The Five Best Business and Leadership Books I Read in 2024

by Ryan Gottfredson

I am continuing to unveil the best books that I read in 2024.

As of this writing, I have read/listened to 86 books during throughout the year. And, this week, I got an email from Goodreads telling me that I was in their top 10% of readers.

I want to share the top books I have read across four genres and the value I have gained from reading them:

Fiction (12/9)
Non-Fiction (12/16)
Business/Leadership (12/23)
Self-Help (12/30)

The Five Best Business/Leadership Books I Read in 2024

5. Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World by Ginni Rometty

I am always on the lookout for books that feature vertically developed (Mind 3.0) leaders, and I am especially interested in finding books that feature female Mind 3.0 leaders. This book is one of them.

Ginni Rometty is the former CEO of IBM, and based on what I read, I got the sense that she was a CEO leader that led from the Mind 3.0 level. While I loved learning about Rometty and her life’s journey and her philosophies, it didn’t go into great depth on her leadership practices. To me, the books that do that the best are Creativity, Inc., No Rules Rules, and Hit Refresh.

I am still on the hunt for great bios of female Mind 3.0 leaders. If you have any recommendations, please let me know.

This book has a 3.99 rating on Goodreads with 30% giving it five stars.

4. Shine: How Looking Inward is the Key to Unlocking True Entrepreneurial Freedom by Gino Wickman

Gino Wickman is the creator of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and has written several best-selling business books, including Traction.

This book takes on a very different tone than his other books, and there is a very powerful reason why, which is what I loved about this book. Let me tell it in my words. In this book, Wickman essentially admits that he operated throughout his career in Mind 2.0. And, this book is all about his self-awakening journey that helps him to recognize that there is a Mind 3.0 level, his efforts to get there, and the difference it has made in his life.

Essentially, it’s a really great memoir of one’s vertical development journey.

This book has a 4.32 rating on Goodreads with 52% giving it five stars.

3. The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt

This book was recommended to me by an executive in an organization I have been working with. And, when I looked it up and saw that it was written in 1984, I was skeptical. But, I found this to have some very profound insights.

It reads as a business fable, is very approachable, and the lessons are largely related to operations. But, I think the lessons are critical for all business leaders. In fact, I think any leader who reads this book (particularly those who lead teams that manage a process) will take a step up in their sophistication as leaders.

This book has a 4.08 rating on Goodreads with 42% giving it five stars.

2. The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action by Eduardo Briceno

To me, this book is a must read for two audiences: mindset junkies and leaders.

If you are a mindset junky, your reading collection would be incomplete without reading this. By the way, Eduardo Briceno is a former student of Carol Dweck, and he has some great TED Talks connected to the ideas in this book (see here and here).

If you are a leader, I think this book addresses the most significant issue that prevent leaders from having the positive impact they want to have. What I am seeing from the leaders that I work with is that most of them are intensely focused on performance. While that can be beneficial in the short-term, it leads to leadership that prevents success and growth in the long-term. This book suggests that rather than be focused on performance, leaders should be focused on learning. While this may not be optimal for hitting short-term milestones, it is essential for long-term success, growth, and innovation.

So, in this book, learn what it means to operate in performance mode versus learning mode. And, I believe this difference can be transformational for any leader and any organization

This book has a 3.95 rating on Goodreads with 29% giving it five stars.

1. Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins

David Goggins’ first book, Can’t Hurt Me, blew me away. So, I was excited to dive into this book, its sequel.

My recommendation is that if you haven’t read Can’t Hurt Me, you should read that first before you read Never Finished. Also, if you are going to get into Can’t Hurt Me, I recommend that you listen to it rather than read it.

What I loved about Can’t Hurt Me is its portrayal of Goggins’ arc from traumatized child to Navy Seal and ultra endurance athlete, and what that took. Throughout that book, he gives the reader greater insight into the transformational vertical development that he experienced. While Never Finished isn’t as extreme, I love how it takes the reader into his journey of engaging in vertical development at a deeper level. It is incredibly powerful and moving as he wrestles more fully with his past.

My favorite part about listening to this book is that he lets you in on an actual conversation with his Mom about his upbringing. And, it is incredible to sense the level of vertical development his Mom has engaged in during the years prior to recording. The conversation is equally powerful and heart-wrenching.

Again, my recommendation is that you listen to this, rather than read it.

This book has a 4.43 rating on Goodreads with 59% giving it five stars.

Best Books from Prior Years

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