Good leadership practices do not come naturally

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President George W. Bush, left center, joins f...Image via Wikipedia

For most people, good leadership practices do not come natural. Even for those who are naturally gifted leaders, relying on talent alone is insufficient.
God designed our minds to work a certain way, there is a lot of psychology in leadership. It turns out, there are principles, rules of thumb & biological facts that can help you lead more effectively and successfully - and you wouldn't necessarily know these things just by thinking about it. That's why we recommend all younger leaders need to learn from older, more experienced leaders. One way you can do that is by reading.

Our friend Daniel Decker sent us this survey: What are the top 5 leadership books every young influencer should read? If you can, take a minute (literally 60 seconds) to answer this one question.

Here's our answer to this question, focusing mainly on leadership books that we've found helpful. At the top of the list is the Bible, of course, because Christian leadership is servant leadership, and the world does not understand this.
1) The Bible - The very wisdom of God. This is our manual above all others. While not specifically focused on leadership, He teaches many foundational principles having to do with wisdom, attitude, servant hood, mutual submission, love and on and on. These are the foundation for what we do and why we do it as leaders.

2) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - by Dr. John C. Maxwell. This is a classic. The principles share here give you valuable insight into the nature of leadership, the kinds of challenges you face & several good solutions. This book is a wealth of leadership knowledge that you can further apply the more you lead.

3) The Next Generation Leader - by Andy Stanley. This book is packed with solid leadership principles, especially focused on younger leaders. Every young influencer can learn from what Andy shares here.

4) Integrity - by Dr. Henry Cloud. This book is all about character & shares important principles of having fully integrated character. This book will open your eyes to leadership & character short falls you never knew existed. Every leader should read this book and apply what they learn.

5) Good to Great - by Jim Collins. This book gives a great analysis of good leaders vs great leaders. This book discusses the not-so-obvious key changes that can make or break your organization. It's a very insightful and eye opening read.

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