6 Books to Lead with Humanity as a Strategy in 2025

As we begin 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what it truly means to lead with intention. In my experience, the best leaders consistently demonstrate purposeful behaviors—both in their big decisions and in the small, split-second choices that shape their team’s culture and productivity.

Above all, the most effective leaders lead with humanity as a strategy.

For me, leading with humanity is the most important way I can approach being an intentional leader and a positive team member. Taking on each day with a deliberate mindset to be present, as well as emotionally available and respectful, is the core of my leadership presence – and hopefully my actions as a human being.

One of the greatest privileges of being a leader is the opportunity to grow every single 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. And, sometimes, dedication takes learning.

Great leaders are lifelong learners.

In my own leadership journey, I’ve found inspiration from a variety of fields—psychology, economics, human resources, and sociology, to name a few. Each discipline offers unique insights into how we can better understand ourselves and those around us. At the heart of it all is self-awareness and a willingness to reflect on how we can do better.

If you’re ready to grow as a leader in 2025, here are six books I recommend. These titles have been instrumental in shaping my leadership philosophy and may inspire you to lead with humanity as your guiding principle:

1. The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness

The Power of Nice by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval illustrates the surprising power of nice with an array of real-life examples from the business arena as well as from their personal lives. Most importantly, Thaler and Koval present a plan of action covering everything from creating a positive impression to sweetening the pot to turning enemies into allies. Filled with inspiration and suggestions on how to supercharge your career and expand your reach in the workplace, The Power of Nice will transform how you live and work. Hint: Nice guys don’t finish last!

2. Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose

Firms of Endearment by Rajendra Sisodia, David Wolfe, and Jag Sheth discusses how today’s best companies get it. From retail to finance and industries in between, the organizations who recognize that doing good is good business are becoming the ultimate value creators. They’re changing their culture and generating every form of value that matters – emotional, experiential, social, and financial. And they’re doing it for everyone in the organization – not just because it’s simply politically correct or good for the bottom line, but because it’s the only pathway to a sustainable, happy, and productive workplace.

3. Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for your People Like Family

Everybody Matters is a great read authored by Bob Chapman and Rag Sisodia. Chapman and Sisodia show how any organization can reject the traumatic consequences of a troubled work experience – such as rolling layoffs, dehumanizing rules, or hyper competitive cultures. Once you stop treating people like functions or costs, disengaged workers begin to share their gifts and talents toward a shared future. Uninspired workers stop feeling that their jobs have no meaning. Frustrated workers stop taking their bad days out on their spouses and kids. And everyone stops counting the minutes until it’s time to go home.

This book chronicles Chapman’s journey to find his true calling, going behind the scenes as his team tackles real-world challenges with caring, empathy, and inspiration. It also provides clear steps to transform your own workplace, whether you lead two people or two million!

4. Love 'Em or Lose 'Em, Sixth Edition: Getting Good People to Stay

Love 'Em or Lose 'Em is a great book by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans. The sixth edition of this bestselling employee retention book puts a new emphasis on diversity and inclusion but keeps the same appealing format familiar to Love 'Em or Lose 'Em readers of 26 simple strategies from A to Z. This edition aims to help managers all over the world create a supportive workplace culture so they can fight burnout and keep the people they can least afford to lose. The themes and issues laid out in the book offer opportunities for leaders and entrepreneurs committed to advancing equity and inclusion in their businesses or endeavors while hitting on the biggest goal for any HR department in any company – attracting and retaining the best people.

5. Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

Kim Scott’s Radical Candor delivers a straightforward yet impactful message: leaders don’t have to choose between being a pushover or a jerk. Drawing on her leadership experience at Google and Apple, Scott introduces a management philosophy centered on caring personally while challenging directly. The book emphasizes building Radically Candid relationships by fostering open feedback, offering guidance that promotes growth, and balancing praise with constructive criticism. Leaders who adopt this approach can create a culture of compassionate candor, build cohesive teams, and achieve results collaboratively. A must-read for business leaders and entrepreneurs, Radical Candor advocates for kind yet effective leadership, helping employees thrive as their best selves while loving their work.

6. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown reinforced the position that a leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas and has the courage to develop that potential. Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question:

How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?

In response, Brown offers: “One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It’s learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It’s why we’re here.” In my opinion, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts is a worthy read for any business leader looking to lead with humanity as a strategy. Remember: Who we are, is how we lead.