There are a lot of great leadership books. Here are some that might not make the mainstream lists but that have critical messages for leaders. If you are looking to think about leadership from a slightly different perspective, these might be for you:

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie – We all inevitably contribute to the corporate hairball. Gordon MacKenzie provides a great perspective on how we get there, and what we can do to avoid it.

Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed by Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos – This is one of my favorite leadership books primarily because it was not written as a leadership book. It is the story of the Lockheed Skunkworks and all of the incredible aircraft that they created. Everything they did defied conventional wisdom or even logic! At the end of the day, their innovation and success was a result of great leadership. If you read carefully you’ll understand the true meaning of vision, empowerment, trust, and integrity.

The CEO and the Monk: One Company’s Journey to Profit and Purpose by Robert B. Catell, Kenny Moore, and Glenn Rifkin – This book breaks one of the biggest management myths I’ve encountered which is that taking care of your business and taking care of people (your employees or your customer) are mutually exclusive. Leaders often feel that they have to chose one or the other. It’s the story of Brooklyn Union (now Keyspan) Gas Company and how doing the right things, taking care of customers, and taking care of employees led to business success. Not only do you not have to trade them off, one can actually drive the other.

The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander – The Zander’s will get you looking at people differently. They come from an attitude of abundance. Treat people like they warrant an “A” and they will perform as if they do. It’s a great message.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink – Many leaders are growing and nurturing people whose skills will soon be displaced. Pink provides a clear and simple explanation of the real skills needed to thrive in a new age.