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The adage is true, “leaders are readers”. Likewise, I also believe that the best way to increase your net worth is by increasing your self-worth.

In today’s technology driven and fast paced society, good old fashion reading is still one of the most productive ways leaders can learn. And if you are a leader, either in the positional sense or by means of influence, lifelong learning is perhaps the second most critical aspect for a successful tenure, coming only after maintaining integrity.

As the last week of 2013 comes to a close, I have been in quite the reflective mood. When I saw that a friend of mine and another avid reader, posted a list of the books he read this year, I too decided to catalog all the books I’ve read and compile them into this list. My hope is to provide others with a “suggested reading” page of sorts, with the 118 books that helped me grow in 2013.

Essentially, my book reading can be arranged into two universal categories: ministry and leadership. There certainly are other subcategories that I read like spiritual formation, biographies, history, some fiction, business books, and the literary classics, but by in large, every title I will name can be broadly identified with one of these two general categories, if not both.

Keep in mind that these are all hard back or paperback books from my own personal library. I buy books like some women buy shoes. Investing in my spiritual and professional growth is so important to me that I even have a specific line item in my budget, just for buying books. I agree with Henry Ford who said, “A dollar put into a book and a book mastered might change the whole course of a boy’s life. It might easily be the beginning of the development of leadership that would carry the boy far in service to his fellow men.”

The following list then does not include my daily personal Bible reading and devotional time, though two works listed are biblical translations. Blog and newsletter subscriptions, academic journals, magazines and websites I follow will not appear either. Also, while there are tons of great ebooks out there, I have also refrained from including them here. However, I would encourage you to read two great ebooks by budding leadership experts of whom I have had the pleasure of endorsing and reviewing their titles.  “He Said, She Said, and You?” can be found at my friend, Paul Sohn’s website Salt and Light and “The Leadership Mandate” can be downloaded at DanBlackonLeadership. I have also resisted the temptation to include audio books I’ve listened to. While this is a great way to multitask learning, this post focuses solely on the power of reading.

It is said that presidents Thomas Jefferson, who founded the Library of Congress among his many other notable accomplishments, and Abraham Lincoln, who only had one year of formal education mind you, read a book a day. In the Christian world, voracious readers and spiritual leaders like Billy Graham, Rick Warren, and John Maxwell have learned to leverage their platform and expertise to gain influence on the world’s stage that transcends the church and reaches into the disciplines of business, the nonprofit sector, and international politics.

Motivational speaker, humorist, and personal development pioneer, Charles “Tremendous” Jones was famous for saying “You are the same today as you’ll be in five years except for two things, the people you meet and the books you read.” In a similar vein, Forbes leadership columnist and America’s top CEO Coach Mike Myatt says that “To the person, the best leaders I know are prolific readers. The most successful people I know consume written content at a pace that far exceeds that of the average person. If you want to improve your station in life, as well as the lives around you –read more.”

Just this morning I was consulting with an entrepreneur and friend of mine, in hopes to help him become both more comfortable and confident in his reading habits. Instead of trying to push through a book that you’re not interested in, I encouraged him to put it down and not feel guilty about abandoning it, because that’s time wasted that could be spent reading something he might rather enjoy or be challenged by. The biggest piece of advice I gave him and I’ll give you, is that motivation may get you moving, but discipline keeps you going. Create reading rhythms and stick to them. Discover the time of day that you are most alert, either in the morning, afternoon or evening, and then invest an hour or so into making yourself better. In addition, find out what you want to read and what you need to read. Different industries may have premier publications that if read, will benefit you with insider knowledge of the latest research or fads. Ask those you respect for book recommendations and browse through your local book store’s bestseller shelf. Expose yourself to new subjects and review the classics. Just keep reading, leading, and ultimately benefiting the lives of others.

The 118 Titles Read in 2013

Ministry:

“The Story: The Bible as One Continuous Story of God and His People” (NIV)

“The Books of the Bible: New Testament” (NIV)

“Leadership that Works: Hope and Direction for Church and Parachurch Leaders in Today’s Complex World” by Leith Anderson

“Handbook for Battered Leaders” by Janis and Wesley Balda

“Jesus the Messiah: Tracing the Promises, Expectations, and Coming of Israel’s King” by Herbert Bateman IV, Gordon Johnston and Darrell Bock

“Wisdom of Lyle E. Schaller: The Elder Statesman of Church Leadership” by Warren Bird

“Leading Kingdom Movements: The Everyman’s Notebook on How to Change the World” by Mike Breen

