CEO Q&A: What Are Your Favorite Management Books and Gurus?

In each issue of Franchise Update magazine, we profile franchise CEOs and presidents, asking each the same set of questions. Throughout the year, we'll be selecting one of those questions -- and providing answers from those profiles. If you want to learn more about these franchise leaders and their thoughts on other topics, just click the links with their responses to read their full profile.

This week we asked them about their favorite management books and gurus.

Jon Nobis, CEO, Two Men and a Truck
There is so much good insight from great people out there on what has and has not worked in leadership. Mastering the art of teamwork is critical to drive success in a complex world. Two books I would reference are The Orange Revolution by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. Both provide great insight, human perspective, and tactical action toward transforming those teams. Read the full profile here.

Tammy Whitworth, Chair and CEO, Window World
One of my favorites has to be Good to Great by Jim Collins. Read the full profile here.

Brian Petranick, CEO and President, RiseMark Brands
Yes, I pretty much read only business books. Sounds horrible to some people, but it's what really interests me. As far as my favorite management gurus, I tend to find something valuable from every person and every book. I never get too excited about the new "best seller" or new "game changer" book or author. Having said that, Peter Drucker is to management theory what William Shakespeare is to literature. So I read a lot of Peter Drucker. Read the full profile here.

Nicole Ossenfort, CEO and President, Liberty Tax
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker. Read the full profile here.

Rob Price, CEO and President, School of Rock
I am particularly fond of biographies of historical figures. Two leaders I have particularly enjoyed studying are John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt. Both were imperfect men who overcame their deficiencies to create extraordinary change. Read the full profile here.

Larry Oberly, CEO and President, SpeedPro Imaging
I really connect with Simon Sinek. He's my hero from a leadership perspective. I like that he's young too. That adds to the difference in how he and I look at business, which I think is very healthy. I mix reading books with reading periodicals, listening to podcasts, and watching inspiring YouTube videos. My favorite magazines are Entrepreneur and Success. I listen to "Freakonomics" and TED podcasts when I run or am waiting for a flight. I always get interesting new ideas from those. Several of the books I read come from listening to TED speakers. For pure entertainment, I listen to the 'Stuff You Should Know" podcasts. Monday through Friday I watch a video series called "Daily Mentoring" by Darren Hardy, who usually has some excellent ideas and tips in a compact two- to six-minute format. Books that have helped me be who I am include Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, the Steve Jobs biography, a few biographies of Walt Disney, John Wooden's Wooden on Leadership, and Grit by Angela Duckworth. For fun, I've really enjoyed Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt and Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle by former NFL lineman Bill Curry. My new favorite topic of study is behavioral economics, which I was introduced to by the TED podcasts. I really enjoyed the book Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. Read the full profile here.