As we begin 2026 to be successful together, it has been my experience that the best leaders consistently demonstrate intentional behaviors that shape their interactions.
One of the most important opportunities a business leader has is the ability to grow as a person – every day. This growth, however, does not happen in a silo. To grow, one must be willing to learn and if necessary, to unlearn. Leading a business, inspiring people, and nurturing an enduring professional environment of respect and performance does not happen without a lot of dedication.
To help me in my own personal growth and leadership development journey, I read. A lot! With 2026 now here, I wanted to share these five essential leadership books with you – all of which have taught me ways to think, plan and act as an intentional and purposeful leader, one who is engaged, strategic, and, above all else, human.
The most effective leaders lead with humanity as a strategy. In support of that endeavor, here are five books to help make 2026 the year of very intentional, very ‘humanity as a strategy’ leadership.
Moving across a range of disciplines, Robert M. Sapolsky, a neuroscientist and primatologist, uncovers the hidden story of our actions. Undertaking some of our thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, and war and peace, Behave is a towering achievement, a majestic synthesis of cutting-edge research and a heroic exploration of why we ultimately do the things we do as human beings, for good, and for bad.
This book will make you ask the question: Why do we do the things we do? And in that question, for all of us, the answers will be different, and, on a personal level, filled with the sometimes uncomfortable gift of self-discovery. The book, given the author’s areas of expertise, is rooted in science, specifically biology, but it’s rooted in so much more to me – humanity, and what it means to be a human being who is responsible to oneself, and others. The author shares that, by the time you finish the book, you’ll see that it makes no sense to distinguish between aspects of a behavior that are biological, and those that might be best described as psychological or cultural. In short, everything is intertwined. Which, in my opinion, means that for business leaders, recognizing the impact of workplace culture, and respecting the complexities and diversities of human behavior create the lifeline of any organization, giving humanity as a strategy meaning for emotionally intelligent leadership.
David Chang is the chef and founder of Momofuku. Since opening his first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar, in 2004, he has received six James Beard Awards and has been recognized as GQ’s Man of the Year and a Time 100 honoree. He is the host of The Dave Chang Show podcast and two Netflix original documentary series, Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner and Ugly Delicious. His cookbook, Momofuku, is a New York Times bestseller.
So, why did I read his book, Eat a Peach? It’s a classic underdog story, filled with challenges and inspiration, told with humor. It’s Chang’s memoir, on success, failure, and the lessons and opportunities each brings. In fact, Chang talks about how he discovered that success can be much harder to understand than failure.
In the prologue for this book, Chang shares that he promised his publisher that the book would be a self-help manual about leadership and entrepreneurial strategy for young chefs. It turned out to be a vulnerable memoir. Full of grace and lots of grit, Eat a Peach chronicles Chang’s switchback path. He lays bare his mistakes and wonders about his extraordinary luck as he recounts the improbable series of events that led him to the top of his profession. He wrestles with his lifelong feelings of otherness and inadequacy, explores the mental illness that almost killed him, and finds hope in the shared value of deliciousness. Along the way, Chang gives us a look at restaurant life, in which he balances his deep love for the kitchen with unflinching honesty about the industry’s history of brutality, and its uncertain future. If you are fighting to find yourself in business and in leadership, this book serves up good food for thought.
Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park (EMP), a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. A little over a decade later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world.
How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room, and memorable, over-the-top hospitality. Guidara’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most difficult business dilemmas is to give more, not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner. It’s also a testament to delivering true and even magical hospitality, and, in doing so, celebrating the humanity in everyone.
This one surprised me! Why? Well, this one is more of a history book, but with a deep dive into the managerial genius and extraordinary empathy of one of the most transformative political figures in American history, Abraham Lincoln.
It’s important to know that author Doris Kearns Goodwin’s interest in leadership began more than half a century ago as a professor at Harvard. Her experiences working for Lyndon Johnson in the White House and later assisting him on his memoirs led to her bestselling Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream. She followed up with the Pulitzer Prize–winning No Ordinary Time: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. Goodwin earned the Lincoln Prize for the runaway bestseller Team of Rivals, the basis for Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning film Lincoln.
So, why is this book on my list for leading with humanity as a strategy in 2026? Well, Team of Rivals doesn't just tell the story of Abraham Lincoln. It is a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that he put together to lead the country through its greatest crisis. Lincoln’s success in dealing with the strong egos of the men in his cabinet suggests that in the hands of a truly great leader, the qualities we generally associate with decency and morality, kindness, sensitivity, compassion, honesty, and empathy, can also be impressive managerial resources. In order to “win a man to your cause,” Lincoln explained, you must first reach his heart, “the great high road to his reason.” This book supports the advocacy of humanity as a strategy, and compassion in leadership – as it gives a deeply human look at one of the most pivotal and embattled leaders the United States has ever experienced.
Do you listen to your employees? Do you even listen to yourself? You're Not Listening is New York Times contributor Kate Murphy's eye-opening wake-up call about the worldwide epidemic of not listening.
As the book starts, Murphy asks the question: When was the last time you listened to someone? Really listened, without thinking about what you wanted to say next, glancing down at your phone, or jumping in to offer your opinion? This made me stop – and think. When was the last time I really listened to someone? To write this book, Murphy went to some of the most accomplished and astute individuals she had profiled or interviewed over the years, including entertainers, CEOs, politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, chefs, artists, religious leaders, authors, professional athletes and more. She wanted to know what listening meant to each of them, and how it feels when someone listens to them – and doesn’t listen to them. Reading this book, you might just discover what listening means to you, and whether you really listen to anyone. In my opinion, as a business leader, it’s important to lead by listening. Why? Listening is a vital component of lead