I recently finished "Fans First: Change the Game, Break the Rules," a leadership culture book by Jesse Cole. His name might not mean much to you by itself.

But when I tell you that Cole owns the Savannah Bananas baseball team, you get a different feeling. The book is a thought game-changer. One big thing I learned is that the Bananas initially had a limited amount of capital to market their brand of baseball. Outthink, not outspend was a motto that became a mantra. They decided to go big and be different without spending a lot of money, and it paid off. That was the tip of the iceberg with the book.

My experience with "Fans First" sparked a profound realization. It made me wonder about the transformative power of other books and experiences I might be missing out on. So, I reached out to some of the folks I know as readers interested in growing as leaders. 

Here are some of their recommendations for books that have the potential to inspire and motivate you on your leadership journey:

• Curt McCallister, CEO of CP Management, found it challenging to choose one of the many books he's read throughout his career, but he settled upon "Trust in the Balance" by Robert Bruce Shaw. He says, "(The book) has stuck with me over the years as one of the best and influenced my way of thinking about effectively leading an organization."
• My friend, Matthew Fields, director of business development for Buji ActionCOACH, suggests two books: "Leaders East Last" by Simon Sinek and "Leadership and Self-Deception" by The Arbinger Institute. He values the former because it stresses "the importance of trust and empathy in leadership," while the latter "offers profound insights into how self-deception can undermine leadership effectiveness."
• Brandon Smith, producer/CEO of The Scioto Society, says the book that most influenced his management style is "Command Performance" by Jane Alexander, the former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. He admits it is not "a management book, but a story of how to manage in the most dire of circumstances." 
• Another out-of-the-box choice came from Ohio University Chillicothe Dean Roberta Milliken, who says Shakespeare's tragedies and history plays because the themes of those works explore how best to govern and what type of person should be in the position to govern." 

"I think one can easily extrapolate from these plays essential core lessons about leadership that certainly still generally apply today--key lessons about the importance of responsibility, generosity of thought and actions, humility, empathy, and effective communication as well as the need to build trust, discern character, build a good team, and set smart goals," she says.

Lest we think she's too "egg-headed" (her word, not mine), she also recommends "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg, even though she doesn't agree with all the premises and advice Sandberg shares. 

She shares: "It acknowledges the value and complexity of perspectives within an organization and the often under-realized cultural assumptions that govern behaviors. That it is written by a woman and has "Women" in the title has unfortunately led many men to assume they would not benefit from it. However, as we know, a shift in perspective can lead to momentous advantages, and such increases in understanding should never be disregarded or trivialized. Therefore, I think it is a beneficial read for anyone interested in leadership."

• Dell Smith, owner of Anytime Fitness of Chillicothe and entrepreneur, chose "The 4 Disciplines of Execution" by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling. Smith's businesses now center all pay plans, meeting cadences, and overall practices around the principles he learned in this book. 

He says: "This book is particularly impactful because it offers a straightforward yet powerful framework for translating strategy into actionable steps. The four disciplines—focusing on the wildly important, acting on lead measures, keeping a compelling scoreboard, and creating a cadence of accountability—have been instrumental in driving execution and achieving meaningful results within my teams. It emphasizes the importance of clarity and accountability, which are crucial for effective leadership and team performance."

• Jonathan Davis, superintendent of Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Center, selects "Legacy" by James Kerr. The book chronicles the All Blacks—the New Zealand national rugby team—and he calls it "one of the most inspiring and convicting" books he's read in a long time.

He says, "Because it is on the world-renowned rugby team, it obviously has a ton of athletic references, but the principles translate seamlessly to high-functioning organizations. It really reinforced some of the behaviors I believe are vital in leadership and inspired me to begin improving in other areas. He routinely references Covey, Kahneman, and other influential thought leaders. I'm not a fast reader, but I finished this one in a matter of a couple of days."

Other suggestions:

• Marvin Jones, former Chamber CEO and current CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Central Ohio, chooses "Good to Great by Jim Collins."
• Anna Armistead, program coordinator of the Hope Partnership Project and president of the Chamber's EPIC Young Professionals group, is reading "Dare to Lead" by Brene Brown.
• Ken Shelton, the Chamber's Entrepreneur of the Year for 2023, chose "Now Here's the Deal: A Perpsective of Life and Business" by Chillicothe's C. Patrick McAllister with Karen Patterson.