Research-based Books

First Break All the Rules
Buckingham, M; Coffman, C Simon & Schuster.
An excellent book on management based on a massive global research study into what motivates people at work. Very readable and very relevant to what we do.

Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First
Pfeffer, J Harvard Business School Press.
Another very good research based book, this time focusing on why people are the core of any business, focusing on why they are critical and the principles that govern successful people-centric businesses. Relatively academic but an essential book for understanding the human equation.

The Leadership Challenge
Kouzes, J; Posner, B Jossey-Bass.
Another key volume coming out of a massive research study, this time focusing on what qualities define good leadership and what successful leaders do. Contains many illustrative examples.