The best leadership books of 2011

Leadership experts from Warren Bennis to Tom Peters share their picks of the best leadership books to hit shelves this year.

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"Great By Choice" by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen

Michael Useem, director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, picked Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen's "Great By Choice" as the best leadership book of 2011.

Courtesy of Fortier Public Relations /

"Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson

Several leadership experts, including Harvard professor Bill George and Fast Company magazine co-founder Alan Webber, shared with us that "Steve Jobs," the biography of the iconic Apple CEO, topped their list for the best leadership book to hit shelves this year.

Albert Watson / Simon & Schuster

"Little Bets" by Peter Sims

Tom Fox, vice president for leadership and innovation at the Partnership for Public Service and the author of The Washington Post's Federal Coach blog, says his 2011 favorite was "Little Bets" by Peter Sims. "It provides a critical perspective for leaders facing constraints -- those who achieve breakthrough innovations/success start with small experiments that lead to their results. They don’t bet the farm from the outset."

Courtesy of Simon and Schuster

"The Decision to Trust" by Robert Hurley

Barry Posner, co-author of "The Leadership Challenge," chooses as one of the best leadership reads this year Robert Hurley's "The Decision to Trust," which explores the decades-long decline of trust in our institutions, and what managers can do the bridge this trust divide.

Courtesy of Fortier Public Relations

"The Progress Principle" by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer

Leadership expert Barry Posner highly recommends Teresa Amabile's and Steven Kramer's "The Progress Principle" as one of the year's best. The book focuses on how to enhance the inner work lives of employees -- that is, what drives them and inspires them to be more creative and productive.

Courtesy of Planned TV Arts

"Take the Lead" by Betsy Myers

Leadership guru and "In Search of Excellence" author Tom Peters picks "Take the Lead" as his 2011 favorite. Its author, Betsy Myers, was a senior Clinton administration employee who also served as the chief operating officer of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and as director of Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership. "For me, the defining difference in this superb book is Ms. Myers' insistence that every day provides leadership opportunities for every one of us -- from the most junior employee to the top of the organization."

Courtesy of Myers Leadership

"The Leader's Checklist" by Michael Useem

Leadership expert Warren Bennis was among the several who said "The Leader's Checklist" by Michael Useem deserves to be recognized as this year's best book on leadership.

Courtesy of Wharton Digital Press

"Credibility" by James Kouzes and Barry Posner

Professor Col. Charles Allen of the U.S. Army War College selects "Credibility" as the best leadership book of 2011. The book, a fully revised version of one they published nearly 20 years ago, revisits how leaders build influence and trust in today's business environment.

Courtesy of Red Pencil PR

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