18 Mentoring and Coaching Books That Elevate Leadership

Keith Rosen’s decades of global sales coaching experience culminate in this book, which challenges the usual leadership playbook by addressing the unique demands of sales managers. You learn how to embed coaching into brief, powerful conversations that shift mindsets and behaviors, using his L.E.A.D.S. Coaching Framework™ and Enrollment strategy. The book offers specific tools to boost sales performance, improve forecasting, and revitalize underperformers—all while reducing managerial burnout. If you lead or develop sales teams, this book shows how to create a culture where coaching becomes a daily habit, not a cumbersome task.

What happens when a seasoned educator deeply involved in shaping national mentoring standards turns her insights into a practical guide? Haili Hughes, with extensive teaching and leadership experience, offers a detailed interpretation of the Early Career Framework tailored for school-based mentors. You’ll find each chapter rooted in research and enriched by focus group insights, culminating in actionable guidance that you can apply directly to support early career teachers. Whether you’re mentoring in primary or secondary settings, this book equips you to navigate the complexities of teacher retention and professional development with clarity. It’s particularly suited for mentors who want to ground their practice in evidence while staying adaptable to real classroom challenges.

This tailored book explores the art and science of mentoring and coaching with a focus that matches your background and goals. It covers core skills like relationship building, active listening, and feedback techniques while examining advanced concepts such as motivational approaches and personalized development planning. The content reveals how to adapt mentoring practices to diverse contexts, helping you navigate common challenges and foster meaningful growth. Through a personalized lens, the book synthesizes expert knowledge into a pathway designed to deepen your understanding and effectiveness as a mentor or coach. It offers a tailored learning experience that addresses your specific interests and elevates your impact.

Carol Pelletier Radford's decades of experience as an elementary teacher and mentor culminate in this month-by-month guide designed to support those mentoring novice teachers. The book teaches you how to plan mentoring conversations aligned with teaching standards, incorporate social and emotional learning to prevent burnout, and use reflective practices to improve teacher effectiveness. With practical tools like downloadable forms and videos on the companion website, it’s tailored for mentors at all levels, whether you lead a mentoring program or work one-on-one. If you want a structured yet flexible approach to nurturing new educators, this book offers clear guidance without fluff.

Michael Bungay Stanier challenges the conventional wisdom that coaching must be a formal, time-consuming process by introducing a method that fits seamlessly into everyday conversations. Drawing on years of experience training over 10,000 managers globally, he presents seven essential coaching questions designed to unlock potential by encouraging curiosity and reducing unnecessary advice-giving. You'll learn how to ask the Kickstart, Lazy, and Strategic Questions to keep dialogues focused and productive, with practical examples showing how these tools save time and deepen engagement. This book suits managers and leaders eager to shift from directive to empowering interactions without overhauling their workflow.

Scott Jeffrey Miller draws from over two decades of leadership experience and his own early setbacks to offer a candid exploration of what it takes to grow into a leader worth following. In this book, you’ll tackle 30 distinct challenges, from managing difficult conversations to aligning your team around a clear vision, each grounded in Miller’s blend of personal anecdotes and leadership principles refined alongside Stephen R. Covey’s FranklinCovey team. You’ll learn to inspire trust and create results the right way, with chapters dedicated to putting the right people in the right roles and actively listening to your team. This book suits anyone ready to move past management stumbles toward authentic leadership.

This tailored coaching book explores a focused, step-by-step path to rapidly enhance your coaching effectiveness. It delves into practical actions and techniques customized to your coaching background, interests, and specific goals, ensuring you gain exactly the skills you seek. By matching coaching fundamentals with your unique context, it reveals ways to build impactful coaching habits quickly and sustainably. The personalized content guides you through essential coaching conversations, question techniques, and real-world scenarios that resonate with your leadership style and challenges. This approach promotes accelerated learning and application, helping you transform coaching principles into immediate, meaningful results tailored just for you.

After leading Google through a pivotal era, Eric Schmidt teams with Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle to capture the leadership approach of Bill Campbell, a coach whose influence shaped Silicon Valley giants like Apple and Google. You’ll learn how Campbell’s emphasis on trust, candid communication, and personal growth created environments where innovation thrived, illustrated through stories of Steve Jobs and Larry Page. The book breaks down Campbell’s playbook into actionable principles that foster team cohesion and accelerate company growth, making it particularly useful if you’re managing fast-moving tech teams or seeking to inspire leadership at any level. It’s a straightforward guide to building culture and relationships that drive sustained success, though it’s less about abstract theory and more about human connection in business.

The breakthrough moment came when David Cottrell, drawing from his vast leadership experience at Xerox, FedEx, and his own CornerStone Leadership Institute, crafted a narrative that goes beyond typical management manuals. Through the story of a manager and his mentor, you learn practical lessons on improving your leadership presence, motivation techniques, and managing people with empathy and clarity. The book’s eight mentoring sessions provide concrete frameworks for tackling common workplace challenges, such as building trust and setting expectations. If you're looking to sharpen your managerial skills or elevate your leadership style in a straightforward, story-driven format, this book offers insights that resonate well beyond the office.

Natalie Lancer, alongside David Clutterbuck and David Megginson, brings together a rich academic foundation and practical experience in this updated second edition. You gain access to a broad spectrum of coaching and mentoring tools, from one-on-one techniques to professional development strategies for coaches themselves. The book balances theory with application, illustrated by case studies and downloadable worksheets that make concepts tangible. Its dedicated section on coaching themes, including cross-cultural considerations and self-care for coaches, offers a nuanced look beyond basic methods. This book suits professional coaches and mentors seeking to refine their craft, as well as students eager to deepen their understanding of the field.

