100 Books Like The Courageous Follower

In a world in which dictators and authoritarian leaders are all too prevalent, Barbara Kellerman offers keen insights into the roots and practices of “bad” leadership. A prolific leadership scholar and commentator, she deftly links leadership and power—especially the abuse of power.  

Like Barbara, I see power as neither a bad nor a good force. Most leaders seek power—sometimes for themselves and their group alone, but often to accomplish something widely beneficial. Meanwhile, followers may hope to increase their power by supporting leaders they see as powerful. Yet, individuals and groups that attain unchecked power all too often damage their fellow humans and certainly undermine democratic government. I value this book for its help in fighting back against abuses by the powerful wherever we find them. 

This book was also heart-touching and eye-opening. 

The writing was beautiful, the story was remarkable, and the insights were compelling. Maybe more than that, I kept finding myself reminded by how much our outlooks and opinions are shaped by the perspectives we receive.

Hearing “Jim’s” first-hand account was a drastically different experience than hearing about him through Huck Finn, and appreciating that—with all the complexities it entails—made the experience of reading James all the more enriching and enjoyable. 

William Ury is widely appreciated for collaborating with Roger Fisher to offer effective conflict resolution guidance (see Getting to Yes). I have long taught their concepts and methods in my leadership courses. This book is a culmination of Ury’s incredible career of helping groups resolve an array of conflicts, including the most intractable (in Columbia, for example). 

Ury describes himself as a “possibilist” who believes the most daunting conflicts can be sustainably resolved via three “victories”–getting on the balcony to more fully understand the perspectives of the warring parties, building a bridge among the parties, and engaging more neutral stakeholders. 

This book lifts my spirits at a time when some powerful individuals and groups are operating from a win-lose, zero-sum mentality that too easily devolves into a lose-lose for all. I vote with Ury for a transformational, win-win mentality.

For decades, Ron Heifetz’s “adaptive leadership” framework has helped organizational and community leaders guide their groups through turbulent waters. I especially appreciate his advising leaders to alternate between “the balcony” and “the dance floor” so they can both engage with their group’s efforts to understand and respond to their challenges and gain a wider perspective on where change efforts are and should be going. 

This book reminds us that leaders need to care for their groups but also for themselves. I find particular value in their reminder to take care of one’s own issues so they do not interfere with the work of helping group members “take the heat” when dealing with tough issues. Ron and Marty’s emphasis on adaptability is more vital than ever in this era of climate change, threats of pandemics, and burgeoning human migration within countries and across national borders.

I loved how this book literally links the surface of modern organizations with the depths of the human art of storytelling. Stories have been reservoirs of knowledge since times immemorial. Even now, although superficially supplanted by rational procedures and even computer code, it is in the stories collected and told about organizations that the richness of meaning can be found, which can help to understand and change them for the better.

I enjoyed how this book presents ideas that are both profound and serious in a way that is exceptionally readable and, in a way, liberating. I thought: wow! What an eye-opener! The superficial reductionism of the contemporary organization is just a shell and within lies hidden so much wisdom. It germinates. 

In the age of Black Lives Matter, and the racial, political, and structural tensions that permeate society, Mary-Frances Winters has written a gift of a book that helps us understand why polarization occurs and how to manage conversations about topics often seen as taboo. She is nothing short of brilliant in explaining how culture embeds itself in people’s perceptions and beliefs. This small yet powerful book provides everything leaders and managers need to learn to create spaces of safety and facilitate dialogue that is meaningful, insightful, and often profound. This is the book we have been waiting for!

I love this book because it not only reinforced many of the things I already believed, but it also made me look at the ideas from a different angle. I love it when a book is actionable, and I found the questions, especially the ones at the end of chapter 4, helped me take stock of my behaviors and choose something specific to work on.

I actually like homework. I am now building a habit of asking important people in my life, “What’s one thing that would improve our relationship?” And I am seeing a difference.

I recently attended the 10-year Reinventing Organizations anniversary party over Zoom, which attracted hundreds of people from around the world. Many quit their jobs after reading Frederic Laloux’s book to help build a new market for a radically different approach to management consulting.

The unassuming former McKinsey consultant became a household name in business circles when his surprise bestseller challenged conventional ways of working. His premise is bold: we are entering a new stage of human consciousness that demands a rethink of how we organize work. Moving away from traditional command-and-control hierarchies formed during the Industrial Revolution, Laloux showcases case studies of organizations where everyone is encouraged to operate like an entrepreneur and contribute meaningfully.

In this engaging read, Laloux distills complex ideas effortlessly, inspiring readers to reimagine what’s possible for themselves and their teams. Reinventing Organizations is not your typical business book. A decade later, its insights remain fresh,… show more.

This breathtakingly original book examines two interconnected ways in which organizations can be induced to improve performance—abandonment (exit) and complaint (voice).

If exit is too easy, there may not be enough time for voice to operate, and organizations that could have recovered may end up collapsing instead. Loyalty to the organization can slow exit and create space for voice to operate, but not if loyalty is blind and uncritical. 

For decades, I was unsatisfied with the definitions of “leadership” I would read. For one thing, they failed to account for why we need the term “leader” when the more humdrum “manager” would do just fine. To me, the word "leader" will always be linked to 20th-century fascism, so I'm reluctant to use the word casually. Additionally, many conventional definitions of leadership are just laundry lists of virtuous behavior we’d really like to see in anyone, not just “leaders.” 

At the same time, I was fascinated with game theory. This book brought those two strands, leadership and game theory, together.

Miller opened my eyes to the fact that there was something that could be called “leadership” that helped explain a nagging puzzle in game theory, namely how we are able to overcome social dilemmas and cooperate with each other, even in the absence of brute incentive systems provided by “mere”… show more.