
20 Best Leadership Audiobooks to Inspire You and Your Team
April 24, 2020
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Extreme Ownership
- How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
- By: Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
- Narrated by: Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin share hard-hitting Navy SEAL combat stories that translate into lessons for business and life....
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unbearable to listen too
- By Jeffrey Lewis on 04-26-19
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Extreme Ownership
- How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
- Narrated by: Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
- Series: Extreme Ownership
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Release date: 10-19-15
- Language: English
- Good leadership books don’t just belong in the workplace, they should inspire our personal lives as well. In 'Extreme Ownership', Jocko Willink and Leif Babin—two former U.S. Navy SEAL officers highly decorated for their operations in the Iraq War—manage to take their military experience and do just that: share leadership skills that tie into day-to-day life. What makes this audiobook such an enjoyable listen is the way the work jumps back and forth between battle scenes and wisdom. The active nature keeps listeners’ attention with the action-packed moments seamlessly transitioning into practical advice.
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Living with a SEAL
- 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet
- By: Jesse Itzler
- Narrated by: Jesse Itzler
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler chronicles his month of living and extreme fitness training with a Navy SEAL in the New York Times and number one LA Times best seller Living With a Seal, now with two bonus sections....
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Stopped listening half way thru
- By Robert See on 06-25-18
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Living with a SEAL
- 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet
- Narrated by: Jesse Itzler
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Release date: 11-03-15
- Language: English
- Another work that focuses on lessons from a Navy SEAL, Jesse Itzler’s 'Living with a SEAL' approaches leadership lessons from the opposite perspective. After falling into the same habits year after year, Itzler hired David Goggins, a Navy SEAL, to whip him into shape. In his own voice, Itzler tells the incredible story of how Goggins put him on a strict training and fitness regimen, turning a month’s worth of hard work into lessons we can all benefit from as leaders. The experiment is not without its funny moments—the extremes into which Goggins pushes Itzler are at times ridiculous, but always constructive. Itzler’s passion for sharing his story is clear in his retelling, which makes it easy for listeners to tune in and take note of his advice.
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Great by Choice
- By: Jim Collins, Morten T. Hansen
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not?
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Please re-record this audio book.
- By Teri on 12-12-11
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Great by Choice
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Release date: 10-11-11
- Language: English
- A decade after his work 'Good to Great', Jim Collins returns with another work focused on the topic of greatness—'Great by Choice'. In this piece, Collins and Hansen analyze nine years of research to determine why some companies thrive under pressure and others fail. Rich with research, this audiobook is brought to life with anecdotes and entertaining tales best experienced by the impassioned author himself reading them aloud. Best of all, this is an actionable audiobook packed with tips you can try out as soon as you hear them.
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The 8th Habit
- From Effectiveness to Greatness
- By: Stephen R. Covey
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Covey
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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The 8th Habit is the answer to the soul's yearning for greatness, the organization's imperative for significance and superior results, and humanity's search for its "voice"....
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Next level understanding!
- By Rhett on 11-16-04
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The 8th Habit
- From Effectiveness to Greatness
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Covey
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Release date: 11-03-04
- Language: English
- In Stephen Covey’s follow-up to his best-selling book, 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People', he returns with another habit. The '8th Habit' builds on the same foundation as Covey’s earlier work, and focuses on identifying what makes a person unique, honing in on the traits that will help that person become an effective leader. Meant to be contemplated and analyzed, listeners will be introduced to powerful new topics and ideas that are spelled out and intricately explained: no short cuts or quick fixes here.
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Good to Great
- Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Over five years, Jim Collins and his research team have analyzed the histories of 28 companies, discovering why some companies make the leap and others don't....
