Books have long been a source of wisdom, inspiration, and challenge, shaping the way we think and act as leaders. This week it's World Book Day and so it’s worth reflecting on how reading can sharpen our leadership skills, broaden our perspectives and give us the tools to lead more effectively.

Leadership isn’t a single skill - it’s a combination of self-awareness, strategic thinking, decision-making, and the ability to motivate, inspire and develop others. Books provide a way to explore these dimensions, offering lessons from psychology, business strategy and personal development.

In celebration of World Book Day, we have explored key themes of effective leadership through the ‘Riveting Reads’ section featured across the five issues of our award-winning business publication, Leading: Meeting of Inquiring Minds. This section showcases recommendations from delegates and alumni of our leadership and business development programmes, LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™, highlighting the business books that have shaped their thinking and practice.

Our very own CEO, Dr Stewart Barnes, has co-authored several books and contributed chapters in many books relating to leadership and purpose-led leadership in small to medium sized businesses.

LEADing Small Business: Business Growth through Leadership Development by Stewart Barnes, Steve Kempster and Sue Smith is one of the first books to fully explore the connection between leadership and learning in SMEs. It follows the development of three owner-managers over a ten-month period, providing a real-life narrative of their leadership journey. Each chapter combines an engaging story with a 'theory sandwich' - a section that explains the key models, theories and techniques underpinning their learning. This unique approach allows readers to step into the shoes of SME leaders, making it an essential read for business owners, managers and leadership development practitioners alike.

By exploring how small business leaders develop their leadership identity, navigate challenges and create value for their organisations and stakeholders, it provides practical insights into how leadership in a smaller enterprise setting differs from that in larger corporations, making it an essential read for those looking to refine their leadership approach in an SME environment.

Malcolm McDonald, Emeritus Professor at Cranfield University School of Management, and LEAD™ Masterclass speaker, said of the book, "The top 50 US corporations lose $50 billion a year through failed strategy implementation, ie. poor leadership. Without effective leadership, even the most outstanding growth strategies will fail. But whilst no one has succeeded in defining precisely what leadership is, there are nonetheless common elements that this book has brilliantly identified in the context of SMEs. The two ingredients of profitable growth are a robust, customer-centred strategy and inspirational leadership. They go hand in hand. They are inseparable. I will recommend this excellent book ato all my SME clients."

Understanding human behaviour is also key to effective leadership. The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters delves into the neuroscience of decision-making and emotional control, helping leaders manage their inner ‘chimp’ - the part of the brain responsible for impulsive reactions. Mastering this can improve communication, conflict resolution, and resilience.

LEAD™ alumna Karen, said this, “I often have a strong ‘gut feeling’; I just know something without being able to say why.  Steve Peters refers to this as your Chimp.  It’s the thing inside us that was originally to identify risk or danger.  Some people’s Chimp (like mine) tends to be a little overactive. This book helped me to recognise what I’m feeling, but think more factually so that I know any action is evidence-based, rather than my overactive Chimp telling a little Jackanory story to myself.

I’ve had my whole family read the book for different reasons. It’s helped us as individuals and provided a common language that provides a non-emotional, safe way to tackle difficult subjects without causing offence.

The self-awareness that this book has provided has helped me to manage myself more effectively and become more confident. Having practised on my family first, it’s now helping others in the workplace!”

But leadership isn’t just about personal mindset; it’s about creating high-performing teams and executing strategy. The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington offers a fresh perspective on goal-setting, advocating for a compressed execution cycle that drives focus and accountability. It’s a practical framework that challenges traditional annual planning and encourages leaders to create momentum in their organisations.

LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™ alumna, Hayley Coombs MBA, Homes Sales and Operations Director at MF Freeman, recommended the book, saying, “Get more done in 12 weeks than others do in 12 months … it is an outstanding concept and having followed the advice in this practical and highly tactical book, it works! Redefining the “year” as being 12 weeks means there isn’t time to procrastinate.

The book gives clear and practical guidance on how to plan in 12 week cycles, connect short-term goals to long-term visions and get things done. Most people and businesses plan in annual cycles but having a year to do something often doesn’t give the momentum to get started. Change to 12 weeks and guaranteed you will execute quicker!

The regular process of taking your goals, identifying critical strategic activity you need to do to achieve them and breaking that down into weekly actions really does get results. I have rolled this system out to our new homes sales team who are more focused and driven than ever before and some now also use it to achieve personal goals too.”

Then there’s The Goal by Eli Goldratt, a book that revolutionised business thinking with its Theory of Constraints. By following the journey of a struggling manufacturing plant manager, it demonstrates how leaders can identify bottlenecks, streamline processes, and improve efficiency—principles that apply far beyond the production floor.

