What if reading just three vastly different books was all it took to level up and fine-tune your leadership skills?
Well, I am going out on a limb here to say that these are the three.
The Takeaway: Three Books, One Powerful Mindset Shift. Each book focuses on different aspects of leadership: personal growth, teamwork, resilience, peak performance, and a fresh perspective on success and failure. Together, they form a blueprint for excelling in life and business.
- Humanball will change how you think about leadership and teamwork.
- Right Kind of Wrong will make you embrace failure as a stepping stone to success.
- The World’s Fittest Book will push you to test your limits.
Start with these if you’re looking to level up — whether in business, sports, or life in general. They’ll challenge you, inspire you, and even get you to rethink what’s possible.
1. Humanball: Leadership, Rugby, and the Art of High-Performance
Humanball explores the psychology of leadership and team culture. It looks at the important human factors that drive success, not only in rugby but in any group effort.
Dawson-Squibb offers a unique mix of coaching experience and behavioural insights, shaped by his time with the University of Cape Town’s Ikey Tigers. The book isn’t just about what happens on the field; it’s about what happens between people.
A key idea is that connection and shared purpose are as important as technical skill. While this is not a new concept, the clarity and personal stories make it very convincing.
One of the most refreshing aspects of Humanball is how it dismantles the myth of the lone genius leader. It shows that teams are smarter together. True leadership means helping others instead of just taking charge. The numerous sporting stories illustrate that teamwork, not just star players, leads to success. It’s about a culture where everyone knows their role and values what they bring to the team.
Humanball stands out from other leadership books. It avoids corporate jargon and stays real and relatable. It doesn’t pretend that creating a strong team is easy. It recognises the setbacks, conflicts, and emotional challenges involved. It says that investing in human connection is not just a nice idea; it’s key for long-term success.
This book will change how you view leadership if you lead a team in sports, business, or elsewhere. It’s not about barking orders but creating something bigger than yourself.
2. Right Kind of Wrong: How to Fail Like a Pro
In Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, Harvard professor Amy C. Edmondson questions our views on failure. She encourages us to rethink how we learn from our mistakes. Edmondson uses decades of research on organisational behaviour to create a clear framework. This helps us understand failure better. She shows the different types of failure and how we can use them for growth.
Edmondson introduces readers to three archetypes of failure:
- Basic Failures: These are mistakes we can avoid. They happen when we stray from known procedures or lack the needed skills. They often happen during regular tasks. Training and following set protocols can help reduce them.
- Complex Failures: These happen in systems with many interacting factors. They stress the need for system awareness. They also stress the need for careful monitoring to catch small issues early.
- Intelligent Failures: These happen at the edge of knowledge. They come from careful experiments and are key for innovation. They offer valuable insights that help us grow, so we should see them as chances to learn.
Edmondson highlights that not all failures are the same. By categorising them, she shows that knowing their nature is vital for personal and organisational growth.
A main theme of the book is psychological safety. People can share their thoughts, express themselves, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment. Edmondson shows that creating this environment is key for learning from failures and avoiding them in the future. She shares real-life examples from different industries. Organisations with strong psychological safety manage failures better and innovate more effectively.
Edmondson explores how we think about failure. She highlights the importance of self-awareness, humility, and curiosity. She encourages people to reflect on their mistakes, seek feedback, and view failures as opportunities for growth, not setbacks. Changing this view is key to building resilience and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Right Kind of Wrong is a compelling guide to redefining our relationship with failure. Edmondson’s insights encourage readers to see mistakes differently. Instead of viewing errors as stigma, they should view errors as key parts of learning and innovation.
3. The World’s Fittest Book: Train for Anything, Anywhere
If there’s one person who makes you question whether you’ve been slacking off in life, it’s Ross Edgley. This man swam around Great Britain — the whole island. He faced jellyfish, saltwater ulcers, and extreme exhaustion. And that’s just one of his many insane feats.
In The World’s Fittest Book, Edgley shares lessons from top athletes, ancient warriors, and his own tough endurance tests. But what I love most is that he doesn’t just throw out workouts and expect you to follow them blindly. Instead, he shapes a fitness mindset that is adaptable, enjoyable, and built to last — one I think anyone can adopt.
He writes like your eager gym buddy. He knows a lot about fitness, but he’s not annoying at all. He covers strength, endurance, mental toughness, and unique training methods. This includes strongman workouts and cold-water immersion.
Even if you’re not planning to swim around a continent, this book will make you rethink your capabilities. Your mind, your body and even how you lead. And who knows? You might just find yourself setting crazier goals than you ever thought possible.
Level Up Your Leadership
True leadership isn’t just about titles. It’s about having the right mindset, being adaptable, and always growing. These three books offer a strong guide for mastering leadership, accepting failure, and achieving peak performance.
No matter if you’re leading a business, a team, or your own path, these lessons will inspire you to think bigger, work harder, and redefine success. Books are an incredible way to grow as a leader, but for those in a hurry, podcasts are as well. Here are three business podcasts that every emerging leader should have on their playlist.