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ineffectual
- By Duane on 07-28-20
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Good to Great
- Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Release date: 07-13-10
- Language: English
- Jim Collins’s 'Good to Great' is his original claim to fame as an expert leadership coach. His work is based on the belief that acceptance of 'good' or mediocre work is why many companies never become 'great.' He follows up this theory with five years of research and answers the question on whether every company has the ability to transform from good to great. Deliberately pacing out his performance like a teacher carefully explaining his ideas, you’ll have no trouble following Collins’s latest findings. He is honest and excited to share his work with an audience, and it shows.
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Dare to Lead
- Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
- By: Brené Brown
- Narrated by: Brené Brown
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give us meaning. She found that leaders all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver leaders and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? Dare to Lead answers this....
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Brené's Work Has Changed My Life
- By Maximus on 01-12-19
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Dare to Lead
- Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
- Narrated by: Brené Brown
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Release date: 10-09-18
- Language: English
- Brené Brown’s unconventional approach to leadership outlined in 'Dare to Lead' brought her to fame and reframed how we perceive which traits are considered important in leadership. Casting aside any mention of titles, power, or influence, Brown cuts straight to the core, highlighting how true leadership is all about empathy, curiosity, and—most surprising of all—a willingness to share the very power so many covet. With a strong enthusiasm for sharing her research with others, Brown doesn’t beat around the bush with her wisdom and insights. She delivers them with a fire that makes listeners want to follow suit, eager to put her words into practice.
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The Hard Thing About Hard Things
- Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
- By: Ben Horowitz
- Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley’s most respected entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup....
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Book for Entrepreneuers
- By A. Yoshida on 01-29-18
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The Hard Thing About Hard Things
- Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
- Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Release date: 03-04-14
- Language: English
- One of Silicon Valley’s most notable entrepreneurs and the cofounder of a venture capital firm, Ben Horowitz cuts straight to the truth in his 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things'. Horowtiz takes his experiences and turns them into comedic, realistic, and actionable advice. Narrator Kevin Kenerly has a unique wit that brings the words to life, more like a friend with a cracking sense of humor than a performer, easily representing Horowitz’s tone without distracting from the work.
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
- A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick Lencioni
- Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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In keeping with the parable style, Patrick Lencioni begins by telling the fable of a woman who...
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The BEST book on teamwork available!
- By Will on 04-04-05
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
- A Leadership Fable
- Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Release date: 10-18-02
- Language: English
- In 'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team', Patrick Lencioni explores five common dysfunctions that can happen as teams grow and evolve together. These include things like fear of conflict and absence of trust—which are linked to the roadblocks that keep teams from improving. Lencioni’s work is made distinct with the anecdotes and stories he uses to carry his message forward, making it easy for listeners to tune in and internalize all that Lencioni has to share. To top it off, Charles Stransky’s quick-paced narration is spot on for the material he delivers.
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The New One Minute Manager
- By: Ken Blanchard, Spencer Johnson
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 1 hr and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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A revised edition of the timeless business classic - updated to help today's listeners succeed more quickly in a rapidly changing world....
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Not bad, but not enough value
- By Chad on 09-30-19
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The New One Minute Manager
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 1 hr and 27 mins
- Release date: 05-05-15
- Language: English
- Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson’s work, 'The New One Minute Manager', has to be quick to live up to its title, and it is. Short and to-the-point, this audiobook works to deliver snippets of helpful leadership advice in short bursts, effectively practicing the message it preaches. These are great to listen to on your morning commute, especially when you need a motivational boost. The whole audiobook clocks in at just under an hour-and-a-half and is split into three core areas, each of which is condensed into its own series of minute-long conversations. Listening to these super-short bursts of wisdom, listeners learn how to be an impactful leader in a fraction of the time.
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Multipliers, Revised and Updated
- How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
- By: Liz Wiseman, Stephen Covey - foreword
- Narrated by: Liz Wiseman, John Meagher
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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We've all had experiences with two dramatically different types of leaders. The first type drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them....
