Leaders are readers. Reading helps you discover ideas to try and expand your mental models. In this post I point you to reviews of recent business books. You’ll find pointers to reviews of The CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make or Break All Leaders, Who Do We Choose To Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity, Hot Seat: What I Learned Leading a Great American Company, Making Conversation: Seven Essential Elements of Meaningful Communication, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. Plus there’s a reading list from the faculty of the London Business School.

From Bob Morris: The CEO Test: A book review

“Bryant and Sharer have wide and deep prior experience with countless C-level executives. Bryant interviewed more than 600 of them for his ;Corner Office’ column in The New York Times. Sharer is the former CEO of Amgen, the largest biotech company in the world. Based on their own experience as well as experience shared with them, they have formulated a covey of ‘tests’ and devote a separate chapter to each. I think they are best viewed as both a mirror and a window. Those who read the material with appropriate care can gain a much clearer, more specific sense of where their leadership development has taken them thus far; they can also see new, previously unrevealed opportunities to accelerate that process.”

From Marcella Bremer: Positive leaders as warriors

“Margaret Wheatley, founder of Berkana Institute, renowned author and advisor, diagnoses the current time as an age of collapse, in her latest book ‘Who Do We Choose to Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity’. Let’s be leaders for this time as things fall apart, to reclaim leadership as a noble profession that creates possibility and humaneness in the midst of increasing fear and turmoil.”

From Chief Executive: Jeff Immelt: What I Learned From Failure

“In an excerpt from his new book, the former CEO of GE shares hard-won wisdom about surviving defeat, coping with regret and moving forward.”

From the Next Big Idea Club: Making Conversation: Seven Essential Elements of Meaningful Communication

“Fred Dust was a Senior Partner and Global Managing Director at international design firm IDEO. A leading voice and practitioner of human-centered design and networked innovation, he helps organizations in media, finance, retail, and health confront disruption stemming from shifts in consumer behavior, social trends, economic pressures, and new technology. He also chairs the board of Parsons and sits on the board of the New School, NPR, and the Sundance Institute. Below, Fred shares 5 key insights from his new book, Making Conversation: Seven Essential Elements of Meaningful Communication.”

From Michael McKinney: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

“Adam Grant challenges us to Think Again—to question what we think we know. ‘Unfortunately, when it comes to our own knowledge and opinions, we often favor feeling right over being right.'”

From London Business School: Books to fuel your career

“Titles to provoke, delight and inspire you to greater heights – as recommended by London Business School experts.”

Reading recommendations are a regular feature of this blog. Want more recommendations about what to read? Monday is “Book Day.” Come back for book reviews, reading lists and other reading-related posts.