When Daniel H. Shapiro discovered the profound impact of genuine caring within mentoring relationships, he set out to redefine what effective mentoring means. Drawing on over two decades as a teacher and counselor, he presents five core practices that help mentors engage deeply with mentees—like active listening and creating safe spaces for honest expression. You’ll learn how to overcome common challenges mentors face, such as time pressures and emotional barriers, by focusing on connection rather than just tasks. This book suits educators, counselors, and anyone committed to nurturing growth through authentic relationships, offering clear principles rather than generic advice.

While working extensively in education, Hal Portner noticed a persistent gap in effective support for new teachers, which led him to write this guide. You learn specific mentoring behaviors crucial for fostering teacher growth, including classroom observation techniques and mentor standards aligned with NBPTS Core Propositions. The book also addresses mentoring nontraditional teachers and sustaining careerlong development. Whether you're a school leader, mentor, or staff developer, this book equips you with tools to build or revitalize mentoring programs that genuinely support educators through all stages of their careers.

Ruchira Chaudhary draws on her extensive leadership and coaching experience across global markets to explore how leaders can inspire peak performance through coaching rather than commanding. The book offers practical insights on balancing management and support, illustrated with anecdotes from sports and performing arts, and enriched by interviews with corporate leaders and academics. You'll gain a clearer understanding of shifting from traditional command-and-control to a leadership style that fosters creativity and innovation in complex, volatile environments. This book suits those aiming to evolve from competent managers to leaders who truly empower their teams.

Eric Parsloe, with his extensive leadership at The Total Learning Group and the Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring, brings a grounded approach to improving personal development through conversation. This book digs into how to tailor coaching and mentoring interactions to individual needs, emphasizing practical application of theoretical models. You’ll find new chapters that explore individual differences and detailed reviews of coaching frameworks, helping you support learning in various contexts. Whether you’re working in an organization, a small team, or sports, the insights here sharpen your ability to foster meaningful growth.

Ann Rolfe, a prolific Australian author and recognized international speaker on mentoring, developed this edition to clarify and simplify mentoring for both mentors and mentees. You’ll find a clear framework for mentoring conversations, practical tactics for building trust, and guidance on navigating the entire mentoring relationship from start to finish. The book dives into the distinctions between mentoring and coaching, roles and responsibilities, and offers templates and activities you can apply directly. If you're involved in mentoring across diverse fields like health, education, or government, this book gives you straightforward tools to foster productive, strengths-based development.

After decades leading Gallup's research into workplace dynamics, Jim Clifton and Jim Harter challenge the outdated notion of management as command and control. Instead, they argue that managers must become coaches who inspire and develop their teams, especially in a workforce craving purpose and frequent communication. You’ll find 52 insights drawn from Gallup’s extensive studies, addressing how managers can adapt to rapid changes like remote work, AI, and gig economy shifts. For example, the book offers strategies to identify and maximize individual strengths using the CliftonStrengths assessment, making it ideal if you want practical ways to transform how your teams operate and thrive.

Eric Koester, a two-time entrepreneurship professor of the year at Georgetown University, challenges the usual idea that mentorship is about receiving sage advice. Instead, he reveals mentorship as a network of opportunities—introductions, endorsements, and doors opened by multiple mentors rather than a single guru. You learn a strategic framework for asking the right people for help, including the Four Laws of Super Mentors, with examples from figures like Oprah Winfrey and Jack Dorsey. This book suits anyone aiming to build practical, actionable mentor relationships to advance their career or goals, especially if you feel disconnected from traditional influential circles.

When Kathy Perret and Kenny McKee wrote Compassionate Coaching, they focused on a persistent problem in education: how barriers like lack of confidence and school culture challenges hold teachers back. Drawing from decades of experience, they outline six specific coaching approaches—partnership, empowerment, prioritization, routine, connection, and openness—that help educators navigate these obstacles and maintain focus on growth. You’ll find practical frameworks for addressing issues like teacher overload and isolation, backed by real examples showing how coaching can improve both teacher satisfaction and student outcomes. This book suits anyone invested in educational leadership or instructional coaching who wants to move beyond surface-level fixes to create lasting change.

When R. Janet Walraven, M.Ed., drew on her 35 years of K-12 teaching experience to write this guide, she aimed to address the everyday challenges teachers face, from managing classrooms to communicating with parents and staff. You’ll find concrete scenarios illustrating how to build rapport with administrators, efficiently manage your time, and foster collaboration among educators and families. This book suits educators at any stage—from novices to veterans—as well as parents and substitutes who want to support student success. Its straightforward approach helps you regain satisfaction in teaching by emphasizing teamwork and practical communication strategies.

Andrew J. DuBrin challenges the common idea that coaching and mentoring are purely intuitive skills, providing instead a structured approach based on solid research and real corporate practice. You’ll explore twelve specific skill areas, such as building trust, active listening, and using influence tactics, each broken down with practical examples like goal setting and performance monitoring. This book suits you if you're aiming to grow into leadership roles that require guiding others effectively, especially within team or corporate environments. By focusing on both encouraging positive behaviors and handling difficult people, it offers tangible ways to enhance your impact as a mentor or coach.