Managing Director of Cotteswold Dairy, and LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™ alumnus, George Workman, said of The Goal, “Very early in LEAD™ I learnt a lot of new leadership and business skill-sets and questioned how best they could be applied in my workplace. The book The Goal was recommended and although I am not an avid reader, it appealed to me as it was written as a novel. It is a story based on a manufacturing business that was threatened with closure unless it improved its performance. Reading this book really revitalised my thinking and throughout the novel I was able to relate to my own business and to some of my new learning from LEAD™. I realised there were so many improvements that could be made in my own business, such as identifying bottlenecks, improving throughput, optimising the whole system and effective change management. I was so inspired by it that I purchased extra copies for members of my team, who in turn were also inspired. I would fully recommend The Goal for anyone involved with manufacturing and looking to make improvements – many of which can be achieved at very little cost.”

Corporate governance and ethical leadership are also vital themes. The Fish Rots from the Head by Bob Garratt is a stark reminder that leadership starts at the top, exploring how boardroom decisions influence organisational culture and performance. It reinforces the idea that leadership accountability is crucial for long-term success.

Emma Griffiths MBA, CEO of FOWA and LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™ alumna, commented, “Having spent the last year on LEAD™ focusing on my leadership style, developing my team and culture, I was aware that I needed to think about how to engage our Board of Trustees with the organisational development that was taking place. I wanted to better understand my position and relationship with the Board as CEO, and this book was recommended to me.

It is not just informative of the roles and tasks expected of Boards, it provides a range of development processes to follow, enabling the growth of a collegiate, a learning board and advocates a new mindset of collective, strategic thinking.

Absolutely crucial to glue this model together is the relationship between CEO and the Chair; the Chair’s ability to shape the Board in line with organisational objectives, the CEO maintaining enough distance between the detail of the day to-day, whilst at the same time informing the Board with enough detail to be able to function. I would highly recommend this book as a resource for Board development.”

Marketing is also a critical component of business leadership, and Marketing Plans: Profitable Strategies in the Digital Age by Malcolm McDonald is a definitive guide to strategic marketing. One standout chapter, contributed by Stewart Barnes, is entitled 'Marketing Planning: Yes, it really works! Experiences from the real world'.

This chapter provides valuable insights into how businesses can implement structured marketing plans that drive real results. Barnes brings practical, real-world examples of marketing planning in action, demonstrating how a strategic approach can lead to sustained business growth.

Innovation is at the heart of long-term business success, yet managing it effectively remains a challenge for many leaders. Innovation Management: Effective Strategy & Implementation by Keith Goffin and Rick Mitchell provides a practical framework for fostering innovation within an organisation. Covering real-world case studies and actionable strategies, the book helps leaders understand how to develop a culture of continuous improvement and creative problem-solving. Whether driving new product development or refining internal processes, Goffin’s insights equip business leaders with the tools to turn innovative thinking into tangible results.

One of the chapters in the book, which is out in June this year, is a case study co-authored by Stewart Barnes and Mark Stewart MBA, CEO of Stewart Golf and LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™ Alumnus. It is entitled 'Leading by Following' and details how the leadership team at Stewart Golf recognise the importance of the company culture supporting innovation and its role in driving growth across all areas in the business.

And finally, Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek captures the essence of servant leadership - putting people first to create strong, trust-based cultures. Sinek’s insights into why some teams thrive while others falter provide a compelling case for leaders to foster environments where people feel valued and motivated to contribute their best.

Jessica Fairhurst, Managing Director of Premiere Healthcare, and LEAD™ alumna, stated, “This is a thought provoking read which takes you on a journey to becoming a leader and links in perfectly with my learnings on LEAD™ about ‘in-groups’!

Simon draws on plenty of examples to put his thoughts into context; this really cemented his ideas and allowed me to think of examples in my own organisation. His major values really resonate with me in this excerpt: “It is not the work we remember with fondness, but the camaraderie, how the group came together to get things done”.

The book highlights the importance of camaraderie and the team’s trust in the leaders; a point which many businesses appear to overlook in times of austerity or business pressures, which in fact should be the very time you need the team to pull out all the stops and turn the ship around.

I was intrigued to see the version I read had a new chapter on Leading Millennials – a great read for the leader and the millennial!”

These books, recommended by QuoLux™ delegates and Masterclass speakers, offer a blend of inspiration, strategy and practical guidance. Whether tackling team dynamics or personal effectiveness, they remind us that leadership is a continuous learning journey.

Next week look out for exciting news about Stewart’s new book, Developing Financial Leadership in Small to Medium Businesses, out on 12^th March. In this book, Stewart and his co-author, Professor Malcolm Prowle, bring financial acumen into the leadership equation.

They demonstrate that the most effective financial leaders have a sophisticated and thorough understanding of their organisation's financial health, making decisions grounded in financial realities and using robust financial management approaches to assess performance.

So, on this World Book Day, perhaps the best question to ask is: what book has shaped your leadership the most? And what’s the next one that will challenge you to grow?

To meet and hear from Malcolm McDonald, Steve Kempster, Malcolm Prowle and Stewart, get in touch for more information about our next LEAD™ programme, by clicking here.

Our next Cohort starts on 3rd and 4th April 2025.

Keep up-to-date on the latest leadership and management tips by signing up to our weekly blog here

Sign up to blog