Books on Leadership
A recommended reading list for doctors and non-MD/DOs alike, by VACEP Executive Director Sarah Marshall.
Before this year, I rarely read a non-fiction book. My downtime was for escapism, not self-improvement!
But after completing a leadership course in 2020 (Association Leadership Virginia from the Virginia Society of Association Executives), I unlocked a renewed passion for reading and learning. This year, I’ve read more than a dozen books on leadership that are not only pertinent to association executives, but leaders of all shapes and colors — including emergency physicians.
Removing the association management books I read while studying for my CAE (which you, as a physician, may find boring), here's my 2021 book list…plus links to Amazon.
— Sarah Marshall, VACEP Executive Director
Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt
Dr. Cameron Olderog recommended this book to me after our December Board Meeting last year and I put it at the top of the list for 2021. It was the perfect book for a fresh start as it helped me reorganize my digital workspace to minimize distractions and maximize my productivity. I read the ebook on a tablet and, every so often, the book pauses to have you a complete an exercise on their website. Lots of books provide supplemental materials for you to review after reading, but I liked that this book forced me to pause and reflect (and integrate) the lessons as I went along.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
This book is written for women (which doesn’t mean you can’t read it, guys, just know that it focuses a lot on the particular stressors that women experience). It’s a helpful book when you need an external voice to tell you that you’re not just stressed because you can’t hack it, you’re stressed because there are stressors in your life that you need to acknowledge and deal with. Granted, we can’t control a lot of what’s stressing us out right now, but the book does offer some helpful tips for working with your body to fully relax.
Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
This book is short and written like a novel – it’s easy to read and it’s a great story. Anyone on a team (which is basically everyone) should read this book at some point in their careers. It does an exceptional job at illustrating how you build the kind of team that succeeds (as well as helping you recognize the behaviors you might be doing right now that are inhibiting your success).
Daring Greatly and Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
I read all these books on leadership and sometimes I come away with the feeling that I know what success looks like but I don’t really know how to get there. I’ve found that reading books on emotional intelligence, like those of Brene Brown, really help me bridge the gap and understand the internal changes I need to make before I can effect external change.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey
This is a classic and for good reason. Like reading Brene Brown, this book is another great one for breaking you out of your existing behaviors and patterns. I finished this around the time of our strategic planning meeting and September board meeting and it helped me change the way I approach our persistent problems and highlighted some solutions I hadn’t considered before.
Traction by Gino Wickman
This was a recommendation from my mentor, Bob Ramsey. Much of it is similar to other leadership or goal setting books I’ve read but what I really loved was the insane level of detail on crafting meeting agendas. This is a book with a number of great resources and I’ve spent a lot time since finishing it reimagining our meetings and our reporting so that our volunteer leadership is better informed and able to spend more time on high-level discussion.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
I read this book in college and have been wanting to come back to it for some time. Steven Covey and authors like him reference it frequently and so I added it to the list this year. All I remembered from my first read was the importance of creating a strong inner self (and few books make a better case than Frankl’s harrowing memoirs of life in Nazi concentration camps). After the second read, I realized that the book’s lessons about maximizing your personal agency do not sufficiently account for environment and inequity. I’d be interested to find books or articles that integrate Frankl’s theories with 21st century philosophy!
Good to Great by by Jim Collins
Halfway through this audiobook at the time of writing and I can see why this is such a favorite among my colleagues. It’s illuminated some of my past mistakes as a leader and helped me envision the kind of leader I’d like to be. And while the study results come from huge Fortune 500 companies, the lessons apply to teams of any size. Looking forward to what the last half of this book has to teach me.
Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler
Halfway through this print book at the time of writing. It’s another one that’s been on my list for a while and it’s another book that really everyone should read. Understanding and exhibiting vulnerability has been a driving goal for me this year. This is a very practical book for breaking down communication so you’re not getting in your own way (of personal development, the success of your negotiations, your ability to achieve your goals, the strength of your relationships, you name it).
Through my commitment to reading this year, I’ve learned so much about myself and have started the journey of making changes at home, at work, and within myself that I want to achieve. I have a few more books on this list for 2021 – please send me your recommendations for 2022!
