1. Thinking, Fast and Slow 

Daniel Kahneman

This might be the most thought-provoking and challenging book I’ve read in at least a decade.  Kahneman gently, yet consistently, unearths our commonly held assumptions about ourselves and others and shows them to be inadequate, incomplete, or just straight up wrong. 

The basic premise of the book is the there are two mental processes at work inside each of us – creatively named system 1 and system 2.  System 1 is fast and unconscious, constantly working beneath the surface, analysing people and situations and making decisions about how we act or think without us ever knowing about it.  System 2 is slower, but more vigilant and analytical; it includes everything that we consciously pay attention to and where we assume all of our decision-making and problem-solving happens. 

Our System 2, however, is quite lazy and not nearly as in control as we’d like to think.  System 1 pretty much runs the show, which can be both bad and good.  It allows us to do all sorts of activities on auto-pilot (e.g. driving a car and carrying on a conversation at the same time), but it is also full of biases and causes us to “trust our gut” far more often than we should (e.g. 40% of doctor’s diagnoses end up being wrong as a result of this).

Kahneman reveals both the stunning ability and the remarkable flaws of the human mind.  This is not a quick read – 400 pages – but you will come out the other side with a richer understanding of yourself and others and a good deal more humility than when you started.  Highly recommended.

2. Everybody, Always 

Bob Goff

Bob Goff is a frenetic, relentlessly joyful, intentional, and slightly crazy individual.  He prosecutes and befriends witch doctors, regularly holds business meetings at Disneyland, entertains presidents, teaches at a prestigious law school, runs a parade for his neighbourhood, and is regularly seen with far too many helium balloons in his hand.

Bob believes the secret to living the joy-filled, meaningful life that everyone wants is both simple and difficult – love people; even the ones that are hard to love, without conditions and without reserve.  I finished this book motivated to be both kinder and bolder, to change the world by investing in the relationships right in front of me, and to be far more available to people than seems wise (this is the guy who puts his personal cell phone number in the back of his books. You can call him right now). 

Quite simply, this book makes me want to be a better person, to look a little more like Bob, and a lot more like Jesus.

3. The 4 Disciplines of Execution

Chris McChesney,  Sean Covey, Jim Huling

I don’t know how I got anything done before I read this book.  All my previous systems for goal-setting and execution look like amateur hour in comparison.  The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) are not just a bunch of good ideas jammed together into a book; it is a practical, tested system for getting out of the whirlwind of day-to-day tasks and achieving your wildly important goals.

4DX helps you to narrow your focus, track what matters, and stay accountable for moving forward.  I’m finding myself applying these principles not just to work and leadership, but also personal goals for parenting, marriage, and fitness as well.

If you’re tired of seeing good ideas go nowhere and are ready to gain some traction on the goals that matter, pick this book up immediately.

4. Leading Change

John P. Kotter

This is the book to read on leading people and organizations through change.  Kotter is a bit of a legend in both the business and academic worlds and his 8-step process for leading change is still the standard, despite the first edition being written over 30 years ago.

His thoughts on the differences between leaders and managers, communicating vision, creating short-term wins, and establishing a sense of urgency, have all become common language in the leadership world and continue to be influential for a reason. 

Every leader is in the business of change, helping people move from where they are towards a better future, which makes this book relevant to leaders in every sector – business, non-profit, church leadership, etc.  I wish I had picked up this book 10 years ago.

5. A Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God: Spirituality for the Rest of Us

Larry Osborne

A contrarian is someone who is willing to constantly step back and ask, “Is this really true?”  There is so much “conventional wisdom” and culturally/historically-formed traditions and practices within the Church today, it is important for us to be able to get above it all once in a while and ask if this is lining up with what Jesus intended for us.

Osborne does a fantastic job of questioning commonly held assumptions of what a relationship with Jesus looks like and throws out the idea that a spiritual growth plan has to look the same for everyone.  Just as he and his siblings each have a unique relationship with their dad, each of us also has a unique relationship with God, one which we must embrace instead of constantly comparing ourselves to others.

In a word, this book felt like freedom to me.  There can be so much guilt and pressure and obligation that builds up in our faith over the years, from all kinds of sources, and Osborne allows you to shake off the expectations and be ok with not doing everything that someone else thinks you “should.”  If you need to discover a spirituality and a relationship with Jesus that feels more like freedom and joy, this is a great place to start.

6. Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations (12th ed.)

