These books are not read much any more except by those studying in graduate school, but it is not because they have become outdated. What has happened is that these books which were revolutionary at the time they were written have since become accepted wisdom. The grandfather of leadership literature could be James MacGregor Burns who coined the term 'transformational' in his book, Leadership (Harper, 1978). This is a bit heavy, but was groundbreaking at the time. Following him was the Bass & Stogdill's Handbook on Leadership (Free Press, 1974, 1981, 1990). The difference between each of these three editions is a real education in the development of leadership thought. More down to earth is Warren G. Bennis, On Becoming a Leader (Perseus, 2003). Originally written twenty years ago, Bennis has had a profound impact on much of what is thought about leadership today. And no library would be complete without the greatest management writer of all time, Peter Drucker. The best introduction to this giant is The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management (Collins, 2003). What makes Drucker so useful for any leader is that he not only explains the best management ideas, but also explains why.

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