What Are Your Top Leadership Books To Read, And Why?

A WHILE ANYONE CAN GET A GENERIC TOP-10 LEADERSHIP books list from Amazon or any business magazine, I am going to focus on the books that defined leadership to me. For me, leadership is about inspiration, authenticity, vision, and execution. To begin with, I learned about the nuts and bolts of leading in an organization and getting the job done from The Feiner Points of Leadership taught by my Columbia Business School professor Michael Feiner. My other favorites, covering everything from innovation to inspiration, include The Innovator’s Dilemma, The Art Of War, Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People, and Never Give In!: The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches. It is always valuable to get leadership exposure earlier in life, and my favorite gift to college graduates is Katie Couric’s The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives.

CHANDRA RAMANATHAN, PH.D.
Chandra is the VP and head of Bayer’s U.S. East Coast Innovation Center. His 20 years of industry experience include positions at Bayer, Pfizer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.