First Look: Leadership Books for September 2025

HERE'S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in September 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month.

The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups by Colin M. Fisher

Why are groups so hard? From boring work meetings to dysfunctional families to warring nations, group dynamics shape every aspect of our lives. How can we avoid the common pitfalls of living and working together and get the most from our groups? The solution isn’t to change individuals—it’s to understand the world from a collective perspective. In The Collective Edge, Colin Fisher, one of the world’s foremost experts on group dynamics, distills decades of research into practical strategies to help groups function at their highest levels. The secret to getting the most from your groups is knowing how to work with the invisible forces of group dynamics instead of being mindlessly pushed around by them. Whether you’re a leader, team member, or simply interested in better understanding how groups work, The Collective Edge provides essential wisdom that will help your groups unlock their true potential.

We Are Ambiverts Now by Karl Moore and Gabriele Hartshorne-Mehl

Based on real-world evidence from senior executives and successful entrepreneurs, this book argues that an effective leader must act like an ambivert: an introvert at times and an extrovert at others. Thanks to landmark books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People, many professionals think that only extroverts can be standout leaders, but Karl Moore’s interviews with over 750 CEOs from around the world prove that introverts make excellent leaders too. These insights make clear that the optimal leadership style is ambivert, with senior leaders combining introversion―being excellent listeners and thinking before they speak―and extroversion―inspiring and connecting with their teams. This book teaches how introverts and extroverts work, manage, and lead effectively and how readers can be better leaders regardless of their natural communication style. It empowers leaders to celebrate the strengths of their personality type while being flexible and to understand when to incorporate the strengths of other types into their leadership approach to be more effective.

Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding by Margaret C. Andrews

What is the “best” way to lead others? The answer may surprise you. The basis for powerful, effective leadership comes from within—from understanding the people, ideas, and events that have shaped your worldview and how these influences express themselves in your leadership style. In Manage Yourself to Lead Others, leadership expert Margaret Andrews helps you understand yourself and translate this understanding into effectively managing yourself, leading others, working with your boss, and making better decisions. Andrews has taught thousands of executives in her professional development course at Harvard, and she shares her insights, practical tips, and questions for reflection here. This book will allow you to identify the kind of leader you want to be, the behavioral patterns that help get you there or stand in your way, and what it takes to develop new leadership capabilities.

The Secure Leader: Discover the Hidden Forces that Shape Your Leadership Story—and How to Change Them by Jaime Goff

Since 2020, global events have reshaped our expectations of work and leadership. Today's workforce seeks more than just a paycheck; they crave meaning, purpose, connection, and belonging. Traditional leadership models no longer suffice. In The Secure Leader, Dr. Jaime Goff offers a groundbreaking path forward. She argues that true leadership begins not with mastering techniques, but with understanding who you are and why you lead. Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and learn how to: • Deconstruct Your Story: Explore how your early experiences have shaped your worldview and leadership approach, often embedding hidden anxieties and insecurities. • Identify Key Themes: Recognize the constructive and destructive patterns that influence your interactions and decisions. • Re-author Your Narrative: Develop a new, empowering leadership story that honors your past, strengthens your present, and creates a foundation for a fulfilling future.

In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work by Peter Cappelli and Ranya Nehmeh

In their important new book, Wharton professor Peter Cappelli and workplace strategist Ranya Nehmeh deliver a balanced, research-based approach to navigating the complex landscape of remote and hybrid work. They provide a fresh perspective on why hybrid models often fail and what organizations must do differently to succeed in this new era―with takeaways that may not be welcome to all. In this timely book, discover: + Why remote work succeeded initially but has become increasingly problematic over time + What has been lost with the move away from in-office work, The hidden benefits of in-person work, How work dynamics post-pandemic have further influenced workplace culture and employee attitudes, How career advancement opportunities have changed, How new hires are faring, and How the changes have impacted home life. In Praise of the Office also reveals when in-office works best, when fully remote work works best, and what is required to make hybrid work. Plus, it identifies what aspects of hybrid can do the most damage to employers and employees.

The Transformation Principles: How to Create Enduring Change by Hemant Taneja with Kevin Maney

Capitalism has historically focused on profit generation, with positive impact left to non-profits. This system has fueled unprecedented growth, but has also generated unsustainable consequences—deepening inequality, widespread job displacement, and eroding social trust. It’s time for a new paradigm—one that recognizes the inextricable link between positive impact and returns. Long-term profitability depends on maintaining public trust, societal wellbeing, and operating legitimacy. This new reality necessitates a new set of principles—transformation principles—to guide our decision-making as we build for growth and for good.

For bulk orders call 1-626-441-2024

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“You can't think well without writing well, and you can't write well without reading well. And I mean that last "well" in both senses. You have to be good at reading, and read good things.”

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 08:49 AM
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