Friends and clients frequently ask me for book recommendations. My colleagues find this amusing since I often say, "If you're reading the book, it's too late! Great leaders should be writing the books!"

Certainly, I condone reading leadership books, provided the main purpose is to build on them and not just follow them like a recipe. In my blog post, "No Thoughts of My Own," I stress finding solutions and processes in existence, then improving and adapting the to your own applications. To do that, you have to read existing material.

In addition to leadership books, however, there are some great books on fundamental subjects and skills that are essential to leadership. These are the books I feel most comfortable recommending. They don't tell you how to lead but rather provide the useful topics and tools necessary to be effective.

Here are my top 3 suggestions for good reading material on leadership skills.

You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy

Listening is fundamentally non-existent in today's digital world with all the texting, remote work, and general broadcasting with social media. Listening is not easy. Listening is hard. Humans find it easier to talk.

This book teaches you basic techniques to ensure that you are learning from what others say and creating a relationship at the same time.

Quiet by Susan Cain

Governments and businesses tend to be run by the loudest people, not necessarily the smartest people. Cain discusses the intellectual horsepower and focus typically found in introverts. If you have a tough problem, find an introvert and assign it to them. Don't spend your time attempting to convert introverts into extroverts. Introverts are critical to success.

Nonsense by Jamie Holmes

Leaders make quick decisions to get things off their plates. However, these snap decisions don't always produce the best outcome. Getting comfortable with time and "not knowing" can provide additional information that's important for clarity and better directions. Holmes stresses that all decisions are not time-sensitive, and sometimes leveraging that extra time provides a competitive advantage.

Full Disclosure: I'm not a great reader.

In the spirit of total disclosure, I am not a great reader. I have a short attention span that is burdensome when trying to read a lengthy book.

The books I mentioned above can be read in short segments over time without losing the main message. In addition, if you find that you've become distracted and only get through the first half, you will have the main theme and understanding of the basic concepts.

As I mentioned at the top of the article, most leadership books are like recipes. They have great value when you learn the steps, follow the process, and then build on it. The books I recommended above are like the flour and sugar in a recipe for cake. They are fundamental components necessary for effective leadership, but not step-by-step, how-to books. Again, leadership books have great value when you learn to build on them. These books ensure that you have tools that are essential for your total leadership success.