How to build strong teams: 8 must-read books

Want to make your team more cohesive, collaborative, and successful? These eight books will help
leaders and team members take teamwork to the next level
up6 readers like this
By Carla Rudder
April 10, 2019

Successful teams typically have multiple factors working for them. On a perfect day, they communicate
and collaborate well, they respect diverse opinions and ideas, they recognize and appreciate each
other’s contributions, and they have leaders who create, protect, and nurture an environment in which
the team can thrive.

Of course, not all days are perfect, and even the best teams get stuck from time to time. When that
happens, it’s helpful to have a base of knowledge to draw from to overcome challenges quickly.

[ Are you making decisions in the best way? Read also: 4 styles of decision-making: A leader's guide. ]

Even if your team is far from perfect, you may be only a mindset shift or practical move away from
developing a more cohesive, collaborative – and ultimately, successful – group. We’ve rounded up eight
books that can help you and your team get there.

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People

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By: Gary Chapman and Paul White

Book description (via Amazon): “This book will give you the tools to improve staff morale, create a more
positive workplace, and increase employee engagement. How? By teaching you to effectively
communicate authentic appreciation and encouragement to employees, co-workers, and leaders.”

Why you should read it: In romantic relationships, everyone has a love language – how they prefer to
give and receive love. Similarly, at work, everyone has an appreciation language. And when supervisors
and colleagues understand each others’ primary and secondary languages, workplace relationships
dramatically improve, argue Chapman and White. This book provides an assessment to help teams
determine their appreciation language, and specific actions based on each language.

Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World

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By: Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

Book description (via HBR): “With engaging stories and incisive analysis, the authors reveal the essential
truths that freethinking leaders will recognize immediately: that it is the strength and cohesiveness of
your team, not your company's culture, that matter most; that we should focus less on top-down
planning and more on giving our people reliable, real-time intelligence; that rather than trying to align
people's goals we should strive to align people's sense of purpose and meaning; that people don't want
constant feedback, they want helpful attention. This is the real world of work, as it is and as it should
be.”

Why you should read it: This book challenges long-held wisdom about leading teams – that leaders must
give constant feedback, both positive and negative; that difficult conversations are uncomfortable, but
necessary. According to the authors, these ideas and other faulty assumptions – nine, to be exact –
actually cause disfunction and frustration among teams. Read this book to for a dose of realism for
leaders and teams.

Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World

lies.jpg

By: Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

Book description (via HBR): “With engaging stories and incisive analysis, the authors reveal the essential
truths that freethinking leaders will recognize immediately: that it is the strength and cohesiveness of
your team, not your company's culture, that matter most; that we should focus less on top-down
planning and more on giving our people reliable, real-time intelligence; that rather than trying to align
people's goals we should strive to align people's sense of purpose and meaning; that people don't want
constant feedback, they want helpful attention. This is the real world of work, as it is and as it should
be.”

Why you should read it: This book challenges long-held wisdom about leading teams – that leaders must
give constant feedback, both positive and negative; that difficult conversations are uncomfortable, but
necessary. According to the authors, these ideas and other faulty assumptions – nine, to be exact –
actually cause disfunction and frustration among teams. Read this book to for a dose of realism for
leaders and teams.

Driven by Difference: How Great Companies Fuel Innovation Through Diversity

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By: David Livermore

Book description (via Amazon): “Diverse teams are far more creative than homogenous teams – but only
when they are managed effectively. ‘Driven by Difference’ identifies the management practices
necessary to minimize conflict while maximizing the informational diversity found in varied values and
experiences.”
Why you should read it: Although many companies attempt to bring more diversity to their teams, not
all see increased results from doing so. Livermore draws on diversity success stories from Google,
Alibaba, Novartis, and other companies to reveal the five key elements that determine whether
culturally diverse teams succeed – or become gridlocked due to their differences.

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

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By: Simon Sinek

Book description (via Amazon): “Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-
interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a
‘Circle of Safety’ that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside. Sinek
illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from
government to investment banking.”

Why you should read it: We recently described teams that lack emotional intelligence as “cutthroat.”
Sinek would argue that cutthroat teams also lack great leaders. In his work with organizations around
the globe, Sinek noticed some key differences between teams that trust each other and teams that are
doomed to fail. He breaks these differences down in this book and offers advice for leaders to build
more trust into their teams.

Mastering Collaboration: Make Working Together Less Painful and More Productive

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By: Gretchen Anderson

Book description (via O’Reilly): “Collaboration is key for organizations in the 21st century, yet few
business people have been trained to teach this skill. How do you advance ideas in a collaborative way
and then communicate them throughout your company? In this practical book, author Gretchen
Anderson shows you how to generate ideas with others while gaining buy-in from all levels of your
organization.”

Why you should read it: As companies look for candidates with soft skills to fill open positions in IT, the
ability to collaborate effectively with a team is high on their list of must-have capabilities. This book is
for both team members and team leaders – anyone who wants practical idea, exercises, and techniques
for making better group decisions.

The Catalyst Effect: 12 Skills and Behaviors to Boost Your Impact and Elevate Team Performance

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By: Jerry Toomer, Craig Caldwell, Steve Weitzenkorn, and Chelsea Clark
Book description (via Amazon): “’The Catalyst Effect’ identifies the behaviors and skills needed to lead
from wherever you are, regardless of your role or title. It describes powerful leadership and teamwork
principles – 12 clearly defined competencies, based on field research with professionals in business,
sports, the arts, and non-profit organizations – that will elevate the performance of individuals, teams,
and your entire organization.”

Why you should read it: The best team members and team leaders make everyone around them better.
They are catalysts for creativity and innovation. When leaders build this capability into every member of
their team, they can see dramatic improvement in outcomes. This book promises a practical guide to do
just that.

Collaborative Intelligence: Thinking with People Who Think Differently

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By: Dawna Markova and Angie McArthur

Book description (via Amazon): “Collaborative intelligence, or CQ, is a measure of our ability to think
with others on behalf of what matters to us all. It is emerging as a new professional currency at a time
when the way we think, interact, and innovate is shifting. In the past, ‘market share’ companies ruled by
hierarchy and top-down leadership. Today, the new market leaders are ‘mind share’ companies, where
influence is more important than power, and success relies on collaboration and the ability to inspire.”

Why you should read it: Authors Markova and McArthur worked as “professional thinking partners” to
some of the world’s top CEOs and creative professionals, and became experts at getting difficult people
to work together along the way. If “other people” are your biggest challenge at work, this book can help
you change your thinking – by finding ways to value the thought-patterns and ideas that are different
from your own.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

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By: Patrick Lencioni

Book description (via Amazon): “Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why
teams – even the best ones – often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can
be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team.”

Why you should read it: First published in 2002, this leadership fable offers timeless lessons according to
the CIOs we speak with regularly. They aren’t the only ones who continually revisit Lencioni’s book for
wisdom and advice. The book has more than 2,400 reviews on Amazon. Pick up this book for a gripping
tale that offers insights on issues that team leaders deal with every day.

[ Want advice on leading teams toward an innovative culture? Get the free eBook, Organize for
Innovation, by Jim Whitehurst. ]