> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.aliciamckay.co.nz/llms.txt
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# My top leadership reads
- URL: https://www.aliciamckay.co.nz/my-top-leadership-reads-2021-2/
- Published: 2021-12-08T21:09:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-27T02:41:07.000Z
- Description: The best leadership books for the modern leader, vetted by Alicia McKay.
- Author: Alicia McKay
- Tags: Literature, Leadership, #wednesday-wisdom

I love to read - ever since I was a kid, I’ve spent as much of my free time as possible engrossed in a book. Childhood me would be pretty stoked I ended up writing books! Though possibly disappointed that I’m writing business books and not legal thrillers a la John Grisham.

Books remain one of the the most incredible ways for us to grow and develop. How else can we access the life’s work of an expert for less than $40?!

Anyway, I digress. If you’ve read [*You Don’t Need An MBA* ](https://engage.aliciamckay.co.nz/books?ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)and you’re looking for some more brain-fodder to level up your leadership and you're the kind of person to look beyond the bestseller list, check out some of these titles. All vetted by yours truly. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f6/ea/f6eacf9c-bf08-4a3e-b200-2a209bebe3ad/content/images/2025/09/namba-model---flex-2.png)

### Flexibility

- [*The Obstacle is the Way: The ancient art of turning adversity to advantage*](https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Ancient-Adversity-Advantage-ebook/dp/B00IX49OS4/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=1M31RIY294OU6&keywords=the+obstacle+is+the+way+ryan&qid=1651371718&s=books&sprefix=the+obstacle+is+the+way+ry%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C234&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz) by Ryan Holiday
- [*Fear Your Strengths: What you are best at could be your biggest problem* ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQMJ0S4/ref=dbs%5Fa%5Fdef%5Frwt%5Fbibl%5Fvppi%5Fi1?ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Kaplan & Kaiser
- [*What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How successful people become even more successful* ](https://www.amazon.com/What-Got-Here-Wont-There-ebook/dp/B000Q9J128?ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Marshall Goldsmith
- [*The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world* ](https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Adaptive-Leadership-Changing-Organization-ebook/dp/B004OC071W/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=A13G22HA44WV&keywords=the+practice+of+adaptive+leadership&qid=1651371632&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+practice+of+adaptive+leader%2Cdigital-text%2C278&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky
- [*The Strategist: Be the leader your business needs* ](https://www.amazon.com/Strategist-Leader-Your-Business-Needs-ebook/dp/B006ID01OS/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=3E79R5401GUI1&keywords=the+strategist+be+the+leader+your+business+needs&qid=1651371660&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+strategist+be+the+leader+yor+business+needs%2Cdigital-text%2C264&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Cynthia Montgomery
- [*Turning Pro* ](https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Pro-Steven-Pressfield-ebook/dp/B0087TUM54/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=1O31JH65XUQ6R&keywords=turning+pro+pressfield&qid=1651371680&s=digital-text&sprefix=turning+pro+pressfie%2Cdigital-text%2C239&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Steven Pressfield
- [*Start With Why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action* ](https://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447?ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Simon Sinek

### Decisions 

- [*Predictably Irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions* ](https://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Hidden-Forces-Decisions-ebook/dp/B002RI9QJE/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?keywords=predictably+irrational&qid=1651371763&s=digital-text&sprefix=predictably+%2Cdigital-text%2C252&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Dan Ariely
- [*Moments of Impact: How to design strategic conversations that accelerate chang*](https://www.amazon.com/Moments-Impact-Strategic-Conversations-Accelerate-ebook/dp/B00DPM7YE0/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=127Z6QPZYTAGK&keywords=moments+of+impact&qid=1651371786&s=digital-text&sprefix=moments+of+impac%2Cdigital-text%2C241&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)*e* by Chris Ertel and Lisa Kay Solomon
- [*Thinking, fast and slow* ](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555?ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Daniel Kahneman
- [*Seeing Around Corners: how to spot inflection points in business before they happen* ](https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Around-Corners-Inflection-Business-ebook/dp/B07LC98K6Z/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=23AF22CYGX8YM&keywords=seeing+around+corners&qid=1651371821&s=books&sprefix=seeing+around+corne%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C234&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Rita McGrath
- [*The Strategy Book: How to think and act strategically to deliver outstanding results* ](https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Book-strategically-deliver-outstanding/dp/1292264136/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=16KY3BEO9HYUV&keywords=the+strategy+book&qid=1651371849&s=books&sprefix=the+strategy+boo%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C241&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Max McKeown
- [*Creating Great Choices: A leader’s guide to integrative thinking.* ](https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Great-Choices-Integrative-Thinking-ebook/dp/B01N4UBR0U/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=N9TXBDXNOK28&keywords=creating+great+choices&qid=1651371866&s=books&sprefix=creating+great+choi%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C236&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Jennifer Rield and RL Martin
- [*Rebel Ideas: The power of diverse thinking*](https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Ideas-Power-Diverse-Thinking-ebook/dp/B07CG9MVD1/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2ZMRHQLDRV0EV&keywords=rebel+ideas&qid=1651371881&s=books&sprefix=rebel+ide%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C239&sr=1-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz) by Matthew Syed

