The 10 Books That Shaped My Leadership in 2025 (Ranked)

Dec 22

As we close out the year, I’ve been reflecting on one simple question: What actually made me a better leader this year?

Below are the top 10 books I read in 2025, ranked in order of their impact on my life and business. I’m sharing exactly how each one changed me so you can decide which one to need next.

#10: A Colonel & a Cowboy: Mission, Mindset, Process Strategies of the Elite by J. Craig Flowers and Stran T. Smith

This book reinforced a timeless leadership truth: experience plus humility creates wisdom. It’s a reminder that leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about earning trust through character, consistency, and calm under pressure.

#9: Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday

Discipline isn’t punishment; it’s freedom. This book sharpened my daily standards and reminded me that the leaders who win long-term are the ones who do the boring things exceptionally well.

#8: The Family Board Meeting: You Have 18 Summers to Create Lasting Connection with Your Children by Jim Sheils

This reframed how I think about legacy. It taught me to lead my family with the same intentionality, structure, and values I bring to business. It was a great reminder that work success that causes collateral damage at home isn’t true success.

#7: Jesus: The High Road Leader: Follow the Path He Wants Us to Travel by John C. Maxwell and Chris Hodges

Leadership gets tested when emotions run hot. This book showed me how Jesus consistently chose truth, humility, and love over ego, and how taking the high road is often the most powerful leadership move available.

#6: Brain Wash: Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking, Deeper Relationships, and Lasting Happiness by David Perlmutter and Austin Perlmutter

Your thoughts shape your outcomes. This book helped me identify the subtle ways modern culture hijacks our thinking and how disciplined inputs lead to clarity, peace, and better decisions.

#5: Wealthy and Well-Known: Build Your Personal Brand and Turn Your Reputation into Revenue by Rory and AJ Vaden

Influence is stewardship. This book clarified how leaders can grow visibility without compromising integrity, and why being well-known should always serve something bigger than ego.

#4: The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life by Sahil Bloom

This expanded my definition of wealth beyond money. Time, relationships, health, purpose, and finances must all be aligned or eventually, one will bankrupt the others.

#3: Endless Customers: A Proven System to Build Trust, Drive Sales, and Become the Market Leader by Marcus Sheridan

This book changed how I think about growth. The goal isn’t more leads. It’s earning trust so consistently that customers never want to leave. Loyalty beats scale every time.

#2: The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Blake Erickson

This book changed the way I think about the future and gave me clearer models for building teams, systems, and decision-making structures that actually hold up as organizations grow.

#1: The Holy Bible

Nothing else comes close. This book continues to shape my identity, my leadership, and my definition of success. Every other book on this list is simply an echo of truths that Scripture has taught for centuries: lead with love, walk in wisdom, act with courage, and serve faithfully.