HBR Daily Leader: Everyday Wisdom for Exceptional Leadership

by Harvard Business Review

Learn, grow, and be inspired—every day.

HBR Daily Leader provides 365 days' worth of insights and inspiration, an easy and enjoyable way to make your professional development a regular habit. Throughout the book, you'll find insights to spark your thinking, quotes to inspire you, and questions to reflect on. And each day presents you with an opportunity to take on topics such as communicating effectively, managing your time, expanding your influence, and cultivating new skills.

Elevate your leadership practice and presence with wisdom drawn from the best of Harvard Business Review.

Genres: Leadership, Business

371 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2024

Reviews

[Aritri Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a corporate girlie navigating the complexities of the professional world, I often find myself seeking concise yet impactful resources to enhance my leadership skills amidst a packed schedule. The "HBR Daily Leader: Everyday Wisdom for Exceptional Leadership" has seamlessly integrated into my daily routine, offering a year's worth of insights in a digestible format.
Each morning, I spend a few moments with this book, reflecting on its concise yet impactful entries. The topics are diverse - ranging from effective communication to minor changes in habits - and often resonate deeply with my daily experiences. Each page presents a standalone nugget of wisdom—be it a thought-provoking insight, an inspiring quote, or a reflective question. This structure allows me to start my day with a focused mindset, setting a positive tone before diving into emails and meetings.
What sets this book apart is its practicality. The insights are not just theoretical; they prompt immediate reflection and action.
In the fast-paced corporate world, it's easy to overlook personal development. However, this book serves as a gentle reminder that leadership growth doesn't require large time commitments—just a few intentional moments each day. For any professional
aiming to enhance their leadership skills amidst a busy schedule, this book is a practical and inspiring resource.​

[Gerrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Leaders’ hard skills will continue to be eclipsed by smart machines, while their soft skills will become ever more important.”

One of my daily reads for 2025, alongside 365 Tao: Daily Meditations.

This book by Harvard Business Review is a curated set of article snippets on leadership, strategy, innovation, and personal development. Each page offers tips and reminders on leadership and management practices, sometimes through an idea, quote, or question, along with a reference to a longer HBR article for more context.

Topics range from communication and decision making to small habit changes, and many entries connect with daily work situations. Most of the ideas are not new to me, and some entries feel repetitive, but the book works well as a set of reminders rather than new theories.

In a fast-paced corporate environment, personal development often gets deprioritized. This book shows that leadership growth does not require large blocks of time, only a few intentional minutes each day. For professionals who want to build their leadership skills while managing a busy schedule, it is a useful resource.

My Kindle highlights.

[Darya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Yearlong Leadership Companion for Personal and Professional Growth

HBR Daily Leader: Everyday Wisdom for Exceptional Leadership is an invaluable resource for leaders and aspiring leaders looking to cultivate daily habits of reflection, growth, and action. Published by the trusted minds at Harvard Business Review, this beautifully crafted hardcover offers 365 days of bite-sized yet impactful insights, ensuring that leadership development becomes an integral and enjoyable part of your routine.

Each page provides a fresh perspective, ranging from thought-provoking insights and motivational quotes to reflective questions that encourage deeper introspection. Covering a comprehensive array of topics—such as mindfulness, collaboration, innovation, and personal branding—this book serves as both a practical guide and a source of inspiration for tackling the complexities of modern leadership.

What sets HBR Daily Leader apart is its versatility. Whether you’re navigating a career transition, managing a team, or seeking to sharpen your personal vision, this book offers wisdom that’s relevant and actionable. It’s perfect for morning reflections, team discussions, or even end-of-day self-assessments, making it an indispensable tool for anyone serious about their leadership journey.

Harvard Business Review’s expert curation ensures that each entry is rooted in research and real-world application, giving readers the confidence that they’re learning from the best. The focus on key leadership qualities like authenticity, resilience, and transparency makes this a timeless addition to any leader’s library.

Whether you're a seasoned executive or just starting your leadership path, HBR Daily Leader is a thoughtful and engaging companion that will help you stay inspired and motivated throughout the year. Highly recommended for anyone committed to continuous improvement and exceptional leadership.

[Cherryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "HBR Daily Reader" by Harvard Business Review is a compilation of articles that provides a broad range of insights for business professionals. This book contains valuable advice and perspectives on various topics, including leadership, strategy, innovation, and personal development.

One of the strengths of this collection is its diversity of viewpoints and ideas. Readers will find inspiration and thought-provoking concepts that can help them reflect on their own experiences and apply new strategies in their daily work.

While some articles may feel familiar or cover similar ground, this can also be viewed as an opportunity to reinforce important concepts and lessons. Readers can benefit from revisiting key ideas and gaining fresh insights through different perspectives.

Overall, the "HBR Daily Reader" offers a valuable resource for business professionals seeking to broaden their knowledge and stay up-to-date with current trends and ideas in the business world. It serves as a helpful tool for personal and professional growth and is a worthwhile addition to any business book collection.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review **

[Sushil Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

365 lessons from the brightest minds in business, packaged into bite-sized daily doses that are easier to digest than your morning coffee. ☕ No more drowning in thick, academic tomes or doom-scrolling through blogs at 2 AM. This is wisdom served fresh, daily.

Each page is like a mini power-up for your career. 🎮 Some days, you'll get a thought-provoking insight that makes you go *“Whoa!”* 🤯 Other days, you’ll find a quote that hits so hard you’ll want to tattoo it on your forearm (pro tip: maybe just screenshot it instead 📸).

From mastering communication that *doesn’t* make people want to run away 🏃💨 to time management that *doesn’t* involve crying into your planner 😭📅, this book covers the professional skills we *all* desperately need but never learned in school. Want to expand your influence? ✔️ Need to cultivate skills that actually matter? ✔️✔️

The magic is in its simplicity. One page. One lesson. A one-year self-enrollment in *Becoming a Better Leader 101.* 🎓

**🔥 Pro Move:** Keep this on your nightstand, desk, or anywhere you need a quick shot of professional inspiration

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as an ebook and think it would be better as a hard copy; something to keep by your bed or another easy place to open up and read an entry every day.
Basically, this is almost a calendar of information to use to become "an exceptional leader." Each of the daily snippets come from a longer article (that you can read online.
An interesting concept with bite-sized information. May also drive traffic to their website when people would like to know more.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Thank you HBR. 365 tips based on articles from experts to strengthen your leadership, team building, life balance and more. Great resource. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short (very short) but pointed reminders of good leadership practices. If a particular topic or short description is interesting to you, it does have a reference to the larger article that appeared in HBR magazine or is online.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book filled with tips that are very valuable to read and re-read from time to time. Must read for those that aspire to be leaders for and of the future.

[Sriram · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good. Lacks depth, repetitive

I recommend you to give it a pass

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

HBR Daily Leader is a handbook with daily prompts and suggestions to improve leadership tactics. It's a push for active improvement every day.

[Albin Mutholam · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading a "daily" book and really enjoyed it actually. Good reminders and lot of it was surprisingly relevant to challenges I was facing. Looking to read "Daily Laws" next!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this one. A lot of the advice isn't necessarily groundbreaking, especially if you have done any kind of leadership training. However, they were good reminders on areas to focus on and grow in. I liked that it was set out as a short piece of advice each day, with a reference to a longer article if you wanted to read more. This kept the advice short and sharp, rather than feeling bogged down with having to read large chapters on a topic unnecessarily. I can definitely see myself referring back to this book in the future.