Updated: February 25, 2023

22 Best Leadership Newsletters to Read in 2023

You’ve found our list of the best leadership newsletters.

Leadership newsletters are email subscriptions offered by business and thought leadership industry leaders. Examples of leadership newsletters include subscriptions from Five Bullet Friday, SmartBrief, and Know Your Team. The purpose of these newsletters is to keep workers and managers informed of the latest leadership topics for personal and professional development.

These newsletters are helpful tools for team building leaders and as resources for leadership activities. The resource can also be a fresh source of management tips for leaders. These guides are similar to leadership books and leadership training programs.

This list includes:

  • leadership newsletter examples
  • free leadership newsletters
  • leadership newsletters for beginners
  • newsletters for senior leaders

Here we go!

List of leadership newsletters

From Dare to Lead by Brené Brown to ON Leadership by Franklin Covey, here are several leadership newsletters for leaders to look into.

1. Lindsey Pollak

Career and workplace expert Lindsey Pollack shares her wisdom on a multigenerational workforce in her sharp and informative newsletter. Leaders looking for strategies for navigating an ever-evolving work world can learn from her insight. Pollack’s best-selling books reflect the need for new ideas that set the pace from the front of the race. Subscribers receive a window into the mind of an innovative thinker in the leadership field, with regular posts in which Pollak shares her own challenges and her methods for growing into a more effective leader.

Learn more about Lindsey Pollack.

2. The Cru

The Cru describes itself as a collective of women dedicated to the success of women everywhere. This innovative concept connects ten women within the same city to help one another achieve their goals through in-person and online interactions. Whether assisting with financial objectives or helping with professional development, The Cru aims to provide resources for women seeking other women for support, encouragement, and leadership. The Cru newsletter keeps subscribers in the know with information and inspiration tailored for peer-to-peer coaching and leadership development.

Learn more about The Cru.

3. Work Smart, Lead Better

In his newsletter Work Smart, Lead Better, marketing expert Anthony Pica guides readers to better communication for more effective leadership. His curiosity leads him on a quest for understanding, a journey he shares with his audience. Subscribers can enjoy articles meant to inspire leaders to higher understanding through collaboration and mental development. Sample articles featured on his website give potential subscribers a taste of the content they can expect. A subscription includes a link to archived articles for readers to enjoy while waiting for new issues to arrive.

Learn more about Work Smart, Lead Better.

4. Hypercontext

If becoming a better leader is on your to-do list, then subscribing to Hypercontext’s newsletter should be on the list too. As a meeting app that streamlines collaboration and organization, Hypercontext specializes in bringing teams together in fun and enriching ways. Their newsletter delivers the latest leadership developments, allowing leaders and managers to keep current simply by checking their inboxes. You can read up on trending questions to ask during one-on-one interactions, templates to help make meetings more effective, and advice from knowledgeable figures in the leadership sphere.

Learn more about Hypercontext.

5. SmartBrief

SmartBrief provides diverse industries with newsletters customized to target key audiences. Their leadership newsletter offers a daily update of topics that interest leaders most from trustworthy sources such as Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. Partnerships with over 180 organizations ensure SmartBrief emails contain the most pertinent information available. With editors onboard to summarize material for quick and easy reading, readers have a dependable resource to hone their leadership abilities.

Learn more about SmartBrief.

6. Dare to Lead

As an authority on vulnerability, author and lecturer Brené Brown offers a newsletter featuring a humanistic approach to leadership. Her definition of leadership emphasizes the ability of leaders to find and develop potential in others. The Dare to Lead program teaches leaders how to define and tap into true courage to bring their best to their role. Signing up for the Dare to Lead newsletter provides readers with Brown’s valuable insights into the soft mechanics of leadership in all arenas.

Learn more about Dare to Lead.

7. Franklin Covey ON Leadership

Franklin Covey is a proven business brand focused on creating a more effective work culture using various methods, from personal organization to team development. To help leaders refine their techniques, Franklin Covey offers ON Leadership. Scott Miller, the company’s Executive Vice President of Thought Leadership, hosts this series of videos and articles. His philosophy of aiming to become a leader you would be willing to follow informs his emails and several published books. Subscribers to his newsletter receive a weekly update with valuable information to learn from and pass on to others.

Learn more about Franklin Covey ON Leadership.

8. Peter Barron Stark

Management consulting firm Peter Barron Stark provides an email briefing for leaders needing assistance. Monthly and weekly newsletters ensure business leaders and managers have support in their daily endeavors waiting in their inboxes. Subscribers can look forward to a regular supply of supportive content, such as tips for providing a more enriching workplace experience and recommendations for improving teams. Sample posts on the sign-up page tell readers what they can expect.

Learn more about Peter Barron Stark.

9. Leadership Freak

Dan Rockwell describes himself as being interested in leadership to a freakish degree. As a business owner and consultant, he has spent time in organizations needing leadership, which inspired him to start his Leadership Freak blog. Over half a million subscribers receive his articles via his newsletter, an exploration of what Rockwell calls “The Character Based Leader.” A blog archive with pieces dating back to 2010 provides a deep library for eager leaders to study, while a subscription will deliver new issues to keep readers updated on fresh topics.

Learn more about Leadership Freak.

10. Mindvalley

Vishen Lakhani has built a career helping others maximize their untapped potential. His company Mindvalley is part of a 20-year plan to upgrade humanity. For leaders interested in transforming their mindset, the Mindvalley newsletter provides a daily dose of inspiration, including videos and educational guides. Readers can explore coaching and community-building elements, learning from authorities from an array of industries and specialties. Topics ranging from meditation for self-development to hacking your brain’s potential create a fascinating blend of subject matter for leaders to tap into.

Learn more about Mindvalley.