Ricky Griffin, Jean Phillips, and Stanley Gully

Yes, this is a textbook, a full-blown academic work that you won’t find on any bestsellers list, but which should absolutely be on the radar of anyone who is in a position of leadership in an organization.  From theories on motivating individuals, group decision-making processes, cultural issues in leadership, all the way to organizational structure and design, this book is a comprehensive overview on everything a leaders needs to be considering about how organized groups of people function.

As you read, you’ll discover the various theories and research that many of today’s bestsellers are drawing on and how they each fit into the bigger picture of leadership.  A book like this makes you feel like you’ve stepped behind the curtain and are getting a glimpse at the bigger context of what we know about leadership, and how we know it.

At the risk of sounding like a super-nerd, I think we would all benefit by having more textbooks on our annual reading lists.  If you’re not sure where to start, I’d recommend this one.

7. Growing Young: 6 Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church

Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Brad Griffin

Anytime the Fuller Youth Institute is involved in a project, I’m interested.  They’re a leading source of research-based content that helps the Church better understand and connect with the younger generation.  If you haven’t read one of their previous works, Sticky Faith, put that one on your list as well.

Research from both Canada and the US are confirming the fact that a growing number of young people are disconnecting from the local church and from their faith in Jesus.  Rather than painting a doomsday picture of what’s all going wrong, this book looks at churches that are defying the trends and maintaining a vibrant connection with teens and young adults.  Taking a hopeful stance for the future, they identify six characteristics that these churches have in common and give practical suggestions on how to meaningful engage the next generation.

This is a must-read for church leaders today, but it is also a challenging read.  They do not suggest simply adding programs as a bandage-solution, but rather advocate for deep cultural changes in our churches.  If you’re up for the challenge, grab a few other leaders in your church and read through it together.

8. Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Chip and Dan Heath

Have you ever made the wrong decision?  Have you been part of a group or team that has made the wrong decision?  Research consistently shows that when it comes to making decisions, our brains are flawed instruments.  We’re overconfident.  We’re biased. We give too much weight to short-term emotions.  We consistently lock ourselves into too narrow a frame of reference with too few options.  In fact, when it comes to making decisions, it seems that most adults don’t have much more sophisticated methods than your average 13-year old.

This book challenged and embarrassed me as I reflected on not only my personal decisions over the years, but also the group processes that I’ve been a part of, and even led.  Filled with humorous and engaging stories, this is an easier read than you would expect a research-driven book to be, and will quickly become one of the books on your shelf that you reference and re-read sections of regularly.  It is not just theoretical, but filled with practical suggestions of how to process information differently.

If you’re ready to leave the pros and cons list behind and discover a better way to make decisions, grab a copy of this book.

9. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, and Stephen R. Covey

People should be required to read a book like this before they’re allowed into adulthood.  There are so many important conversations that need to be had in life that are often avoided or hijacked by emotion.  When there is disagreement or tension between us and another person, we can often fall into the traps of either remaining silent and becoming resentful and passive-aggressive, or becoming defensive, angry, and aggressive, leading to misunderstandings and damaged relationships.  These authors do a fantastic job of showing us that silence or violence aren’t our only two options and that is possible to be honest and assertive and maintain healthy relationships with others in the process.

This book will increase your self-awareness as you begin to notice your body language, tone of voice, and emotional responses as you talk with others and gives you loads of practical suggestions for what to do with this newfound awareness.  You’ll immediately begin to apply what you read with your co-workers, friends, spouse, kids, and just about everyone else you meet.

If you’re ready to increase your emotional intelligence and become a master of hard conversations, you’re going to like this book.

10. Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered Company

Ram Charan, Steve Drotter, and Jim Noel

The term “leadership pipeline” gets thrown around a lot these days, but it was these guys who first introduced the phrase into our vocabularies.  Like Leading Change, this one is a classic for a reason. 

Most of the books on leadership development focus solely on interpersonal skills such as coaching, but this book also addresses the necessary structure and systems that need to be in place for that development.  With the right structure (i.e. the “pipeline”), leadership development is no longer something that only some managers or leaders do, but becomes hardwired into the culture of your organization.

Essentially, a leadership pipeline is a strategy for growing leaders internally.  Rather than relying on external hires, a properly functioning pipeline ensures that there are always leaders ready and able to fill the gap – it’s the ultimate succession plan.  “Ready and able” are the key words here.  Many times, internal promotions are made for the wrong reasons (e.g. seniority), and we end up putting people in positions that they are not ready for and not suitable for.  Not everyone is a great manager or capable of leading with the same capacity.  This book will help you identify who those people are and how to prepare them for greater leadership.

If the leadership development strategy at your organization feels random, vague, or ineffective and you’re ready to begin growing leaders at every level, you’re going to benefit from this book.