Read these 7 books to become a better leader - for yourself and for others

Tomorrow University co-founder Dr.Thomas Funke introduces seven books on personal growth, development, and self-leadership.

Leaders will ultimately succeed or fail based on their ability to effectively navigate their most important, complex, and relational situations. These are the harder situations that leaders regularly encounter where there is no one right answer, and actively engaging with others is critical for success.

To navigate these situations resourcefully, developing advanced self-leadership skills is extremely important. Self-leadership is all about taking responsibility for your thoughts, actions, and decisions. By cultivating self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, and self-development, you can take control of your journey towards personal fulfillment and happiness. These traits will ultimately dictate how successful you are as a leader - in your life, organization and any mission you wish to succeed in.

Ultimately, ongoing leadership success relies heavily on your ability to develop and utilize these self-leadership skills effectively.

Why Self-Discovery is the first step to succesfull leadership

‍Self-leadership begins with self-awareness—the foundation of personal growth. Understanding your strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals is essential for navigating life's complexities with clarity and purpose. Self-awareness enables leaders to transcend their ego, make informed decisions, motivate themselves, and guide others effectively, setting the stage for impactful leadership.

Seven books for your personal transformation

‍To guide you on your journey of self-discovery and empowerment, we've curated a list of seven must-read books on self-leadership:

1. "The Big Leap" by Gay Hendricks: Changes your overall perspective and lets you embrace a philosophy that’ll help you achieve your full potential in work, relationships, finance, and all other walks of life.‍
2. "The Mind of a Leader" by Rasmus Hougaard: ‍Turns traditional idea of a leader on its head. Has the potential to change how you lead yourself and your people and to transform your organization‍
3. "The United States of You" by Katrin Köster: With this self-leadership book, you’ll learn how to be balanced and constantly in touch with your creative power. ‍
4. "Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Infinite Browsing World" by Pete Davis: In this book you will learn how dedication and commitment can fuel your journey toward personal and professional excellence.‍
5. "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership" by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp: You’ll never see leadership the same way again after reading this book. These fifteen commitments are a distillation of decades of work with CEOs and other leaders. ‍
6. "What You Do Is Who You Are" by Ben Horowitz: This book explains how to make your culture purposeful by spotlighting four models of leadership and culture-building. Explore the role of culture, values, and identity in shaping leadership and organizational success.‍
7. "Rethinking Our World: A Handbook for Social Change" by Maja Göpel: Gain insights into global challenges and discover how you can contribute to positive change in the world through personal and collective action.

Leadership as a continuous journey

‍Self-leadership is not a destination but a journey—a continuous growth, reflection, and adaptation process. As you dive deeper into your journey, remember to be patient and kind to yourself, celebrate your progress, and embrace the challenges as opportunities for learning and development.

Ultimately, mastering self-leadership is fundamental to enhancing your overall leadership capabilities, enabling you to lead others more effectively and authentically.

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About Dr. Thomas Funke

Thomas Funke is Co-Founder and co-CEO of Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences. He has more than 15 years of professional experience in the education sector and has always been passionate about education, entrepreneurship, self-development, and Leadership. Thomas is actively involved in learning programs with our students. You can join him in the Mission Identification Challenge, Think and Act Like an Entrepreneur, and many more programs.

Follow Thomas on LinkedIn for more insights on self-leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal growth.