11. Jay Shetty

As a speaker, coach, and former practicing monk, Jay Shetty turned his life experiences into popular videos that spread his wisdom across the Internet. During his time as a monk, Shetty discovered the power of meditation to create calm and focus. Shetty applies this learning to the workplace, promoting leadership ideals that center on passion and purpose. A subscription to his newsletter brings his brand of wisdom to your inbox weekly, a valuable tool that can help leaders sharpen their skills while softening their approach to leadership and life in general.

Learn more about Jay Shetty.

12. Leader’s Lens

Leader’s Lens is a media company that keeps the business world informed by offering authoritative newsletters compiled by a team of subject matter experts. Twice weekly, leadership coach Jacob Espinoza sends a leadership newsletter sharing expertise with readers needing direction. Espinoza focuses on small and medium-sized businesses, emphasizing the value of teams and retaining talent. Readers can keep up with methods for managing their time, elevating their communication abilities, and chunking large projects into doable pieces to ensure successful outcomes.

Learn more about Leader’s Lens.

13. The Ken Blanchard Companies

Having trained managers and leaders for four decades, The Ken Blanchard Companies have amassed volumes of experience for leaders of all levels to learn from. The company’s purpose has always been to bring focus to human value in the work world. With workshops and training events offered all around the globe, this organization is a proven resource in the field of leadership, and its newsletter shares some of its powerful work with subscribers. The prospect of free updates and leadership insight make this publication a difficult offer to pass up.

Learn more about The Ken Blanchard Companies.

14. Friday Forward

Friday Forward, the newsletter published by best-selling author Robert Glazer, reaches an audience of more than 200,000 worldwide subscribers weekly. Inspirational writings that combine personal growth with professional development arrive every Friday morning. Glazer’s role as the founder of the marketing company Acceleration Partners inspired the creation of the newsletter, originally sent to his work team. Once word spread about Glazer’s writings on expanding personal potential, his audience grew, and Friday Forward became a leadership newsletter for anyone interested in improving their abilities.

Learn more about Friday Forward.

15. Five Bullet Friday

Tim Ferris developed his 4-Hour Workweek book series to help workers maximize their time. The concept of reducing work to its most efficient form made him a sought-after figure in the world of thought leadership. Through his newsletter, Ferris shares a bulleted list of his five most interesting facts and finds with subscribers looking for expert guidance. The list includes a mix of life hacks, helpful gadgets, must-read books, and other items Ferris deems important enough to pass on. These tidbits can help leaders become more effective human beings as well as more efficient and impactful workers.

Learn more about Five Bullet Friday.

16. 3-2-1 Thursday

James Clear shook up the world of self-improvement with Atomic Habits, his best-seller detailing how incremental life changes compound into monumental transformations. Clear’s advice on shifting habits from good to bad centers on simple behavioral alterations that make self-actualization seem possible. With a subscription to his free leadership newsletters, leaders receive a weekly wisdom dispatch called 3-2-1 Thursday. Each issue includes three quick ideas, two inspiring quotes, and one question to challenge readers. These quick reads are a powerful tool for keeping the necessary elements for effective leadership front of mind.

Learn more about 3-2-1 Thursday.

17. Granted

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert in the mechanics of motivation. In the cleverly titled Granted, his quick-yet-effective newsletter, Grant addresses his community monthly to share information that sparks excitement for him. Content includes links to articles, book recommendations, and videos that inform and inspire Grant’s 200,000-plus subscribers. Grant includes discussions about the ideas other thought leaders suggest, creating an informational loop to help readers understand familiar topics from a new perspective.

Learn more about Granted.

18. Leadership Tools

As Leadership Tools defines it, leadership hinges on quality interactions and relationships. The periodic newsletter this company creates brings helpful tools to an audience of leaders hoping to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those they lead. Subjects range from improving employee morale and job satisfaction to creating a more productive work environment. Rather than promising a monthly send, Leadership Tools sends a new issue only when their team has valuable content to share. In addition to the newsletter, this free membership also gives subscribers access to a collection of online leadership tools and resources.

Learn more about Leadership Tools.

19. Austin Kleon

Artist and author Austin Kleon inspires his readers to think in new and creative modes. Kleon’s books explain how to apply principles of art and creativity to all aspects of life. Entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and workers in any sector can learn and apply his suggestions for a more creative approach to life. In the same manner as his best-selling titles, Kleon offers a more colorful take on how to be effective in your life as a leader. You can think of them as leadership newsletters for beginners, with every issue offering ten important points to intrigue and inform readers.

Though the free version of Kleon’s newsletters provides a new issue every Friday, readers can also opt for bonus content through a paid membership. Prices for these memberships range from $5.00 per month for the newsletter plus chats and issue archives to $200.00 per year for additional emails and members-only offers.

Learn more about Austin Kleon.

20. Reconsidered

Creating sustainable change is the main goal of Reconsidered, the innovative organization redefining the environmentally sensitive business. Leaders hoping to stay on trend can subscribe to the company’s newsletter. Reconsidered shares the latest information from the world of eco-responsible industries, helping businesses enact solutions and consider new options to make their companies leaders in the modern work world. This biweekly send is among several leadership newsletter examples that expand leader thinking beyond the bounds of the team and into the realm of the global community.

Learn more about Reconsidered.

21. Know Your Team

More than 20,000 readers keep up with management trends through the Know Your Team newsletter, a collection of articles and tips dedicated to helping managers learn and grow. Leaders can watch video interviews with thoughtful figures from various industries who are eager to share their expertise. Articles from the company’s deep archive appear as reintroductions to key topics, and facilitator Clair Lew shares what she has been reading to keep subscribers informed. Know Your Team also includes issues of their podcast, Heartbeat, making it easier for busy leaders to listen rather than read.

Learn more about Know Your Team.

22. