This week I bring back a popular list I created some time ago. These are the twelve titles I believe can be most impactful for lay Catholic professionals who want to lead with faith, virtue, and a sense of mission. This list assumes that you are also reading the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the writings of the popes and saints. Those are foundational to any Catholic leadership formation program. And here are my top twelve books for lay Catholic leaders:
1, From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age by University of Mary
This is a deeply insightful resource that helps make sense of the contemporary crisis in the Church. It isn’t written specifically for lay leaders, but it offers a foundational diagnosis of where things are going wrong and how we might rethink our approach to evangelization and mission.
2, Decline and Fall of the Catholic Church in America by David Carlin
This book gives critical historical and cultural insight into the Church’s situation in the U.S. Understanding how we arrived here is necessary if we are to responsibly chart a way forward in our professional and communal lives.
3, Catholic Leadership for Civil Society: A Practical Guide on Authentic Lay Leadership by Cristofer Pereyra and Erin Monnin
Please forgive the shameless plug, but our book is a practical guide for lay Catholics called to lead in secular spaces. It argues that lay leadership is not optional, our baptism calls us to influence society with the values of the Gospel.
4, Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence by Alexandre Havard
Focused on virtue formation, this book explores the four cardinal virtues plus humility and magnanimity and shows how character is the bedrock of true leadership.
5, Created for Greatness: The Power of Magnanimity by Alexandre Havard
Magnanimity, great-heartedness, is a driving virtue for leadership. This book teaches how to aim for great things in service of God and others, rooted in humility and generosity.
6, From Temperament to Character: On Becoming a Virtuous Leader by Alexandre Havard
Building on the first two Havard books, this text emphasizes practical virtue formation tailored to one’s own temperament. It’s about internal growth, not just external skill.
7, Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness by Robert K. Greenleaf
A leadership classic that reframes power, a leader is first a servant. For Catholics, it’s deeply resonant. Jesus is our model of leadership.
8, The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship: Creating Enduring Value by Andreas Widmer
Whether you run a business or lead a nonprofit, this book helps integrate principled leadership and entrepreneurship, showing how leaders can build organizations that last, rooted in integrity.
9, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
A secular but deeply useful book, Covey’s habits are not just for productivity, they also cultivate character and discipline, virtues every leader needs.
10, The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization by Peter F. Drucker
Drucker prompts leaders to think deeply about mission, values, customers or people, priorities, and results. For lay Catholic leaders, his questions can also be adapted to reflect on our identity and purpose.
11, Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Jacques Philippe
In the midst of leadership demands, finding inner peace is vital. This short spiritual book helps ground a leader’s soul, especially when stress and responsibility weigh heavily.
12, Friends of God by St. Josemaría Escrivá
This is a collection of homilies for lay Catholics, reminding us that holiness is not separate from our everyday work. Our identity as God’s children is the foundation for all we do, including leadership.
Why These Books Matter for lay Catholic Leaders
Diagnosis, then growth, then action, the list starts with books that help us understand where the Church and culture stand, then moves inward to personal virtue, and finally into how to act in the world.
Virtue-centered leadership, many of the titles, especially Havard’s, emphasize moral formation, not just strategy or management. This aligns with a Christian view of leadership as service to others.
Lay-centric, these are not all religious leadership books. Several are secular leadership classics, but they are selected through a Catholic lens, because lay professionals must lead well in the world.
Spiritual formation, the list doesn’t neglect the interior life, Fr. Jacques Philippe and St. Josemaría Escrivá bring spiritual depth to so-called professional leadership.
P.S. The date has been set for the 2nd Tepeyac Leadership Gala. Click below to register and mark your calendar to join us!
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