“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

Harry S. Truman

Researchers have analyzed dozens of metrics, and time and time again, the results say the same thing: what separates the good leaders from the great leaders is their commitment to reading.

If you want to improve your leadership skills, develop a healthy team, or foster a growth-oriented culture in your organization, start reading leadership books that will help lead yourself, lead a team, or lead an organization.

Why Reading Makes Leaders Great

Reading expands your viewpoint.

In a way, reading books sits you down in front of the author, like a student before the teacher, as they tell you their story and impart their learned knowledge and wisdom.

Reading sharpens your problem-solving skills.

Julius Caesar is quoted as saying, “experience is the best teacher,” but we disagree; someone else’s experience is the best teacher! When we learn from the wins and losses of those who have gone before us, exposing the problems they have already solved (or not), it helps us analyze information more effectively.

Reading fuels creativity and innovation.

Books connect us with people who we might otherwise never have the opportunity to learn from, injecting fresh concepts and ideas into stale and stagnant thought patterns. Reading also equips leaders to adapt to change and embrace new strategies because “learning” sits at the core of reading. Reading triggers something inside us that says, “I’m open to new ideas,” readying ourselves for change.

Our Staff’s Top Picks

The Integrus team has put together a list of our top picks. We’re committed to providing you with insanely practical tools and resources to assist you on your leadership journey, and this list will help you get started on your reading journey to becoming a great leader.

We’ve divided the list into 3 categories. These books will help you:

• lead yourself,
• lead others, and
• lead your organization.

These books would also make great gifts or stocking stuffers. So, if you’re not sure what to get the leaders in your life for Christmas, this list will give you some ideas. Each of the books on this list have helped our team grow into healthy leaders who make up an effective team, so I am confident they will help you, too.

Click the link below to view the 2025 Reading List our website. We’ve creating a page with all of these books linked directly to an online store. Our hope is that this makes it even easier for you to dip your toe in the pool of knowledge that awaits you.