5 Books to Raise Your Leadership IQ

Whether you are running a business, leading a department, or leading troops, leadership is far more complex today than it was just a few years ago. Couple that with the demands of home life, and you can get so busy that you forget to invest in yourself.

The easiest and fastest way for us to invest in ourselves is to find a great book. But with an estimated 600,000 to 1,000,000 books being published each year in the US alone, finding books worth reading can be challenging. So here are a few of my favorite leadership and personal development books. These are the books that keep me energized and motivated:

177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class by Steve Siebold

This is a book that I have read several times. The chapters are short and readily applicable. He draws on his experience coaching world class athletes to underscore the difference between average performers and world class performers. This is a good book to start your morning with because it will energize you through the day.

QBQ! by John Miller

As an executive coach, I encourage personal accountability. QBQ is a primer on personal accountability. This is a great book to realign your thinking from placing blame to finding solutions. His premise is that the questions we ask lead to the answers we receive. Ask different questions and get different answers.

How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger

We are all in sales, no matter our profession. If you are a fan of Dale Carnegie books, you will love this book. The author shares his successes and failures and provides valuable insights on selling.

The Daily Entrepreneur by S.J. Scott and Rebecca Livermore

Whether you are an entrepreneur or organizational leader, this book is filled with great insights and ideas that will have a big impact on your workday. This book won't necessarily rock your world, but it is a great, short read that will remind you of some of the things you know you should do but probably aren't doing right now.

Just Listen by Mark Goulston

If you have ever put your foot in your mouth in a stressful situation, Just Listen is the book you have been waiting for. This book is crowd control for your mind. Just Listen will help you to control yourself in stressful situations.

These are just a few books that I really enjoy.

I would love to hear about the books that have made a great impact on you.