### Systems 

- [*11/22/63: A novel* ](https://www.amazon.com/11-22-63-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B005LCYR7Y/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=231CNOKN38N5G&keywords=1%2F22%2F63+book&qid=1651371898&sprefix=1%2F22%2F63%2Caps%2C339&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Stephen King
- [*Think in systems: complexity made simple: the theory and practice of strategic planning, problem solving, and creating lasting results* ](https://www.amazon.com/Think-Systems-Strategic-Effective-Development-ebook/dp/B081TNPGV8/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=B12NWKHH5WQ3&keywords=think+in+systems&qid=1651371922&sprefix=think+in+system%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Zoe McKey
- [*Nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness* ](https://www.amazon.com/Nudge-Improving-Decisions-Health-Happiness-ebook/dp/B009KERBQI/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2YCIU8CVZCY4&keywords=nudge&qid=1651371937&sprefix=nud%2Caps%2C267&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein

### Performance

- [*Dual transformation: how to reposition today’s business while creating the future*](https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Transformation-Reposition-Business-Creating-ebook/dp/B01M7OXGYT/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?keywords=dual+transformation&qid=1651371956&sprefix=dual+transf%2Caps%2C257&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz) by Anthony, Gilbert & Johnson
- [*Atomic Habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits and break bad ones* ](https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break-ebook/dp/B01N5AX61W/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2RIUHQ3KJHE3I&keywords=atomic+habits&qid=1651371970&sprefix=atomic+habi%2Caps%2C258&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by James Clear
- [*Necessary Endings: the employees, businesses, and relationships that all of us have to give up in order to move forward* ](https://www.amazon.com/Necessary-Endings-Employees-Businesses-Relationships-ebook/dp/B0049B1VO0/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=36T3X384KCAI2&keywords=necessary+endings&qid=1651371990&sprefix=necessary+endi%2Caps%2C266&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Henry Cloud
- [*Essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less* ](https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown-ebook/dp/B00HELB6XI/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=3IMSA89HG27TI&keywords=essentialism&qid=1651372004&sprefix=essentiali%2Caps%2C255&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Greg McKeown
- [*When: The scientific secrets of perfect timing* ](https://www.amazon.com/When-Scientific-Secrets-Perfect-Timing-ebook/dp/B075PYPMC1/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=24JRO5APCCYR1&keywords=when+dan+pink&qid=1651372020&sprefix=when+dan+pi%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Dan Pink

### Influence

- [*Influence: Science and practice*](https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Practice-Robert-B-Cialdini/dp/0321011473/ref=sr%5F1%5F3?crid=13J1VRC6CKKF4&keywords=influence+science+and+practice&qid=1651372043&sprefix=influence+science+and+pract%2Caps%2C250&sr=8-3&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz) by Robert Cialdini
- [*Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us* ](https://www.amazon.com/Tribes-We-need-you-lead-ebook/dp/B004L622IW/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2NCODW56SNQD6&keywords=tribes+lead+us+godin&qid=1651372064&sprefix=tribes+lead+us+god%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Seth Godin
- [*Lead the Room*](https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Room-Communicate-message-moments-ebook/dp/B09NQPZ8FQ/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2PKK4MSP0CBO9&keywords=lead+the+room+hatton&qid=1651372078&sprefix=lead+the+room+hatt%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz) by Shane Hatton
- [*Made to Stick: Why some ideas survive and others die* ](https://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-ideas-others-unstuck-ebook/dp/B0031RS2XG/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=3BEYPP5X598G1&keywords=made+to+stick&qid=1651372098&sprefix=made+to+sti%2Caps%2C258&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Chip & Dan Heath
- [*To Sell is Human: The surprising truth about moving others* ](https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Human-Surprising-Perusading-Influencing-ebook/dp/B009OINFH4/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=133PRB85XOGXR&keywords=to+sell+is+human&qid=1651372116&sprefix=to+sell+is+hum%2Caps%2C253&sr=8-1&ref=aliciamckay.co.nz)by Dan Pink