Must Read Leadership Books and the Lessons Learned

In this episode of 'Win Make Give,' host Ben Kinney and co-hosts Chad Himes and Bob Stewart dive into a curated list of six transformative leadership books that have shaped their thinking. The conversation begins with Ben sharing his personal journey with reading—overcoming dyslexia and attention challenges by using audiobooks, paper copies, and short, focused reading sessions at double speed. The core of the episode centers on six must-read leadership books: 'High Output Management' by Andrew Grove, 'Work Like You're Showing Off' by Joe Calloway, 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things' by Ben Horowitz, 'The Five Levels of Leadership' by John Maxwell, 'The Captain's Class' by Sam Walker, and 'Engaged Leadership' by Clint Swindoll. Each book is unpacked for its unique insights—ranging from Grove’s data-driven management philosophy and Calloway’s radical idea of 'showing off' as a mindset of excellence, to Horowitz’s gritty realism about leadership under pressure, Maxwell’s pyramid of influence, Walker’s revelation that team greatness stems from character-driven captains, and Swindoll’s fable-based model for cultivating employee engagement. The hosts emphasize that true leadership isn’t about titles or charisma, but about character, consistency, and the ability to develop others.