"Discovering Your Authentic Leadership" Bill George ,et al., Harvard Business Review, Feb 2007

".... we need a new kind of business leader in the twenty-first century...[but] more than 1000 studies have not produced a profile of an ideal leader...Leadership emerges from your life story...It may be possible to drive short-term outcomes without being authentic, but authentic leadership is the only way we know to create sustainable long-term results..."

Bill George, Harvard Business Review, Feb 2007

Authentic Leadership, Bill George, et al., 2004
This is the book that started the Authentic Leadership movement.

The Heart of Change, John Kotter, 2002

"Never underestimate the power of a good story," Kotter and Cohen testify in this highly readable sequel to Kotter's groundbreaking Leading Change. Practicing what they preach, they have culled, from hundreds of interviews conducted by Deloitte Consulting, the 34 most instructive and vivid accounts of companies undergoing large-scale change.

[Changing a culture] is not something you do by writing memos. You've got to appeal to people's emotions. They've got to buy in with their hearts and their beliefs, not just the minds. Stories...teach and energize others to move from the present into a winning future...Never underestimate the power of a good story

John Kotter and Dan Cohen, The Heart of Change, 2002

First 90 Days, Michael Watkins, HBS Press: 2003
If you want to hit the ground running, this is the book from the authors that that first dealt with the 40-50% failure rate among new managers. Its guidance is most helpful in performing a fast and accurate situation assessment and coming up with a plan. It focuses on helping to balance and drive your career as quickly as possible.

The New Leader�s 100-Day Action Plan, G. Brandt, J. Check, J. Pedraza, Wiley: 2006
Need to get down fast to the nitty gritty of implementation? This book has checklists and an implementation focus. I particularly like its Stakeholder Grid and implementation focus.

Leading Out Loud, Terry Pearce, Jossey-Bass, 2003
When he taught us Speaking as a Leader at Haas, Professor Pearce was already on the track of building a strong narrative in your oral presentations.

The Authentic Leader, David Irvine, Jim Reger, DC Press, 2006
It's About Presence, Not Position, read the stories of other authentic leaders.

Resonant Leadership, Richard E. Boyatzis, Annie McKee, HBS Press, 2005
Publisher's Weekly says " "Effective teams and powerful, positive organizational cultures do not happen by accident," they write; they are created by "resonant" leaders who employ emotional intelligence to motivate and nurture their employees...cultivating "openness, curiosity and awareness" about oneself and others; visualizing a positive, realistic dream; and working to understand and improve the situations of others...can "favorably impact the bottom line while enabling leaders to sustain their effectiveness for longer periods of time." "

You�re in Charge, Now What? The Eight Point Plan, T.J. Neff, J. Citrin, Three Rivers Press: 2005
If fitting into a tough or ardent corporate culture is your goal, this is the book for you. Focuses on crafting a strategic agenda that works within the culture you�ve entered � and how to impact that culture most effectively.

Right from the Start, D. Ciampa and M. Watkins, HBS Press: 1999.
This is the book that that first dealt with the 40-50% failure rate among new managers. Its process focus on creating momentum, enabling technologies and managing oneself helps set one up for the long haul, not just the first 90 days.

I would state even further, that the ability to create and tell certain kinds of dramatic stories is not only a useful tool, but an essential prerequisite to being a first-class winning leader.

Noel Tichy, The Leadership Engine, 2002

Crucial Conversations, Patterson, Greeny, McMillan, Switzler, McGraw Hill: 2002
Finally, there�s help to help you have the tough talks. This method focuses on managing disagreements (for disappointments, see below). Clearly these are not easy tasks and the authors offer a 10-point plan � each step of which will require practice.

Crucial Confrontations, Patterson, Greeny, McMillan, Switzler, McGraw Hill: 2005
This book suggests a 10 step process to effectively confront disappointments at work � in performance. Well laid out and clear, but again in these difficult relationship tasks, each step requires some practice to be implemented effectively.

Beyond Reason, Fisher and Shapiro, Penguin: 2005
These authors of Getting to Yes from the Harvard Negotiations Project, turn their negotiations prowess to performance conversations. I particularly like their recommendation to go beneath issues to drives or motives. Again, takes time to master these skills. But I�d be glad to help coach you to them.