CASBO leaders are lifelong learners, so with help from teambuilding.com, we’ve curated a list of five books for you to read this summer as part of your self-paced professional development.

Check them out, then share with your team!

  1. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. “Dare to Lead” shares lessons on the power of vulnerability and empathy in leadership. Renowned speaker and researcher Brené Brown makes the case that leadership is not about status or control, but rather recognizing potential in individuals and ideas. “Dare to Lead” presents a guide to becoming a courageous and confident leader.
  2. The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently. NFL coach Tony Dungy’s explains how to elevate those around you toward success with one simple principle: “Your only job is to help your players be better.” He also outlines the critical elements of mentor leadership, including introspection, altruistic mindset and modeling values. “The Mentor Leader” demonstrates how to maximize team potential and drive individuals toward optimal performance.
  3. Minority Leader: How to Lead From the Outside and Make Real Change. Representative Stacey Abrams provides instructions for leading as an outsider by using your unique perspective and resilience to enact meaningful and lasting change, even in the most seemingly rigid institutions. This work is a mix of memoir and instruction, guiding readers through steps to find passion and develop skills through topics like embracing otherness, owning opportunity and overcoming failure.
  4. Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. Psychology and business consulting professionals Daniel Goleman, Richard E. Boyatzis and Annie McKee provide instruction on how to identify and navigate feelings, empathize with employees, and build emotionally intelligent organizations so that their leaders can tap into this most underrated leadership skill to connect with people in order to motivate and resonate, avoid misunderstandings and incorrect judgments, relate more closely to workers, and collaborate in true tandem with employees.
  5. Leadership: In Turbulent Times. There’s a lot of pressure to lead your staff through times of turmoil. Perhaps what leaders most need is guidance on navigating a crisis and reassurance that history’s greats encountered comparable challenges. Doris Kearns Goodwin analyzes the obstacles faced by four American presidents (Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson) and examines the struggles, triumphs and tactical approaches of each one, holding them up as an example of how to turn tragedy into achievement. This book is a masterclass in crisis management and transformational leadership, as well as a road map out of dark times.