What are the best career and leadership books for success in 2026?
Here are five career and leadership books that challenged us to grow and rethink most in 2025, they’ll what you need for success in 2026:
1. Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success by Ruchika Malhotra
A refreshing rebuttal to hustle-culture competitiveness, Uncompete argues that real success isn’t about outrunning others but rather redefining what winning even means. Malhotra shows how collaboration, purpose and long-term thinking outperform comparison and constant competition.
Career takeaway: It teaches you how to thrive without burning out, build influence through generosity, and win by creating value, rather than fighting for it.
Prefer to Listen? Find out podcast conversation with Ruchika Malhotra on Uncompete here.
2. Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
Chamorro-Premuzic flips the “just be yourself” mantra on its head. Instead, he makes the case for becoming your best-developed self, someone who grows, evolves, and adapts rather than relying on authenticity as an excuse for stagnation.
Career takeaway: You’ll learn how to cultivate self-awareness, lean into strengths, and strategically develop the traits that make leaders effective, not just relatable.
3. Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential by Muriel Wilkins
This book tackles the real barriers leaders face, not external problems, but internal blockages like self-doubt, identity conflict and unhelpful thinking patterns. Through coaching insights and practical reframes, Wilkins shows how to unblock yourself to unlock impact.
Career takeaway: A powerful mindset manual for moving from stuck to strategic, especially if you're stepping into bigger roles or leading through challenge.
4. The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance by Zach Mercurio
Mercurio dives deeply into what might be the future of leadership: the science of mattering. He shows how people don’t just want to work, they want to feel seen, valued and significant. When they do, performance and wellbeing skyrocket.
Career takeaway: Essential for anyone managing teams or shaping culture, because when people matter, organisations thrive.
Prefer to Listen? Find out podcast conversation with Zach Mercurio on The Power of Mattering here.
5. Tactical Disconnection: The Secret to Health, Happiness, and Productivity in an Always-on World by Tyler Rice
This is a playbook for thriving in a hyper-connected world without losing productivity or presence. Rice teaches how to work smarter, unplug with intention, and protect attention as a strategic asset.
Career takeaway: A must-read for preventing burnout, improving deep work, and maintaining creativity in a world built for distraction.
Prefer to Listen? Find out podcast conversation with Tyler Rice on Tactical Disconnection here.