“Difference Makers: An Action Guide for Jesus Followers” by M. Scott Boren

“Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission” by David Bosch

“Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples” by Francis Chan with Mark Beuving

“Real Life: A Christianity Worth Living Out” by James Choung

“Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said” by Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo

“Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement” by Dave and Jon Ferguson

“Prodigal Christianity: 10 Signposts into the Missional Frontier” by David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw

“Announcing the Kingdom: The Story of God’s Mission in the Bible” by Arthur Glasser with Charles Van Engen, Dean Gilliland, and Shawn Redford

“Fight: Winning the Battles that Matter Most” by Craig Groeschel

“Leadership from the Inside Out: Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader” by Kevin Harney

“The Awakening of Hope: Why We Practice a Common Faith” by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

“Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today” by Joseph Hellerman

“The Gospel in Human Context: Anthropological Explorations in Contemporary Missions” by Paul Hiebert

“Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change” by Paul Hiebert

“Understanding Folk Religion: A Christian Response to Popular Beliefs and Practices” by Paul Hiebert, Daniewl Shaw, and Tite Tienou

“Move Your Church to Action” by Kent Hunter

“When Heaven Invades Earth: A Practical Guide to Life of Miracles” by Bill Johnson

“The Missional Journey” by Robert Logan

“Innovation’s Dirty Little Secret: Why Serial Innovators Succeed Where Others Fail” by Larry Osborne

“The Blueprint: A Revolution Plan to Plant Missional Communities on Campus” by Jason Ma

“Look Before You Lead: How to Discern & Shape Your Church Culture” by Aubrey Malphurs

“Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21^st Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders” by Aubrey Malphurs

“Thriving Churches in the Twenty-First Century: 10 Life Giving Systems for Vibrant Ministry” by Gary McIntosh and Daniel Reeves

“The Barbarian Way: Unleash The Untamed Faith Within” by Erwin McManus

“How to Multiply Your Church: The Most Effective Way to Grow” by Ralph Moore

“Introducing World Missions: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey” by A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee

“Church Planter: The Man, The Message, The Mission” by Darrin Patrick

“24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier and Happier Life” by Matthew Sleeth

“The Church Leader’s MBA: What Business School Instructors Wish Church Leaders Knew about Management” by Mark Smith and David Wright

“Footprints of God: A Narrative Theology of Mission” by Charles Van Engen, Nancy Thomas, and Robert Gallagher, editors

“Paradigm Shifts in Christian Witness: Insights from Anthropology, Communication, and Spiritual Power” by Charles Van Engen, Darrell Whiteman, and J. Dudley Woodberry, editors

“Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action” by Nick Vujicic

“Missional Moves: 15 Tectonic Shifts that Transform Churches, Communities, and the World” by Rob Wegner and Jack Magruder

“The Healthy Church: Practical Ways to Strengthen a Church’s Heart” by Bob Whitesel

“The Leadership Wisdom of Solomon: 28 Essential Strategies for Leading with Integrity” by Pat Williams

“Creating a Missional Culture: Equipping the Church for the Sake of the World” by JR Woodward

“The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative” by Christopher J. H. Wright

Leadership:

“Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and your Dream Job” by Jon Acuff

“As A Man Thinketh” by James Allen

“Making the Numbers: How to Use Sales Benchmarking to Drive Performance” by Greg Alexander

“The Decision Maker: Unlock the Potential of Everyone in Your Organization, One Decision at a Time” by Dennis Bakke

“Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest” by Peter Block

“The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leadersless Organizations” by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom

“Transforming Business: Leading People from the Inside Out” by Paul Brown

“The Wisdom of the Irish: A Concise Anthology” by Suheil Bushrui

“Focused Lives: Inspiring Life Changing Lessons from Eight Effective Christian Leaders Who Finished Well” by Robert Clinton

“Strategic Concepts that Clarify a Focused Life: A Self-Study Manual Defining and Applying Focused Life Concepts to Leaders Today” by Robert Clinton

“Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge: Why Some People Get Results and Others Don’t” by Henry Cloud

“The Six Sigma Revolution: How General Electric and Others Turned Process Into Profit” by George Eckes

“Developing a Learning Classroom: Moving Beyond Management Through Relationships, Relevance and Rigor” by Nic Cooper and Betty Garner

“Drucker on Leadership: New Lessons from the Father of Modern Management” by William Cohen

“Trust: The One Thing that Makes or Breaks a Leader” by Les T. Csorba

“The Effective Executive in Action” by Peter F. Drucker

“The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done” by Peter F. Drucker

