There are several fantastic leadership books being released this year. Here are my top choices you should put in your queue!

Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More by Morten Hansen

Looking to build on the Good to Great concept?  This is written by a co-author of famed business guru Jim Collins.  This book is based on a five-year research study of 5,000 managers and employees, which resulted in seven practices that the best of them share. There are great leadership stories: a principal who turned around a failing high school, a sushi chef in Tokyo who received three Michelin stars and the first explorer to reach the South Pole in 1911.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink

Another great book by Daniel Pink!  He dives into the research behind not just what makes people good at their jobs or how they do it, but when: The most productive time of day to do the hardest work, the right time of year to start a new project, the best time in life to change jobs. Known for his popular books on motivation and creativity, Pink tackles the science behind how we organize our time and how we should set up the routines of our days.

Dying for a Paycheck by Jeffrey Pfeffer

This Stanford professor  –  who has told us about power, leadership development “BS” and the need for more evidence-based management practices – examines the health risks of modern work life. You know those long hours, family conflicts and money worries?  They can lead to to health problems, some life-threatening, even while they don’t help corporate bottom lines. He argues that the stresses of the professional workplace should be dealt with by organizations that promote their environmental sustainability records, while doing too little to enhance the sustainability of their own employees.