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Good points, but highly repetitive
- By 9a7ner on 02-27-19
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Multipliers, Revised and Updated
- How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
- Narrated by: Liz Wiseman, John Meagher
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Release date: 05-16-17
- Language: English
- In 'Multipliers', Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown break leaders down into two categories: 'Multipliers'—those who encourage growth from their workers—and 'Diminishers'—those who hinder employee growth. In this work, the authors focus on 'Multipliers', emphasizing how a focus on people versus minute details strengthens teams overall. John Meagher’s quick and well-paced performance makes it easy to internalize data and follow suit—you’ll never feel like a single minute is wasted as you learn more about how to be a productive and effective leader.
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Call Sign Chaos
- Learning to Lead
- By: Jim Mattis, Bing West
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Call Sign Chaos is the account of Jim Mattis’ storied career, from wide-ranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the Middle East....
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A pleasant surprise
- By Fountain of Chris on 09-06-19
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Call Sign Chaos
- Learning to Lead
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Release date: 09-03-19
- Language: English
- Jim Mattis and Bing West share Mattis’s experience in 'Call Sign Chaos', a listen that looks at his leadership roles in three different wars to his eventual work commanding a quarter of a million troops in the Middle East as Secretary of Defense. Connecting his work to things like the importance of allies and short-sighted thinking, you’ll find it easy to connect Mattis’s experiences with your own day-to-day work. 'Call Sign Chaos' is broken into three core tenets of leadership, making it easy to understand the unique leadership philosophy these men developed through a lifetime of service.
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Lean In
- Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
- By: Sheryl Sandberg
- Narrated by: Elisa Donovan
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Sheryl Sandberg - Facebook COO, ranked eighth on Fortune's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business - has become one of America's most galvanizing leaders, and an icon for millions of women juggling work and family....
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Lean In, Lead On
- By Cynthia on 03-14-13
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Lean In
- Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
- Narrated by: Elisa Donovan
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Release date: 03-11-13
- Language: English
- College populations are now 50 percent women, and Sheryl Sandberg is determined to find out why those numbers don’t translate to the workforce. In 'Lean In', Sandberg aims to empower women to take on leadership roles while also offering concrete reasons as to why women’s representation in the workforce is disproportionate to their education. For women, this audiobook offers a new perspective on how women can achieve success, and for men, Sandberg’s perspective can offer a better understanding of what female friends and coworkers experience in the workplace every day. Performed by Elisa Donovan of 'Clueless' fame, this audiobook feels like getting advice from a close friend who’s been there, and only has your best interest at heart.
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Entreleadership
- 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches
- By: Dave Ramsey
- Narrated by: Dave Ramsey
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Abridged
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If you’re at all responsible for your company’s success, you can’t just be a hard-charging entrepreneur or a motivating, encouraging leader....
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Very good and usable advice
- By Al on 11-12-11
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Entreleadership
- 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches
- Narrated by: Dave Ramsey
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Release date: 09-20-11
- Language: English
- Dave Ramsey is widely known as a trusted expert on money and business, which is why no leadership audiobook list would be complete without this work. Sharing tips on how to get your team excited and passionate to show up to work every day (without putting your business in debt), Ramsey gives leaders insight into how his company won 'Best Place to Work' year over year, all the while turning a huge profit. Hearing from Ramsey himself makes the work all the more empowering. Setting aside all formalities, he delivers his advice in a straightforward, easy-to-follow tone, sharing tips and tricks you can put into action almost immediately.
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Extraordinary Leadership
- By: Robin Sharma
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 1 hr and 6 mins
- Original Recording
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In a constantly changing, hyper-competitive world, leadership is more important than ever....
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Nice Listen!
- By Sami Bunia on 09-17-12
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Extraordinary Leadership
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 1 hr and 6 mins
- Release date: 01-25-08
- Language: English
- If you need a burst of inspiration to apply to your leadership skills, 'Extraordinary Leadership' offers a snackable approach to learning more about how to inspire your team. At only an hour long, Sharma’s short lecture covers the lessons he taught key clients like Nike and NASA, anecdotes which will inspire you into action. His energetic and conversational tone paired with his down-to-earth delivery makes the information easy to internalize and put into practice.
