Reading isn't just for leisure; it's a power move for leaders. Books can boost smarts, enhance emotional intelligence, and even help keep stress in check. Are you looking to hone your leadership skills? Here are 10 books recommended by global CEOs to consider adding to your library. For more suggestions from 50-plus executives, editors in chief, and McKinsey leaders, including global managing partner Bob Sternfels, check out “What to read next: McKinsey’s 2024 annual book recommendations.”
Co-intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick
Recommended by:
Reid Hoffman, cofounder, LinkedIn; partner, Greylock Partners
To My Sisters: A Guide to Building Lifelong Friendships by Renée Kapuku and Courtney Daniella Boateng
Recommended by:
Daisy Veerasingham, CEO and president, Associated Press
Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, with Bill Gifford
Recommended by:
Boris Gartner, CEO, LALIGA North America; president and partner, Relevent
Ginni Rometty, cochair, OneTen; former chair and CEO, IBM
Stephan Scholl, CEO, Alight
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker
Recommended by:
Kaitlin Christine, founder and CEO, Gabbi
Culture: The Story of Us, from Cave Art to K-Pop by Martin Puchner
Recommended by:
Mariët Westermann, CEO and director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, New York; former vice chancellor, New York University Abu Dhabi
Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle
Recommended by:
May Habib, cofounder and CEO, Writer; Young Global Leader
The Maniac by Benjamín Labatut
Recommended by:
Madeline McIntosh, cofounder, CEO, and publisher, Authors Equity; former CEO, Penguin Random House US
Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World by Elinor Cleghorn
Recommended by:
Kevin Ali, CEO and board member, Organon
Children of a Modest Star: Planetary Thinking for an Age of Crises by Jonathan S. Blake and Nils Gilman
Recommended by:
Nicholas Dirks, CEO and president, New York Academy of Sciences; former chancellor, University of California, Berkeley
James by Percival Everett
Recommended by:
Janeen Uzzell, CEO, National Society of Black Engineers