On December 3, 2025, a feature story appeared exclusively for Business Insider subscribers, inviting readers to explore the intersection between books and leadership. The piece offers a rare glimpse into the intellectual and emotional influences that have shaped six distinguished executives, each hailing from major industries—ranging from technology and telecommunications to fashion, finance, and sustainability. In this curated collection of perspectives, each leader reveals the literary works that helped define their approach to decision-making, emotional intelligence, and people management. The article encourages readers, particularly as the holiday season approaches, to consider gifting meaningful books that foster both personal and professional growth.
In November, six executives were asked to share the titles that most deeply molded their philosophies on leadership. These professionals represent a spectrum of fields—from Big Tech giants such as Amazon Web Services and IBM to financial powerhouses like Mastercard, and even lifestyle and beauty innovators like Revlon and Mejuri. The list that emerged is as diverse as the executives themselves: it includes classic management texts, insightful examinations of psychological and emotional awareness, and thought-provoking biographies that explore the human dimension of leadership. Together, these selections highlight one unifying theme—the belief that great leadership stems from understanding both people and oneself.
Sarah Cooper, Director of AI Native at Amazon Web Services, explained that she is revisiting Clayton Christensen’s seminal work, *The Innovator’s Dilemma*. She describes it as a foundational text that breaks down how modernization and disruption redefine entire industries, providing guidance on how to both recognize and leverage transformative change. The book, she noted, continues to resonate profoundly in today’s AI-driven workplace. Cooper also forges her leadership philosophy around Daniel Goleman’s groundbreaking *Emotional Intelligence*, a book that redefined the understanding of professional success by emphasizing empathy, self-awareness, and interpersonal sensitivity. In her view, as artificial intelligence reshapes professional environments, leading with empathy and emotional intelligence becomes not only beneficial but absolutely essential. “I truly believe that the way we work could change dramatically,” Cooper reflected, underlining her conviction that adaptability and compassion must evolve hand in hand.
From an entirely different vantage point, Jennifer Van Buskirk, AT&T’s Head of Business Operations, shared how her energetic and risk-embracing personality shapes her leadership journey. Having spent over twenty-five years with the telecommunications giant, Van Buskirk values qualities such as bravery, initiative, and accountability. She describes herself as “a bit of an adrenaline junkie,” and even uses the trait as a lens when assessing potential team members during interviews. Her selected books mirror that sense of vigor. Among her favorites is *Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win* by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, a powerful manual on discipline, responsibility, and execution—core values that Van Buskirk believes every leader must embody. She also draws motivation from *Get Sh*t Done* by Lauris Liberts and the motivational brand Startup Vitamins, a collection of invigorating quotes and reflections on productivity that, as she mentioned, perfectly aligns with her fast-paced mindset and professional philosophy.
Raj Seshadri, Mastercard’s Chief Commercial Payments Officer, took a different approach in her reflections. She credited Brené Brown’s *Dare to Lead* as the cornerstone of her leadership philosophy. The book, she explained, highlights the importance of vulnerability, courage, and trust in the workplace—concepts often undervalued in traditional corporate cultures. Seshadri stressed that genuine leadership is defined less by titles and more by the ability to foster safety and authenticity among teams. By equipping leaders with tangible strategies for creating “brave cultures,” where employees feel secure enough to innovate and take creative risks, *Dare to Lead* significantly reshaped her understanding of leadership as an act of courage intertwined with empathy.
Michelle Peluso, CEO of Revlon, offered a different perspective by emphasizing her preference for narrative-driven learning. Rather than relying solely on prescriptive business manuals, Peluso gravitates toward biographies—works that illuminate the deeply human aspects of achievement and adversity. She believes that biographies provide a nuanced, emotionally grounded perspective on leadership, allowing readers to grasp the complexity of decision-making through real-life examples. Her favorite titles include *Team of Rivals* by Doris Kearns Goodwin, *Personal History* by Katharine Graham, *Leonardo da Vinci* by Walter Isaacson, and Nelson Mandela’s *Long Walk to Freedom*. Through these stories, Peluso finds inspiration in determination, vision, and resilience, qualities she believes transcend industries and time periods.
Christina Shim, IBM’s Chief Sustainability Officer, discussed how her organization has collectively rallied around Andrew McAfee’s *The Geek Way.* The book, which outlines four fundamental pillars—science, ownership, speed, and openness—has become an integral part of IBM’s evolving culture under CEO Arvind Krishna’s guidance. Shim explained that these principles shape not only how the company approaches problem-solving but also how it fosters internal collaboration and innovation. On a personal level, Shim credited Susan Cain’s *Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking* as a profound influence on her own leadership approach. She found the book so transformative that she purchased copies for her entire team, emphasizing that understanding introversion is essential for building balanced and effective teams. Since roughly half of most professional groups consist of introverts, she argues, learning to bridge the gap between different communication styles is vital for harmony and productivity.
Noura Sakkijha, cofounder and CEO of jewelry brand Mejuri, shared that many books have influenced her throughout her entrepreneurial journey, yet one in particular stands out: Ben Horowitz’s *The Hard Thing About Hard Things.* Sakkijha said that this work fundamentally changed how she perceives business-building, dispelling the illusion that success follows a predictable or effortless trajectory. Through Horowitz’s candid account of the challenges faced in launching and scaling companies like Andreessen Horowitz, she found reassurance and clarity about the chaotic, nonlinear reality of entrepreneurship. For Sakkijha, the book’s power lies in its raw honesty and practical wisdom—an unfiltered acknowledgment that perseverance and adaptability are the true foundations of leadership. “It was really helpful to read his story, how they built the business, the challenges they went through, and the persistence,” she said, reflecting on how seeing another founder’s journey mirrored her own struggles and triumphs.
Together, these reflections from six executives across varying industries showcase an underlying consensus: leadership cannot be confined to a single formula or strategy. Whether drawn from tactical manuals on ownership, introspective studies of emotion, or deeply personal historical narratives, the common message is that great leadership emerges at the intersection of intellect, empathy, and resilience. For readers seeking inspiration as the year draws to a close, these carefully chosen books offer not just lessons in management, but enduring insights into the art of understanding oneself and others in the pursuit of meaningful progress.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/executives-share-books-that-shaped-leadership-2025-12