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It's Your Ship
- Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
- By: D. Michael Abrashoff
- Narrated by: D. Michael Abrashoff
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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The story of Captain D. Michael Abrashoff and his command of U.S.S. Benfold has become legendary inside and outside the Navy....
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All Ahead Full
- By David on 07-29-06
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It's Your Ship
- Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
- Narrated by: D. Michael Abrashoff
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Release date: 01-03-06
- Language: English
- D. Michael Abrashoff’s experience as a leader is derived from his military experience. But what makes 'It's Your Ship' so uniquely interesting is how Abrashoff connects each lesson to life on a naval boat, making it easy to understand each tip he shares. He is clearly passionate about the subject of leadership and his enthusiasm is infectious, inspiring you to listen closely as he delivers what listeners call 'a must-listen leadership book'.
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The Outsiders
- Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
- By: William N. Thorndike
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Outsiders, you'll learn the traits and methods striking for their consistency and relentless rationality that helped these unique leaders achieve such exceptional performance....
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Great summary of the 8 CEOs, lessons to learn from
- By Jason S on 09-04-19
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The Outsiders
- Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Release date: 10-29-13
- Language: English
- In 'The Outsiders', we’re invited to study the data-driven reality of what makes a CEO successful—the shareholder returns over time. Closely analyzing eight CEOs from different backgrounds and experiences, Thorndike determines which attributes led them to their positions today. For each of the eight unconventional CEOs, Thorndike presents an accompanying case study. As each scenario unfolds, listeners are given the time to ponder what they would do in each situation before hearing how the CEOs handled them, maximizing the potential for truly interactive leadership learning.
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Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition
- Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
- By: Kim Scott
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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The idea is simple: You don't have to choose between being a pushover and a jerk. Using Radical Candor - avoiding the perils of Obnoxious Aggression, Manipulative Insincerity, and Ruinous Empathy - you can be kind and clear at the same time....
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The most frustrating part of Israeli culture
- By D B B on 10-31-20
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Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition
- Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Release date: 10-01-19
- Language: English
- 'Radical Candor' is a New York Times best seller that focuses on a simple idea: you don’t have to be a jerk or a pushover to be a good boss, you just have to care and be compassionate towards your team. And with experience as a leader at both Google and Apple, it’s no secret that Kim Scott has the résumé to back up these claims. Scott uses her experience as a leader to inspire listeners, drawing on both practical advice and hilarious stories to drive home each lesson. Each section is filled with focused guidance to better help listeners achieve their leadership goals while creating an environment the entire team will thrive in.
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Leaders Eat Last
- Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't
- By: Simon Sinek
- Narrated by: Simon Sinek
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside....
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Very Disappointed
- By Jackson F. on 10-16-20
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Leaders Eat Last
- Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't
- Narrated by: Simon Sinek
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Release date: 02-18-20
- Language: English
- In 'Leaders Eat Last', Simon Sinek dares to imagine a world in which people feel excited to go to work and fulfilled when they leave. But a work environment like this doesn’t come easily as a leader. It comes from sacrifice and a willingness to protect your team and put them first, which is what Sinek focuses on. Though only a few minutes short of an eight-hour workday, you’ll have trouble hitting 'pause' on Sinek’s performance. As you take the time to listen to Sinek’s work, you’ll find yourself rethinking what it means to be a leader.
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Inclusion in Audible’s “best audiobooks” series is based on a number of factors, including presence on Audible best seller lists,
listener ratings and reviews, Goodreads ratings, and input from the Audible Editors. All audiobooks featured here have a minimum
of 500 reviews averaging at least 4.5 stars, with some exceptions made for outstanding stories and performances.
Explore more audiobooks from our Best of the Best collection.

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