Cultivating Leadership in Schools: Connecting People, Purpose and Practice by Gordon Donaldson: How to develop effective leadership teams for school improvement.
Results Now by Mike Schmoker: A practical description on how schools can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning.
Collapse by Jared Diamond: How societies choose to fail or succeed.
Execution by Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan, and Charles Burck: The discipline of getting things done.
Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner: An economist explores the hidden side of everything.
The Learning Leader by Douglas Reeves: How to focus school improvements for better results.
Questions of Character by Joseph Badaracco: This book illuminates the heart of leadership through metaphor in literature.
The Shame of the Nation by Jonathan Kozol: This book illustrates the resegregation of America's schools and the inequalities in our schools.
Millennials Rising by Strauss and Howe: An optimistic, yet challenging prediction about how the next generation will revolutionize schools and society
The Answer To How is Yes by Block: Concrete suggestions on how to move beyond the question “Can It Be Done?” to strategies for making it happen
Joy at Work by Bakke, subtitled A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job
Leadership On the Line by Heifetz: A wonderful read on how great leaders bring about change
Practicing Servant Leadership by Spears and Lawrence, ed: Puts meat on the bones of Jim Collins’ Level Five Leadership
Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute: Recommended by several members as a wonderful book to be shared in administrative team meetings
Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, et al., ways to speak with others when emotions are strong, the stakes are high, and values differ.
Permission to Forget by Jenkins: Subtitled, And Nine Other Root Causes of America’s Frustration with Education
Failure is Not an Option by Blankstein, often used as a trigger for conversations about high school reform, but applicable to all levels
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Lencioni. The title says it all.
Blink by Gladwell, a fascinating explanation about the ways we make snap decisions, when to trust them and when to be skeptical. Great stories!
Tipping Point, also by Gladwell; his first work on why some ideas take hold and others do not. Fascinating.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, a case study in leadership about the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. A story within a story adds intrigue. And it’s all true.
Management of the Absurd by Richard Farson
From Good to Great by Jim Collins
The Different Drum by Scott Peck
Leadership and the New Science by Meg Wheatley
The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge
Servant Leadership by John Greenlear
The Empowered Manager by Peter Block
Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman
Leading in a Culture of Change by Michael Fullan
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
First Break All the Rules and Now Discover Your Strengths by Buckingham and Clifton
The Moral Imperative of Schooling by Michael Fullan
Leading Quietly by Barracadaro
Crucial Conversations by Patterson, et al
The One With the Most Mistakes Wins by Farson
Love and Profit by James Autry
