Fostering leadership, respect, humility and fun within a team takes effort and knowledge. Becoming a leader takes effort and practice as well. Here are some great leadership books for both athletes and coaches.

10 Best Leadership Books For Every Team:

The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to Be a Great Teammate by Jon Gordon: A quick and easy read perfect for the coach or even the player. Gordon shares the story of George…, the Cornell Lacrosse player who died during a game. A legacy to emulate.
Winning Kids With Sport by Dr. Rick McGuire: A great resource for all coaches written by my mentor Coach McGuire. Learn to win by winning your athletes first. McGuire teaches how to build up the mental and emotional skills of our athletes in practical and constructive ways. A must-have resource for any teacher and coach.
InSide Out Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives by Joe Ehrmann. Erhmann’s story is inspiring and motivating. As a coach, you cannot expect your team to be leaders if you yourself are not. We must accept our responsibility in the culture we provide our players. This is a must read for every coach!
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek Referenced to the business world, this book is highly applicable to a sports team as well. Centering off the principle of a Marine Corps general that “Officers eat last,” Sinek shares numerous other stories of how this principle gains loyal, stable and confident teams.
Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon. An easy read and great crossover for your personal life, work and your team. Our energy and our attitude are contagious and impact both the easy and challenging times.
Reach for the Summit: The Definite Dozen System for Succeeding at Whatever You Do by Pat Summitt. This is an oldie but a goodie. The Legend, Summitt shares her Definite Dozen System and why each principle is necessary for success on and off the court.
Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden. A legend. Wooden’s book explores the emotional, mental and physical qualities that build a successful team in any organization. His building blocks to success have proven widely popular. I also love his kid’s book, Inch and Miles. I used to read to my fourth grade class and have now started reading with my own children.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. For girls off the field. Lean In explores the history of women in the workforce and then inspires them to strive to be the leaders of today and tomorrow.
The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently by Tony Dungy. Dungy has long been a coach I admired as he was always the strong silent leader on the sidelines in a sport where loud and brash behavior seems the norm. In this book he shares his philosophy on mentor leadership and why it brings out the best in people.
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown. I love Brene Brown. While this is more of an introspective topic, I firmly believe you cannot lead others if you aren’t vulnerable and honest with yourself. This is a great book to examine and build deeper self awareness and ultimately grow into a strong leader in all areas of your life.