Over the years we have worked with Leadership New Hampshire and other leadership programs in New Hampshire and Maine. To set the stage for these programs we develop recommended reading lists with annotated bibliographies. Here is a sampling of readings assigned to recent Leadership New Hampshire classes.

New Hampshire Readings:

New Hampshire: Crosscurrents in its Development, Nancy Coffey Heffernan and Ann Page Stecker, Grantham, NH: Tompson & Rutter, 1986. A good background of historical trends through 1990 (the newest edition has an added chapter ending through the Clinton presidency).

The New Hampshire Century:The Concord Monitor Profiles 100 People Who Shaped it, Felice Belman/Mike Pride, Editors, Hanover,NH: University Press of New England 2001. www.upne.com. A compilation of profiles of a cross section of 100 of the state's most interesting characters--from the founder of the Christian Science Church to the founder of Aerosmith!

People and Places: NH The First 100 Years. The story of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.Conroy and Ober,editors, SPNHF, 2001
www.spnhf.org. History and highlights of one of NH's most effective conservation organizations.

Seasons at Eagle Pond Donald Hall, MA: Ticknor and Fields, 1987
Hall, former poet laureate, richly portrays the quiet delights of rural NH.

In the Memory House Howard Mansfield, Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing, 1993
Explore the culture of modern memory by revisiting the cultural history of New England. Mansfield lives in Hancock, NH.

Leadership Readings:

Shorter, anecdotal, inspirational:
Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson, New York: Putnam, 1997
Learn about how we deal with change through a simple, memorable parable featuring two mice and two “little people”. A quick read that you’ll want to pass along to colleagues.

Leadership Jazz Max Depree, New York: Doubleday, 1992 DePree draws upon his vast experience as a CEO to share stories about how effective leadership is carried out throughout an organization. An enjoyable read.

Longer, more in depth with specific approaches & tools for leading effectively:
The Leadership Challenge Kouzes and Posner, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987. Based on their research on what characteristics the most effective leaders share, this book explores the five dimensions of leadership (see “Leadership Practices Inventory” under “Tools”)

Nonprofit Governance:

Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the 21st Century Thomas Wolf, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999. A good, thorough reference for the nonprofit manager and volunteer leader. Formerly titled “Managing a Nonprofit Organization” this classic has been updated to reflect changing rules, trends and approaches.

Encouraging Municipal Volunteerism Resource List:

Better Together: Restoring the American Community, by Robert D. Putnam & Lewis M. Feldstein,
Simon & Shuster, 2003.

Egoboo! Recognizing Municipal Volunteers, by Cotton Cleveland, New Hampshire Town & City
Magazine, NHMA, October 2003.

Town Officials & Appointed Committees, by April Whittaker, Town Manager, Enfield. A detailed list of
municipal officials and committees with responsibilities, size and RSA authorizations.

John Adams, by David McCullough, Simon & Shuster, 2001.

The Leadership Challenge, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, Jossey-Bass, 2002.

Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century, by Thomas Wolf, Simon & Shuster, 1999.

New Hampshire: A Mosaic of Goals and Ideals, Remarks at the Leadership New Hampshire Graduation,
1994, by Stephen H. Taylor, published in The Leadership Exchange, Winter/Spring 1995.

New London Area Local Leaders Offer Town Government Series for Citizens, by Cotton Cleveland,
New Hampshire Town & City Magazine, NHMA, April 2003.

Re-Building the Front Porch of America: Essays on the Art of Community Making, by Patrick Overton,
Columbia College, 1997.

Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time, by Paul Rogat Loeb, St. Martin's Press, 1999.

Volunteer NH, a nonprofit organization seeking to help link volunteers with organizations needing help.

A Yankee Tradition: Declining Honors and Accepting Responsibilities, Address to the UNH Honors
Convocation, by Professor David H. Watters, University of New Hampshire, 2001.