20 Best Leadership Audiobooks to Inspire You and Your Team

Often what makes leadership so difficult is not the responsibilities or pressure that comes with it, but the soft skills needed to effectively manage people. Unlike many goals, soft skills are difficult to measure, which can make them hard to improve upon. That’s why we brought in the experts. With advice from some of the best in the business to help you inspire your team and improve your workplace, here is our list of the 20 best leadership audiobooks.

Extreme Ownership

How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

De: Jocko Willink, Leif Babin

Narrado por: Jocko Willink, Leif Babin

Serie: Extreme Ownership

Duración: 9 h y 33 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 10-19-15

Idioma: Inglés

5 out of 5 stars 75,767 calificaciones

Good leadership books don’t just belong in the workplace, they should inspire our personal lives as well. In 'Extreme Ownership', Jocko Willink and Leif Babin—two former U.S. Navy SEAL officers highly decorated for their operations in the Iraq War—manage to take their military experience and do just that: share leadership skills that tie into day-to-day life. What makes this audiobook such an enjoyable listen is the way the work jumps back and forth between battle scenes and wisdom. The active nature keeps listeners’ attention with the action-packed moments seamlessly transitioning into practical advice.
Living with a SEAL

31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet

De: Jesse Itzler

Narrado por: Jesse Itzler

Duración: 5 h y 18 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 11-03-15

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 15,330 calificaciones

Another work that focuses on lessons from a Navy SEAL, Jesse Itzler’s 'Living with a SEAL' approaches leadership lessons from the opposite perspective. After falling into the same habits year after year, Itzler hired David Goggins, a Navy SEAL, to whip him into shape. In his own voice, Itzler tells the incredible story of how Goggins put him on a strict training and fitness regimen, turning a month’s worth of hard work into lessons we can all benefit from as leaders. The experiment is not without its funny moments—the extremes into which Goggins pushes Itzler are at times ridiculous, but always constructive. Itzler’s passion for sharing his story is clear in his retelling, which makes it easy for listeners to tune in and take note of his advice.
Great by Choice

De: Jim Collins, Morten T. Hansen

Narrado por: Jim Collins

Duración: 8 h y 45 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 10-11-11

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,230 calificaciones

A decade after his work 'Good to Great', Jim Collins returns with another work focused on the topic of greatness—'Great by Choice'. In this piece, Collins and Hansen analyze nine years of research to determine why some companies thrive under pressure and others fail. Rich with research, this audiobook is brought to life with anecdotes and entertaining tales best experienced by the impassioned author himself reading them aloud. Best of all, this is an actionable audiobook packed with tips you can try out as soon as you hear them.
The 8th Habit

From Effectiveness to Greatness

De: Stephen R. Covey

Narrado por: Stephen R. Covey

Duración: 14 h y 23 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 11-03-04

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 1,900 calificaciones

In Stephen Covey’s follow-up to his best-selling book, 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People', he returns with another habit. The '8th Habit' builds on the same foundation as Covey’s earlier work, and focuses on identifying what makes a person unique, honing in on the traits that will help that person become an effective leader. Meant to be contemplated and analyzed, listeners will be introduced to powerful new topics and ideas that are spelled out and intricately explained: no short cuts or quick fixes here.
Good to Great

Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

De: Jim Collins

Narrado por: Jim Collins

Duración: 10 h y 1 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 07-13-10

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 17,660 calificaciones

Jim Collins’s 'Good to Great' is his original claim to fame as an expert leadership coach. His work is based on the belief that acceptance of 'good' or mediocre work is why many companies never become 'great.' He follows up this theory with five years of research and answers the question on whether every company has the ability to transform from good to great. Deliberately pacing out his performance like a teacher carefully explaining his ideas, you’ll have no trouble following Collins’s latest findings. He is honest and excited to share his work with an audience, and it shows.
Dare to Lead

Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

De: Brené Brown

Narrado por: Brené Brown

Duración: 8 h y 10 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 10-09-18

