Your Leadership Growth Resource Page

Leadership growth is not just about being assertive and getting results. Leaders aspire to be effective with people, efficient with their time and resources, and regularly review and renew their self, situation, and strategy.

Good leaders seek wisdom to combine personal responsibility and professional commitment. This page empowers you with lists of the best leadership resources.

This page includes…

Who is a Leader?
Four Types of Leaders
- Formal
- Informal
- Parental
- Self-Leadership
What is Leadership Growth?
What is a Leadership Growth Plan?
Best Leadership Growth books
- Best Podcasts
- Best YouTube Channels

Who is a Leader?

There are a few different definitions of leadership in the different leadership books I’ve read. I’ve come to believe leadership is responsibility, direction, and influence.

The one thing all of the leadership books I’ve read have in common, is that leadership is a skill that is learned. A leader is not just having natural assertive traits that help you get results. Of course some people might naturally learn many leadership traits quicker than other people. But the reason people write leadership books is to share best practices of leadership that they have learned.

Four Types of Leaders

There are four basic types of leaders; formal, informal, parental, and self-leadership.

Formal Leadership

Accepting responsibility to serve and lead people for specific results, often a shared vision or purpose, in exchange for compensation. Formal leadership is more contractual. It is the leadership you see in formal organizations like business, government, and religion.

Informal Leadership

Accepts responsibility to serve and lead people for specific results, without being formally compensated. Informal leadership is a mutual agreement to serve and lead people to pursue a shared vision, purpose, or goal. It is what you see in informal organizations and movements.

Parental Leadership

Accepting responsibility to do what you can with what you have, to raise children. This includes doing your best to help them understand the importance of being a responsible, respectful, and reasonable adult. Parental leadership is the most important leadership position. Because all organizations and movements depend on responsible, respectful, empathetic, and reasonable adults.

Self-Leadership

Accepting responsibility that our thoughts, emotions, and actions today, will have a significant effect on our future self. When we leave our parents it is up to each of us to continue any good habits they instilled in us, and grow where needed.

The fact is that most troubles with service and production lie in the system, about 94%. Leaders are responsible for systems (Deming, W. Edwards, Out of the Crisis). Humans have predictable needs and motivations, and are heavily influenced by incentives.

What is Leadership Growth?

Leadership Growth is improving one or more areas of knowledge, health, or meaning, in order to better serve and lead.

Learning from other leaders you admire and respect, is the best way to pursue leadership growth. This includes learning about leadership through books, podcasts, or videos. Leadership growth is most effective with a plan.

What is a Leadership Growth Plan?

A Leadership Growth Plan is recorded information about a leader’s situation and desire, with actions necessary to achieve the desire. This could be different for everyone, as we are all unique, considering our genetics and experiences. However, we are all the same also, considering we have the same basic biology, needs, and motivations.

Leader’s should not be expected to be perfect. But they can be expected to maintain a good level of both personal growth and professional growth. Sometimes our personal or professional skills can start slipping. Leaders may benefit from focusing on personal growth or professional growth, depending on their current situation.

We often plan better with new knowledge from other people. This can help us understand better ways to achieve our desires. Consider getting the Personal Planning Package for a simple and effective goal plan or growth plans.

Best Leadership Growth Books

Note: The following links to buy these books are affiliate links. If you buy through them I receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you.

I would give all of the books mentioned a five star review, because….

Leadership 101, & Developing the Leader Within You 2.0

Leadership 101 highlights the four phases of leadership, and that successful leaders are learners. It talks about the importance of self-discipline. Plus, it gives great tips on using the 80/20 Pareto Principle, pursuing goals, building trust, and influence. Buy Leadership 101.

Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 is based on decades of Leadership experience. It explains how the best leaders focus on learning how to improve themselves, their leadership, and training others to lead. Plus it also explains how the key to leadership is managing priorities. It shares how the foundation of leadership is character, and the ultimate test of leadership is creating positive change. But the price of leadership is self-discipline. Buy Developing the Leader Within You 2.0.

The Motive, The Advantage, & The Five Temptations of a CEO

The Motive is a quick read that explains why leaders are drawn to leadership by either responsibility, or reward. It also highlights some key leadership responsibilities. Buy The Motive.

The Advantage is based on decades of leadership and consulting organizations. It explains why organizational health is a greater advantage than organizational intelligence. Plus it provides a systematic approach to organizational health. Buy The Advantage.

The Five Temptations of a CEO can help focus on results, clarity of goals, and healthy trustful conflict. Buy The Five Temptation of a CEO.

Start with Why, Leaders Eat Last, & The Infinite Game

Start with Why gives insights on how to better communicate a vision to influence people. It explains the three parts of an influential message, with the why, how, and the what. Buy Start with Why.

Leaders Eat Last explains the biological science on why people are compelled to follow other people who display courage and caring. Buy Leaders Eat Last.

The Infinite Game gives key principles for leaders to avoid the dangers of focusing on short-term gains, including a just cause, trusting teams, and courage. Buy The Infinite Game.

The Leadership Challenge

This book is based on a large study of leaders. It claims the more they research leadership the more they are convinced that it is within the grasp of everyone. Plus it provides the five best practices of leaders, with practical ways to implement them. Buy The Leadership Challenge.

Multipliers

This book is based on a large study of two types of leaders. Those who multiply the intelligence of their people, and those who decrease the intelligence of their people. It provides helpful principles on how leaders can multiply the intelligence of their people. Buy Multipliers.

Turn the Ship Around!

This book is about how a Navy leader increased the performance levels of his crew with three practical principles. It is a case study for the leader-leader framework, as it proves that leadership can be taught. Buy Turn the Ship Around!

Good to Great

This book is based on a large study of public businesses that did exceptionally well. It explains two key traits of a great leader. Plus it provides many other helpful tactics like how to build an economic engine. It also explains the flywheel theory that requires a predictable pattern of buildup and breakthrough, that avoids the doom loop. Buy Good to Great.

EntreLeadership

This book is based on decades of experience creating a successful million dollar business, and losing it all. Then creating an even more successful multi million dollar business that is sustainable. It provides leaders with some best practices on leadership, culture, marketing, sales, and finances. Buy EntreLeadership.

Dare to Lead

This book is a research based, how to guide, for leaders. It helps understand how to develop a courageous culture through vulnerability, empathy, and curiosity. Plus it explains how to live our values, improve trust, and learn how to rise after a failure. Buy Dare to Lead.

First Break All the Rules

This book is based on surveys of more than a million employees and eighty thousand managers. It found that there are twelve questions that measure the strength of a workplace. While the book focuses on “managers” the principles apply to leaders. Buy First Break All the Rules.

Best Leadership Growth Podcasts

Entreleadership, John Maxwell, Craig Groeschel, Lead to Win, Forged by Trust, Coaching for Leaders, Dose of Leadership, Growth Think Tank, and School of Greatness.

Best Leadership Growth YouTube Channels

Entreleadership, Center for Creative Leadership, The Aspen Institute, Leadership Nudges, Front Line Leadership

Bonus Resource Ideas

Before you leave the website you might want to check the following blog posts, Communication Skills; and Goal Setting. Or check out a few interesting resources below.

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