26 Can’t-Miss Books & Podcasts for CEOs and Founders (2023 Edition)

The votes are in!

Our portfolio company leaders and LLR teammates named their top books and podcasts of 2023. Whether you’re looking to unwind over the holidays, energize your outlook for 2024, or find the perfect gift for friends, family, or colleagues, we’ve curated the best of the best from the LLR community.

This year wasn’t just about leading with authority; it was about innovating with intelligence and intentionality. We hope this list sparks one new idea as you step into the new year.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season.

Business Strategy

• Measure What Matters by John Doerr
• Unbreakable by Bradley Kirkman and Adam Stoverink
• Learning to Think Strategically by Dr. Julia Sloan
• The Art of Agile Development by James Shore
• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Leadership

• Control Your Own Destiny or Someone Else Will by Noel M. Tichy
• The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
• Leadership Skills to Support High Functioning Teams by David Lloyd
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Self-Improvement

• In Search of the Miraculous by Pyotr Ouspenskii
• Energy Bus by Jon Gordon
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss
• The Wisdom of the Bullfrog by William H. McRaven
• The Carpenter by Jon Gordon
• Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking by Barbara Minto
• Invest Like the Best by James O’Shaughnessy

Well-Being

• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Bill Gifford and Peter Attia
• Seven Rules of Life by George Hutton
• 3 Secrets of Resilient People Ted Talk with Lucy Hone

Go-to-Market, Product & Technology:

• The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon
• Generative AI for Business by Matt White
• Winning the Challenger Sale Podcast hosted by Andee Harris
• Lenny’s Podcast hosted by Lenny Rachitsky
• Practical AI: Machine Learning, Data Science Podcast hosted by Daniel Whitenack & Chris Benson

The books and podcasts listed were chosen by LLR employees and portfolio company leaders based on opinion and relevance to this year’s categories. There were no fees or compensation paid to the survey participants, authors or podcasters found on this list.