9 Leadership Books, Podcasts, & Learning Opportunities to Inspire You

Looking for resources to help you grow as a leader? These favorites keep us inspired!

Leadership books to add to your reading list

You’ve probably heard it said: Leaders are readers. And there’s no shortage of leadership books out there to choose from. Here are 4 reads we recommend.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t

In Good to Great, Jim Collins dispels the myths that keep many companies from reaching their full potential. Out of 1,435 good companies he studied over the course of 5 years, only 11 transformed into great ones. Why? They aligned their people, thought, and actions. This book shows you how.

The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done

At TeamGantt, working smart is our jam—and this book by Peter Drucker speaks our language. Learn how simple skills like time management and prioritization can help you make smarter decisions and maximize the strengths you bring to the leadership table.

How to Win Friends & Influence People: The Only Book You Need to Lead You to Success

Dale Carnegie’s relational book is a classic in just about every business circle—and for a reason. It’s a quick and easy read chock full of practical advice and quotable quotes. You’ll see how a positive attitude, listening ear, and humble posture can be powerful tools for building trust and connection with your team.

Extreme Ownership: How US Navy Seals Lead and Win

As Navy SEAL officers, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin led elite teams through tough combat situations. In this book, they share stories from the battlefield and show you how personal responsibility, clear communication, and decisive action can transform you into a leader your team wants to follow.

Podcasts to inspire your team culture

Podcasts are great resource for learning on the go and can turn a dull commute into inspired time. Listen to these episodes for tactical advice on building a motivated and productive team.

Time Limit: Motivation

We’d be remiss if we didn’t share a favorite from our own catalog. In this episode of Time Limit, Nathan and John team up with TeamGantt’s Director of Education Brett Harned to share tips for helping your team stay jazzed about the work you’re doing together. 🙌

Inside Intercom: Making Time for Your Most Important Work with Jake Knapp

Jake Knapp is perhaps best known for coming up with the design sprint process while he worked at Google. While this podcast episode may not focus specifically on leadership, it taps into work-smart philosophies your team can use to maximize your productivity and impact.

Learning opportunities for growing as a leader

Nothing beats getting leadership advice straight from the source. So give these 3 learning opportunities a try.

Look to family mentors

You can always count on family to have your back. But family’s also been John’s go-to for leadership learning.

“I’ve always been able to look pretty close—to my dad, my mom, my brothers, uncles, grandfather. I’ve just been surrounded by a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners,” John says. “Anytime I talk to one of them I think, What can I learn? Just being able to absorb what’s worked well for them and what hasn’t has been invaluable.”

Reach out to other business leaders

Connecting with a community of experts who have been there, done that, and have real-world advice to give is another great resource for growing as a leader.

“We’ve used services like Clarity before to talk to people and learn from them,” Nathan says. “Maybe you’re not sure what direction to go or what to do with your business. Reaching out to people we’ve met in the industry helps us answer those questions.”

Invest in leadership training

Looking for an interactive learning experience with the opportunity to build a community of peers around you? Sign up for conferences or workshops that teach you to be a better leader. Franklin Covey is on John’s leadership training bucket list.

Looking for even more leadership advice?

Check out our Leadership Lessons blog series! You’ll get an inside look at TeamGantt’s journey from a bootstrapped startup to a multimillion-dollar company and see how those lessons shape the way our cofounders lead our team today.

• Empowering Your Team to Do More With Less
• How to Build a Stronger Team by Hiring Slow
• 3 Simple Tips to Create Work-Life Balance for Your Team
• Why Simplifying Collaboration Is the Secret to a More Innovative Team
• How to Score Big Team Wins by Leading Lean
• 10 Principles of Servant Leadership (and Why It's Our Favorite Style)

Want to help your team work smarter?

TeamGantt makes it easy to eliminate confusion, streamline communication, and beat project deadlines. Even better, you’ll save time and energy on project setup so you can focus on doing the work that matters most.

Of course, don’t just take our word for it. Try TeamGantt for free to see for yourself!