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 29,560 calificaciones

Brené Brown’s unconventional approach to leadership outlined in 'Dare to Lead' brought her to fame and reframed how we perceive which traits are considered important in leadership. Casting aside any mention of titles, power, or influence, Brown cuts straight to the core, highlighting how true leadership is all about empathy, curiosity, and—most surprising of all—a willingness to share the very power so many covet. With a strong enthusiasm for sharing her research with others, Brown doesn’t beat around the bush with her wisdom and insights. She delivers them with a fire that makes listeners want to follow suit, eager to put her words into practice.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

De: Ben Horowitz

Narrado por: Kevin Kenerly

Duración: 7 h y 57 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 03-04-14

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 14,531 calificaciones

One of Silicon Valley’s most notable entrepreneurs and the cofounder of a venture capital firm, Ben Horowitz cuts straight to the truth in his 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things'. Horowtiz takes his experiences and turns them into comedic, realistic, and actionable advice. Narrator Kevin Kenerly has a unique wit that brings the words to life, more like a friend with a cracking sense of humor than a performer, easily representing Horowitz’s tone without distracting from the work.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

A Leadership Fable

De: Patrick Lencioni

Narrado por: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni

Duración: 3 h y 42 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 10-18-02

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 18,846 calificaciones

In 'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team', Patrick Lencioni explores five common dysfunctions that can happen as teams grow and evolve together. These include things like fear of conflict and absence of trust—which are linked to the roadblocks that keep teams from improving. Lencioni’s work is made distinct with the anecdotes and stories he uses to carry his message forward, making it easy for listeners to tune in and internalize all that Lencioni has to share. To top it off, Charles Stransky’s quick-paced narration is spot on for the material he delivers.
The New One Minute Manager

De: Ken Blanchard, Spencer Johnson

Narrado por: Dan Woren

Duración: 1 h y 27 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 05-05-15

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 6,525 calificaciones

Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson’s work, 'The New One Minute Manager', has to be quick to live up to its title, and it is. Short and to-the-point, this audiobook works to deliver snippets of helpful leadership advice in short bursts, effectively practicing the message it preaches. These are great to listen to on your morning commute, especially when you need a motivational boost. The whole audiobook clocks in at just under an hour-and-a-half and is split into three core areas, each of which is condensed into its own series of minute-long conversations. Listening to these super-short bursts of wisdom, listeners learn how to be an impactful leader in a fraction of the time.
Multipliers, Revised and Updated

How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

De: Liz Wiseman, Stephen Covey - foreword

Narrado por: Liz Wiseman, John Meagher

Duración: 11 h y 24 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 05-16-17

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 1,942 calificaciones

In 'Multipliers', Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown break leaders down into two categories: 'Multipliers'—those who encourage growth from their workers—and 'Diminishers'—those who hinder employee growth. In this work, the authors focus on 'Multipliers', emphasizing how a focus on people versus minute details strengthens teams overall. John Meagher’s quick and well-paced performance makes it easy to internalize data and follow suit—you’ll never feel like a single minute is wasted as you learn more about how to be a productive and effective leader.
Call Sign Chaos

Learning to Lead

De: Jim Mattis, Bing West

Narrado por: Danny Campbell

Duración: 12 h y 1 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 09-03-19

Idioma: Inglés

5 out of 5 stars 5,754 calificaciones

Jim Mattis and Bing West share Mattis’s experience in 'Call Sign Chaos', a listen that looks at his leadership roles in three different wars to his eventual work commanding a quarter of a million troops in the Middle East as Secretary of Defense. Connecting his work to things like the importance of allies and short-sighted thinking, you’ll find it easy to connect Mattis’s experiences with your own day-to-day work. 'Call Sign Chaos' is broken into three core tenets of leadership, making it easy to understand the unique leadership philosophy these men developed through a lifetime of service.
Lean In

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

De: Sheryl Sandberg

Narrado por: Elisa Donovan

Duración: 6 h y 27 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 03-11-13

