create your own unique pathway and make the transformation that only you can effect.

The-Innovators-Dilemma

The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen. Disruption is the buzzword in tech these days.  If you don’t innovate, you don’t survive.  This book is an encouraging read of companies that saw the future and reinvented themselves, even if it means riding the rough roads of change every now and then.  It also challenges you as a global mobility professional to raise the bar, discard old habits and unproductive paradigms, and be bold enough to adapt new and winning strategies.

Steve Jobs, whose legendary Apple has made a home in Northern California, names this last book as a favorite. And it may explain why Apple is always winning. Because as the man says, one of the world’s most powerful companies was never intended to be just a tech company.  It found its soul and prospered.  Now, go and do the same, and bring out your inner leader.

 

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