“Teams that don’t bond can’t build.”
Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Collaboration and teamwork are two of the strongest contributors to success in the workplace, with studies showing that even the perception of belonging to a group can have a huge impact on our productivity and well-being. Working in teams has been shown to lead to higher engagement rates, lower fatigue levels and larger success rates. In short, successful teams are happier, more motivated and produce better results. However, knowing how to build and nurture effective teams can be a challenge, with everything from conflicts to inefficiency plaguing plenty of groups across all industries. Fret not though, we here at What We Reading have compiled the best books about teamwork that are designed to give readers insightful guides and practical solutions to be more effective leaders!
The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team: A Leadership Fable – Patrick Lencioni
Still lauded as one of the must-read books about teamwork, columnist, speaker and bestselling author Patrick Lencioni blends storytelling with sharp intellect in The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team. Chronically the issues plaguing Decision Tech’s CEO, Kathryn Petersen, Lenicioni reveals the five core dysfunctions that cause even the most capable teams to fail. By following this one account from a workplace all leaders can relate to, he offers compelling insights, actionable models, and strategies designed to help bring together a more cohesive and effective team.
Reimagining Collaboration: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, And The Post-COVID World Of Work – Phil Simon
Phil Simon’s Reimagining Collaboration is a timely book about teamwork that tackles the new landscape of remote and hybrid workplaces.
In the wake of the pandemic showcasing the potential of teams being more flexible when it comes to where and how they work, Simon presents a guide on how to efficiently promote collaboration on platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, demonstrating how powerful these communication hubs can be for teams. Compared to other books about teamwork, Reimagining Collaboration is much more focused on how to leverage technology rather than skills and attitudes.
Who Not How: The Formula To Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork – Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Who Not How is an inspiring leadership book designed to help readers grow in business and wider life. Authors Dan Sullivan and Dr Benjamin Hardy expose how flipping the mindset of ‘How do I do this?’ to ‘Who can do this for me?’ can result in limitless possibility.
The book demonstrates how this shift in mindset is how successful entrepreneurs operate daily, and how it is a proven strategy for unlocking a life of stronger connections, improved work/life balance and an abundance of innovative ideas, relationships, wealth and joy.
Herding Tigers: Be The Leader That Creative People Need – Todd Henry
Todd Henry is the author of The Accidental Creative, and he offers readers another captivating guide on how to lead teams to creative brilliance in Herding Tigers. In it, Henry offers a practical blueprint to readers on how to successfully manage talented and creative professionals.
The book covers everything from learning how to lead through influence rather than control, to creating a stable culture that encourages teams to take bolder risks. Herding Tigers is one of the best teamwork books that keeps readers, teams, and management working in harmony with its real-world case studies and practical applications.
Check Out The Best Books For Boosting Creativity
Bringing Out The Best In People: How To Enjoy Helping Others Excel – Alan Loy McGinnis
A New York Times bestseller, Bringing Out the Best in People is one of the best teamwork skills books. In it, author Alan Loy McGinnis covers everything from motivation and goal setting, failure management, and accountability to conflict resolution. Addressing readers from all industries and backgrounds, it combines practical tips with inspiring ideals to create better leaders and more efficient teams.
The book features studies from great leaders across history, insights from leading psychologists and a dozen principles for readers to practice and apply themselves, making it one of the most accessible and comprehensive resources available.
The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player: Becoming The Kind Of Person Every Team Wants – John C. Maxwell
Having also authored leadership quality books such as Leadershift and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell is one of the go-to names for developing collaboration. The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player is his exploration of the qualities that make a good team player.
From tenacity to reliability, the book teaches readers how to identify these traits, and how to foster them within a group. The ‘Lunch & Learn Facilitator Guide‘ will teach readers some of the key principles required to transform a group of individuals seeking personal glory into a cohesive team united by a common goal.
Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power Of Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman, Annie McKee And Richard E. Boyatzis
Primal Leadership was the trailblazing teamwork book that helped put emotional intelligence at the forefront of skills every leader requires. Authors Daniel Goleman, Annie McKee and Ricard E. Boyatzis examine the role emotional intelligence has in leadership, as well as the characteristics that go into creating good leaders.
Across each chapter, readers develop an understanding of how empathy and self-awareness are some of the most fundamental qualities an effective leader needs to possess, especially in a contemporary climate that is more technologically complex and economically volatile than ever before.
The Best Team Wins: The New Science Of High Performance – Adrian Gostick And Chester Elton
Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton’s The Best Team Wins is an interesting case study into the qualities and behaviours behind high-performing teams. Studying over 850,000 employee engagement surveys, the book presents the authors’ findings in the form of their ‘Five Disciplines of Team Leaders’. These principles are designed to help leaders promote healthy discourse, build bridges across generations, unify customer focus and encourage innovation.
The Best Team Wins remains one of the best books about teamwork for those looking for a resource that tackles the challenges emerging in a new world. From the rise of the millennials and global working to the rapid speed of change, Gostick and Elton demonstrate how to maximise any team’s performance.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