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 15,803 calificaciones

College populations are now 50 percent women, and Sheryl Sandberg is determined to find out why those numbers don’t translate to the workforce. In 'Lean In', Sandberg aims to empower women to take on leadership roles while also offering concrete reasons as to why women’s representation in the workforce is disproportionate to their education. For women, this audiobook offers a new perspective on how women can achieve success, and for men, Sandberg’s perspective can offer a better understanding of what female friends and coworkers experience in the workplace every day. Performed by Elisa Donovan of 'Clueless' fame, this audiobook feels like getting advice from a close friend who’s been there, and only has your best interest at heart.
Entreleadership

20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches

De: Dave Ramsey

Narrado por: Dave Ramsey

Duración: 6 h y 15 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 09-20-11

Idioma: Inglés

5 out of 5 stars 6,761 calificaciones

Dave Ramsey is widely known as a trusted expert on money and business, which is why no leadership audiobook list would be complete without this work. Sharing tips on how to get your team excited and passionate to show up to work every day (without putting your business in debt), Ramsey gives leaders insight into how his company won 'Best Place to Work' year over year, all the while turning a huge profit. Hearing from Ramsey himself makes the work all the more empowering. Setting aside all formalities, he delivers his advice in a straightforward, easy-to-follow tone, sharing tips and tricks you can put into action almost immediately.
Extraordinary Leadership

De: Robin Sharma

Narrado por: uncredited

Duración: 1 h y 6 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 01-25-08

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 5,105 calificaciones

If you need a burst of inspiration to apply to your leadership skills, 'Extraordinary Leadership' offers a snackable approach to learning more about how to inspire your team. At only an hour long, Sharma’s short lecture covers the lessons he taught key clients like Nike and NASA, anecdotes which will inspire you into action. His energetic and conversational tone paired with his down-to-earth delivery makes the information easy to internalize and put into practice.
It's Your Ship

Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy

De: D. Michael Abrashoff

Narrado por: D. Michael Abrashoff

Duración: 2 h y 56 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 01-03-06

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 731 calificaciones

D. Michael Abrashoff’s experience as a leader is derived from his military experience. But what makes 'It's Your Ship' so uniquely interesting is how Abrashoff connects each lesson to life on a naval boat, making it easy to understand each tip he shares. He is clearly passionate about the subject of leadership and his enthusiasm is infectious, inspiring you to listen closely as he delivers what listeners call 'a must-listen leadership book'.
The Outsiders

Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

De: William N. Thorndike

Narrado por: Brian Troxell

Duración: 5 h y 52 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 10-29-13

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 2,687 calificaciones

In 'The Outsiders', we’re invited to study the data-driven reality of what makes a CEO successful—the shareholder returns over time. Closely analyzing eight CEOs from different backgrounds and experiences, Thorndike determines which attributes led them to their positions today. For each of the eight unconventional CEOs, Thorndike presents an accompanying case study. As each scenario unfolds, listeners are given the time to ponder what they would do in each situation before hearing how the CEOs handled them, maximizing the potential for truly interactive leadership learning.
Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition

Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

De: Kim Scott

Narrado por: Teri Schnaubelt

Duración: 11 h y 55 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 10-01-19

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 1,615 calificaciones

'Radical Candor' is a New York Times best seller that focuses on a simple idea: you don’t have to be a jerk or a pushover to be a good boss, you just have to care and be compassionate towards your team. And with experience as a leader at both Google and Apple, it’s no secret that Kim Scott has the résumé to back up these claims. Scott uses her experience as a leader to inspire listeners, drawing on both practical advice and hilarious stories to drive home each lesson. Each section is filled with focused guidance to better help listeners achieve their leadership goals while creating an environment the entire team will thrive in.
Leaders Eat Last

Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

De: Simon Sinek

Narrado por: Simon Sinek

Serie: Start with Why Series, Libro 2

Duración: 9 h y 23 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 02-18-20

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 4,726 calificaciones

In 'Leaders Eat Last', Simon Sinek dares to imagine a world in which people feel excited to go to work and fulfilled when they leave. But a work environment like this doesn’t come easily as a leader. It comes from sacrifice and a willingness to protect your team and put them first, which is what Sinek focuses on. Though only a few minutes short of an eight-hour workday, you’ll have trouble hitting 'pause' on Sinek’s performance. As you take the time to listen to Sinek’s work, you’ll find yourself rethinking what it means to be a leader.