Top Reads to Boost Your Contact Centre Leadership Skills

As a contact centre leader, you’re always managing a fast-paced environment while also ensuring your team delivers exceptional service. The pressures are high, the stakes are even higher, and balancing both customer needs and agent performance can sometimes feel like an impossible task.

But what if you could tap into proven principles, strategies, and tools that have helped leaders across industries navigate the very challenges you face?

Look no further, as we explore must-read books that provide invaluable leadership insights, offer practical advice for contact centre managers, and equip you with the tools you need to lead with confidence.

Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates by Brittany Hodak

Brittany Hodak, an award-winning entrepreneur and keynote speaker, offers a fresh, engaging approach to customer loyalty in Creating Superfans.

Drawing on her experience with global brands like Walmart, Disney, and Amazon, as well as collaborations with stars such as Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton, Brittany introduces the SUPER Model – a simple yet effective framework for turning ordinary customers into devoted superfans.

This book stands out because it doesn’t just provide theoretical insights; it’s packed with entertaining anecdotes and case studies from businesses of all sizes, illustrating how exceptional customer experience can transform a company from a mere commodity into a “category of one.”

Creating Superfans provides your entire team with a playbook to tap into the transformative power of superfan-dom, helping you cultivate loyalty that transcends competition.

For some quick insights into how contact centres can turn their customers into ‘super-fans’, check out this article: How to Create ‘Super-Fan’ Customers

The Amazement Revolution: Seven Customer Service Strategies to Create an Amazing Customer (and Employee) Experience by Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken’s The Amazement Revolution is a definitive guide to creating a customer-focused culture that transforms the way organizations operate.

In this follow-up to his bestselling The Cult of the Customer, Hyken delves into seven game-changing strategies to drive customer and employee loyalty.

Featuring role-model examples from fifty companies, the book showcases how brands like Apple, Zappos, and Ritz-Carlton have mastered the art of delivering consistently amazing customer experiences.

What makes this book particularly impactful is its practical, organization-wide approach. Hyken argues that customer service isn’t just a department – it’s a philosophy that should permeate every aspect of a business.

In an era of intense competition and price sensitivity, adopting these principles can set a business apart. This book is an extremely inspiring read for leaders eager to elevate their organization’s customer experience to revolutionary levels.

Little things can make a big difference, and a customer service mantra is a great place to start. For advice on this, read this article: Creating a Customer Service Mantra

Call Centre Management on Fast Forward by Brad Cleveland

Brad Cleveland’s book is a must-read for anyone managing a contact centre in the modern age. With technology constantly evolving, Cleveland provides a practical guide on how to stay ahead of the curve.

This book dives into the nuts and bolts of call centre management – how to streamline operations, leverage new technologies, and enhance the overall customer experience. It also provides insights into workforce management, from scheduling to performance metrics, which are crucial for contact centre leaders looking to optimize their team’s productivity.

Cleveland’s approach helps leaders adapt to the dynamic demands of both customers and employees while ensuring that the service remains top tier.

By applying the principles in this book, contact centre leaders can stay competitive especially as technology advances, and ensure their teams are always prepared to meet any emerging challenges.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

Understanding what drives motivation is a key element of effective leadership, and Daniel Pink’s Drive is a groundbreaking book on the subject. Pink challenges traditional notions of motivation, such as relying solely on extrinsic rewards like bonuses or commissions.

Instead, he argues that the key to lasting motivation lies in fostering autonomy, mastery, and purpose. For contact centre leaders, this means creating an environment where agents have the freedom to make decisions, opportunities to develop their skills, and a clear understanding of how their work contributes to the contact centre’s success.

Using Pink’s principles, leaders can inspire greater engagement, innovation, and satisfaction within their teams.

For some top ideas on how to motivate staff and drive employee engagement in the contact centre, read our article: How to Motivate Staff and Drive Employee Engagement

Emotional Intelligence Habits by Travis Bradberry

Emotional Intelligence is a critical skill for any leader, but especially for contact centre managers who are often required to manage high-stress situations, defuse customer frustration, and maintain a positive environment for their teams.

Emotional Intelligence Habits by Travis Bradberry provides actionable strategies for enhancing your emotional intelligence and using it to improve both your leadership skills and your team’s performance.

Unlike other books that simply outline the theory behind emotional intelligence, this one dives into practical habits you can incorporate into your daily routine to become more self-aware, manage your emotions effectively, and build better relationships with your team and customers.

Bradberry’s approach is particularly useful for contact centre leaders, where empathy and emotional regulation are key to defusing tense situations, whether you’re resolving customer complaints or navigating conflicts between team members.

Emotional Intelligence Habits offers a structured framework for developing these crucial skills, giving you the tools to improve your leadership style and, ultimately, enhance the overall performance of your contact centre.

If you are looking for more advice on helping your agents build their emotional intelligence, read our article: 15 Tips for Building Emotional Intelligence in Customer Service

CX-Ism: Re-Defining Business Success by Katie Stabler

Drawing on her expertise of cultivating exceptional customer experiences, Katie Stabler explores how every interaction and touchpoint is not just a transaction – but a moment of connection.

