5 Books That Shaped My Thinking on Leadership and Change
Part of ongoing learning and leadership development is reading.
This year's reading efforts delivered some unexpected insights that have shifted how I approach effective leadership, leadership communication, and organisational culture.
Here are the five leadership books that resonated most, and more importantly, the ideas that I'm still mulling over well after turning the final page.
1. Rethinking Data Privacy in Leadership Development
Sandra Matz's Mindmasters landed on my radar via a podcast. As someone who works with organisations navigating digital transformation, the conversation about data privacy can feel like an either/or proposition: we either embrace data-driven insights or we protect privacy.
Matz challenges this dichotomy by proposing innovative solutions that allow us to benefit from data analysis without the creepy factor of companies hoarding our personal information.
Two concepts particularly grabbed my attention:
Federated learning allows individuals to benefit from data analysis without companies collecting data centrally.
Think of it as keeping your data on your own device whilst still contributing to collective insights. It's a clever solution, and the principle is important; we can have the best of both.
Data co-ops involve communities collectively managing data, rather than handing all control to corporations. Matz envisions "digital allies" or village-like communities that foster trust and transparency in data management.
This resonates with my belief that trust is built from the ground up; and that includes how we handle people's information.
The takeaway? We don't have to choose between progress and privacy. Systems that prioritise collective benefit over corporate profit aren't just idealistic.
They are both possible and increasingly necessary - particularly for leaders thinking seriously about influence in leadership and long-term trust.
2. Leadership Communication Isn’t About You
Thomas Erikson's Surrounded by Idiots isn't subtle (starting with that title), but the core insight is classic: communication happens on the listener's terms, not yours.
Erikson breaks down four behaviour types: Red (dominant), Yellow (social), Green (laid-back), and Blue (analytical), and demonstrates how understanding these patterns transforms how leadership and communication intersect in practice.
The great reminder was this: information is rarely received as you expect. As someone who facilitates workshops and advises leadership teams, I often see this play out.
You can have the most brilliant insight, the clearest data, the most compelling argument, and it still won't land if you haven't considered how your audience processes information.
The book reinforced that leadership communication improves when messages are shaped for different types of people. It's not about dumbing things down; it's about respecting that people naturally process information in different ways - a lesson that continues to shape my thinking about effective leadership.
3. When Minorities Stop Being Novelties in Organisational Culture
Malcolm Gladwell's Revenge of the Tipping Point explores how social epidemics work; and one concept has fundamentally changed how I think about inclusion in organisations.
Here it is: for a minority to not be a "novelty," they only need to reach 25–30% of the total population to feel like there's something of a balance.
This isn't just academic theory. Gladwell points to research showing that when the number of outsiders or newcomers reaches this threshold - whether it's women in a male-dominated profession or any minority group in a homogenous environment - that minority gains more acceptance, and inequities in pay, privilege, and opportunity start to disappear.
The implications are significant. We often talk about diversity as if we need equality of representation before anything changes.
But the research suggests that once you hit roughly a third, the entire character of the community shifts. Group proportions matter.
This insight has stayed with me as one of the more practical leadership lessons in how organisational culture is shaped - not by intent alone, but by structure and proportion.
4. Influence in Leadership Happens Person to Person
I re-read Anand Giridharadas's The Persuaders, mainly because so many of us feel exhausted by division and concerned that meaningful conversation across differences is a fading art.
Giridharadas pushes the case that we've entered a dangerous state of "post-persuasion" apathy, and it threatens not just our relationships but the fabric of society.
The key insight? Change requires us to understand and listen to the background of why people are either for or against a particular thing. It's not enough to have agreement.
Door-to-door, person-to-person conversation demands that we actually listen, elicit what people say they believe, and dig into the deeper stuff that explains why.
This challenges the growing tendency to write people off as unchangeable based on their identity, geography, or past statements. When we say, "People are never going to change; they are who they are," we've already lost.
For those of us leading change initiatives, this speaks directly to influence in leadership. Change equals learning, and mistakes are part of forward progress. But we can't create learning environments when we've decided in advance who's worth listening to and who isn't.
5. Organisational Culture as Your Bouncer
James Kerr's Legacy examines how the New Zealand All Blacks became the most successful sports team in history, not through talent alone, but by staying grounded and focused on organisational culture.
Their transformation from a team in crisis to world champions hinged on one principle: letting culture be the bouncer.
The All Blacks have borrowed a mantra that exemplifies this: "No dickheads." It's their zero-tolerance policy for players who undermine the team's collective goals through selfish behaviour, regardless of their talent.
This reinforces a core truth about effective leadership: alignment isn't agreement; it's a shared commitment to the outcome. Individual brilliance does not lead to outstanding results when one selfish mindset infects a collective culture.
What I love about their approach is the practical rituals that bring culture to life - sweeping the sheds after games, regardless of seniority; using a woven rope with coloured ribbons to mark victories and losses; creating a shared language that connects past, present, and future.
Trust is built through the small things. Through onboarding, meetings, follow-through, and respectful candour. These are the quiet leadership insights that sustain momentum over time.
Leadership Books and Resources Mentioned: Books on Leadership That Shaped My Thinking
Mindmasters - Sandra Matz
Surrounded by Idiots - Thomas Erikson
Revenge of the Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
The Persuaders - Anand Giridharadas
Legacy - James Kerr
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