Energized Leadership: 7 Leadership Books That Will Revolutionize Your Office

By Katherine Rundell, January 27, 2021

Leadership is a characteristic surrounded by myths – the best leaders give off an aura of permanence and solidity that can make it seem like they were born that way, designated leaders from birth. In truth, leaders are made, not born and increasingly we’re finding the tools that can help craft your leadership into a finely honed tool. The energy industry is full of progressive individuals with their finger on the pulse – so to help you become the best energy industry leader, we’ve gathered seven of the best leadership books. Read on to energize your leadership.

1) Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core by Bruce Schneider

Energy industry professionals unanimously recognize energy as a powerful economic commodity, but working from different principles can reveal how energy in another form is equally essential in our personal and professional lives. Schneider’s account of how energetic leadership can reinvigorate your working environment will resonate with all industry leaders. This isn’t your usual buzzword-filled leadership book, but rather a fast-paced narrative that will reveal how the all-important commodity in your industry can also become a powerful metaphor in your own business practices.

2) The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles for Bringing Out Your Best Self – Every Day by Amy Jen Su

Author Amy Jen Su has a pedigree in leading businesses to success and, as the co-founder of the Washington DC Metro she experienced the fast-paced and dynamic world of the newspaper industry. Parallels between the print media industry and the energy industry are easy to draw – adapting to technological changes being one important principle – and energy leaders will find that Jen Su’s Essential Principles hit home. In this readable tome Jen Su lays out why leaders need to focus on purpose, process, people, presence, and peace to create an optimized working environment.

3) Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott 

The energy industry is increasingly proving itself to be one of the most progressive sectors and leaders in the energy industry are not only on the cutting edge of revolutionizing technology but are also building a personnel-focused leadership practice. That’s why Scott’s Radical Candor comes highly recommended to those in this industry, as humanity is at the core of the energy industry’s mission. Scott is a managing consultant with a history of working with progressive organizations from Apple to Google and this book contains a condensed account of the wisdom she’s picked up along the way.

4) The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

In contrast to Kim Scott’s humanistic model in the account above, as leaders we also need to understand some fundamental principles of human nature, and be able to exploit them, to run a successful business. Sinek’s book is all about how you can incentivize good behavior through effective reward systems and he’s proved that this creates well-functioning workplaces and respected leadership in the process.

5) The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance by Steven G. Rogelberg

The energy industry has a history of following the science, utilizing cutting edge technology to generate power in innovative ways. Now it’s time to turn the wheel of science towards your leadership skills, and Rogelberg will show you the way. Through a combination of psychology, biology and behaviorism, this book provides a fundamental account of how to tweak our workplace practices for optimized performance. 

6) Loonshots: How to Nurture Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries by Safi Bahcall

Energy industry leaders are no strangers to a new idea. While many industries are excessively risk-averse, those whose lives are entangled with energy are more open to new ideas and innovative solutions. Loonshots is a fascinating account of how those leaders who saw the promise of a crazy idea went on to greatness.

7) Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment: How to Improve Quality, Productivity and Employee Satisfaction by William C. Byham

Byham’s view is that leaders have to build from the ground up. This is an inspiring account of how empowering your employees will bring your organization to greatness and it’s packed with tips and tricks for getting the most out of your workforce. At its heart, this is a deeply ethical book focused on giving workers autonomy and this message chimes well with the core values of the energy industry.

The energy industry is a growing global giant and it needs leaders to guide it. These books will help you lead with energy, humanity, and wisdom.

Katherine Rundell is a leadership blogger at Liahelp and Assignment Writing Service. She works hard to inspire individuals towards better business practices and career advancement. More of her work can be found at Movie Review writing service.

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