Covering everything from context and curiosity, to why the ability to listen is seriously underrated, this book stands out for encouraging leaders to think beyond their products, services, pricing and marketing – to explore where success can truly be found in the emotions of each and every one of their customers.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of leadership, especially in high-stress environments like contact centres.

Whether it’s addressing performance issues, resolving conflicts, or guiding a team member through a tough customer interaction, leaders need the skills to handle these conversations effectively.

Crucial Conversations provides practical tools for navigating these high-stakes discussions. The book highlights the importance of staying calm, listening actively, and communicating clearly – even when emotions run high.

For contact centre leaders, this skill is essential not only in managing internal team dynamics but also in ensuring that the communication with customers remains professional, empathetic, and solution-oriented, even when conversations become challenging.

If you are looking for some quick advice on improving your communication, read our article: The 7 Cs of Effective Communication

WFM: Go Beyond by Juanita Coley

WFM: Go Beyond is an essential read for contact centre leaders, workforce management professionals, and executives looking to elevate their operational strategy. As AI and automation reshape the industry, Juanita Coley provides a practical guide to transforming WFM from a tactical function into a strategic powerhouse.

This book breaks down the core disciplines of workforce management – forecasting, scheduling, intraday optimization, and performance management – while introducing a future-focused approach that aligns WFM with business goals, customer experience, and employee engagement.

Coley’s insights challenge outdated WFM strategies and provide leaders with actionable frameworks to optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and prepare for the next evolution of workforce optimization.

By applying the principles in WFM: Go Beyond, contact centre and WFM leaders can future-proof their teams, leverage AI effectively, and build a workforce strategy that drives measurable business impact.

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Lencioni’s book addresses the root causes of dysfunctions that often undermine team performance. It outlines five key areas – absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results – that can derail even the best teams.

For contact centre leaders, building a cohesive, high-functioning team is critical to success. This book provides a framework for overcoming these dysfunctions by creating an environment where team members feel safe to be open, have constructive debates, and hold each other accountable.

By applying these principles, leaders can foster a culture of trust and collaboration, ensuring that their teams not only meet but exceed expectations.

Simple actions could also be demotivating your contact centre agents. To find out what to look out for, read our article: 35 Surefire Ways to Demotivate Your Best Agents

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

For contact centre leaders, maintaining a positive attitude is key to not only overcoming day-to-day challenges but also inspiring the team. Peale’s teachings on optimism, belief in oneself, and focusing on solutions rather than problems can help create a motivating environment, even during stressful moments.

A positive mindset can also improve resilience, customer interactions, and overall team morale. Leaders who practise the power of positive thinking are more likely to lead teams that are engaged, motivated, and focused on achieving high levels of service excellence.

Norman Vincent Peale’s classic book is a deep dive into the impact of a positive mindset on both personal and professional success.

Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization by John Wooden

In this book, legendary basketball coach John Wooden offers timeless wisdom that transcends the court. While not specifically tailored to contact centres, Wooden’s emphasis on character, teamwork, and personal development resonates strongly with leadership challenges that are universally applicable across industries, especially in high-pressure environments like contact centres.

Wooden’s emphasis on discipline, respect, and constant growth aligns perfectly with the demands of contact centre leadership. He teaches that when they prioritize integrity and team cohesion, leaders can create strong, unified teams that are aligned with organizational goals.

Wooden’s belief that leadership is about service, not authority, is particularly relevant for contact centre managers.

For advice on key skills contact centre team leaders should have, read our article: Team Leadership: What Makes a Great Leader?

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Stephen R. Covey’s book is a cornerstone in self-help and leadership literature. His approach to effectiveness centres on timeless principles like prioritization, proactive behaviour, and empathetic communication.

For contact centre leaders, the book offers a roadmap for personal effectiveness that directly influences team performance. Covey’s emphasis on managing time wisely, aligning actions with values, and focusing on what can be controlled helps leaders stay grounded amidst the fast-paced demands of the contact centre environment.

In a high-pressure environment, it’s easy for teams to fall into a competitive or siloed mindset. However, by embracing Covey’s “win–win” mentality, for example, leaders can foster a collaborative and positive culture where everyone feels valued and supported. This approach not only boosts team morale but also enhances customer satisfaction, as agents are more motivated to go the extra mile.

Principles like these can help a leader improve their decision-making process, handle stress more effectively, and lead with purpose.

If you want to know the top habits you should be nurturing in your frontline agents, read our article: 21 Amazing Habits to Foster in Your Frontline Agents

Why Not Grab a Cuppa and Fine-Tune Your Leadership Skills?

Each of these books offers unique insights into different aspects of contact centre leadership – whether it’s time management, navigating tough conversations, or inspiring your team to exceed expectations.

Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your leadership skills, build a high-performance team, or improve customer satisfaction, these books offer valuable insights.

So take some time, grab a cuppa, and empower yourself and your team to reach new heights by learning new lessons from these must-reads and incorporating them into your daily leadership practices.

If you are looking for more information on developing and supporting your team leaders, read these articles next:

Team Leader Experience (TLX) Explained

What’s the Best Team Leader to Agent Ratio in the Contact Centre?

Training Your Team to Take Ownership

Author: Stephanie Lennox
Reviewed by: Megan Jones