Leadership literature has emerged in recent decades as a subgenre of nonfiction encompassing self-help, management, and business books. Over this time, it has steadily grown in both the number of titles and overall sales. Leadership titles aim to give readers advice and practical tips on how to become effective leaders in their professional or personal lives. The first popular title of leadership literature is arguably Dale Carnegie’s 1939 How to Win Friends and Influence People. Its success led to a burgeoning of the genre, including the influential titles The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (1989) and Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek (2009). 

Leadership books are generally written by—or with—those who have achieved renown in a particular area of expertise, usually business, sports, politics, or the military. These books’ authority as guidance literature relies on the leadership credentials of their authors, many of whom have distinction in niche areas and are not household names before publication. As a result, the popular appeal of leadership titles depends strongly on the genre’s ability to present specific skills as transferable into the everyday lives of readers.