Books Archive | Patrick Leddin

The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team – Patrick Lencioni (2022): A framework to help individuals and teams identify their natural working strengths.

Discovering personal strengths and weaknesses.
Aligning team members to maximize productivity.
Reducing frustration by assigning the right tasks to the right people.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know – Adam Grant (2021): Explores the importance of rethinking and being open to changing our minds.

Intelligence is about learning; wisdom is about unlearning.
Psychological safety encourages people to question and improve ideas.
Successful leaders and teams embrace doubt and adaptability.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals – Chris McChesney, Sean Covey & Jim Huling (2021): A guide to executing strategy with precision and consistency.

Focus on the Wildly Important Goals (WIGs).
Act on lead measures that predict success.
Create a cadence of accountability to drive results.

The Five-Week Leadership Challenge – Patrick Leddin (2021): A step-by-step guide to becoming a more effective leader in just five weeks.

Building a leadership mindset through daily challenges.
Developing clarity around personal values and purpose.
Learning actionable strategies for leading teams and organizations.

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever – Michael Bungay Stanier (2016): Teaches leaders how to coach effectively by asking better questions.

Asking powerful questions leads to better conversations.
Coaching should be quick, simple, and practical.
Shifting from giving advice to listening empowers others.

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World – Admiral William H. McRaven (2017): A Navy SEAL’s lessons on discipline, resilience, and leadership.

Small actions lead to bigger achievements.
Life is not fair—adapt and keep moving forward.
Success is built on teamwork, humility, and determination.

The Infinite Game – Simon Sinek (2019): Argues that great leaders focus on long-term success rather than short-term wins.

Playing to outlast, not just to win.
Recognizing that strong values drive sustained performance.
Understanding that trust and collaboration matter more than competition.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – James Clear (2018): A science-backed approach to habit formation.

Small habits compound into big results.
Make habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
Identity-based habits lead to lasting change.

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. – Brené Brown (2018): Examines the role of vulnerability in leadership.

Courageous leadership requires embracing discomfort.
Psychological safety is critical for innovation.
Being clear is kind—transparency in feedback and expectations.

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity – Kim Scott (2017): A guide to giving feedback that is both direct and caring.

Caring personally while challenging directly.
Avoiding ruinous empathy (too nice) and obnoxious aggression (too harsh).
Honest feedback builds stronger teams.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance – Angela Duckworth (2016): Examines why grit matters more than talent.

Passion + perseverance = long-term success.
Hard work often surpasses natural ability.
Resilience is built through consistent practice.

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win – Jocko Willink & Leif Babin (2015): Leadership lessons from Navy SEAL operations.

Taking full responsibility—no excuses.
Prioritizing and executing under pressure.
Leading by example—setting the standard.

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results – Gary Keller & Jay Papasan (2013): Focus on the single most important task.

Less is more—focus drives success.
Success comes from habit and discipline.
Prioritizing what truly matters.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business – Charles Duhigg (2012): Explores the science behind habit formation.

Habits consist of cue, routine, and reward.
Keystone habits create ripple effects in behavior.
Willpower is like a muscle—it can be strengthened.

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter – Liz Wiseman (2010): Compares leaders who amplify their teams’ abilities vs. those who diminish them.

The best leaders inspire and challenge people to grow.
Avoiding micromanaging—trusting others to solve problems.
Shifting from “know-it-all” to “learn-it-all” leadership.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – Daniel H. Pink (2009): Explores intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation.

Autonomy, mastery, and purpose drive motivation.
Rewards don’t always increase performance.
People thrive when they control their work.

The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything – Stephen M.R. Covey (2006): Explores how trust impacts leadership, relationships, and organizational success.

Trust accelerates success and efficiency.
Credibility is built through integrity and competence.
High-trust environments foster innovation and engagement.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – Carol S. Dweck (2006): The power of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset.

Growth mindset = continuous learning.
Failure is an opportunity to improve.
Effort and persistence lead to success.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert Cialdini (1984, revised editions 2006 & 2021): A classic on the principles of persuasion and how they shape decision-making.

The six principles of influence: reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity.
Ethical persuasion vs. manipulation.
How to recognize and defend against persuasion tactics.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable – Patrick Lencioni (2002): A business fable about why teams fail.

Trust is the foundation of a strong team.
Fear of conflict leads to dysfunction.
Accountability drives results.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t – Jim Collins (2001): Examines how good companies become great through disciplined people, thought, and action.

Level 5 Leadership is key.
The Hedgehog Concept (focus on what you can be best at).
The Flywheel Effect—momentum builds over time.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change – Stephen R. Covey (1989): A framework for personal and professional success based on principles of effectiveness.

Be proactive, focus on what you can control.
Begin with the end in mind—clarity of vision drives action.
Prioritize what matters most (urgent vs. important).

Books to Watch for in 2025

Disrupt Everything – James Patterson & Patrick Leddin (2025)

The Art of Impossible Leadership – Steven Kotler (2025)

Leading in a World of AI – Daniel Pink (2025)