“The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization: An Inspiring Tool for Organizations and the People who Lead Them” by Peter F. Drucker

“The ABC’s of Relationship Selling” by Charles Futrell

“Five Minds for the Future” by Howard Gardner

“True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership” by Bill George

“Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value” by Bill George

“7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis” by Bill George

“Servant Leadership: A Journey Into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness” by Robert Greenleaf

“Empowerment for High Performing Organizations” by Bill Guillory and Linda Galindo

“Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change” by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler

“Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading” by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky

“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill

“The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader” by James Hunter

“Toy Box Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Toys you Loved as a Child” by Ron Hunter and Michael Waddell

“Where Have All the Leaders Gone?” by Lee Iacocca

“Life is Tremendous” by Charles Jones

“The Truth about Leadership: No-Fads, Heart of the Matter Facts You Need to Know” by James Kouzes and Barry Posner

“Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works” by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin

“The Advantage: Why Organizational Healthy Trumps Everything in Business” by Patrick Lencioni

“The Catalyst Leader: Becoming a Change Maker: by Brad Lomenick

“Take Charge of Your Talent: Three Keys to Thriving in Your Career, Organization, and Life” by Don Maruska and Jay Perry

“The Maxwell Daily Reader: 365 Days of Insight to Develop the Leader Within You and Influence Those Around You” by John C. Maxwell

“A Leader’s Heart: 365 Day Devotional Journal” by John C. Maxwell

“Think on These Things: Meditations for Leaders, 25^th Anniversary Edition” by John C. Maxwell

“Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn: Life’s Greatest Lessons Are Gained From Our Losses” by John C. Maxwell

“7 Men: And the Secrets of their Greatness” by Eric Metaxas

“The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field” by Mike Michalowicz

“The Heart of a Leadership: Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow” by Mark Miller

“The Corporate Coach: How to Build a Team of Loyal Customers and Happy Employees” by James Miller

“To The Desert and Back: The Story of One of the Most Dramatic Business Transformations on Record” by Philip Mirvis, Karen Ayas, and George Roth

“Hacking Leadership: The 11 Gaps Every Business Needs to Close And the Secrets to Closing Them Quickly” by Mike Myatt

“Secrets of Entrepreneurial Leadership: Building Top Performance through Trust and Teamwork” by Ted Nicholas

“Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation” by Parker Palmer

“Leadership: Inspire, Liberate, Achieve” by Tom Peters

“Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath

“Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life” by Bruce Rosenstein

“Putting Total Quality Management to Work: What TQM Means, How to Use it, and How to Sustain it Over the Long Haul” by Marshal Sashkin and Kenneth Kiser

“The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership” by Steven Sample

“Riding the Blue Train: A Leadership Plan for Explosive Growth” by Bart Sayle and Surinder Kumar

“Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential” by Gordon T. Smith

“The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management: Proven Strategies for Increased Productivity and Inner Peace” by Hyrum Smith

“Leadership and the Art of the Struggle: How Great Leaders Grow Through Challenge and Adversity” by Steven Snyder

“The Great Game of Business: Unlockign the Power of Productivity of Open Book Management” by Jack Stack

“The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market” by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema

“Leaders Open Doors: A Radically Simple Leadership Approach to Lift People, Profits, and Performance” by Bill Treasure

“Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO’s Quest for Meaning and Authenticity” by August Turak

NOTE: The following books are of “Honorable Mention” of which I begun, read several chapters, but have not finished completely yet. Because of the worth of their content, I wanted to include them in this blog post. They are all certainly worth checking out.

“Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness” by Dan Allender

“Prayer That Brings Revival: Interceding for God to Move in Your Family, Church, and Community” by David Yonggi Cho

“Change is Like a Slinky: 30 Strategies for Promoting and Surviving Change in Your Organization” by Hans Finzel

“The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church” by Dave Gibbons

“It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It, and Keep It” by Craig Groeschel

“Sacrilege: Finding Life in the Unorthodox Ways of Jesus” by Hugh Halter

“AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church” by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

“On the Verge: A Journey into the Apostolic Future of the Church” by Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson

“Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs For. What Every Church Can Be” by James Macdonald

“Revise Us Again: Living from a Renewed Christian Script” by Frank Viola

“How to Have a Healing Ministry in any Church: A Comprehensive Guide” by C. Peter Wagner

“Spiritual Power and Church Growth: Lessons from the Amazing Growth of Pentecostal Churches in Latin America” by C. Peter Wagner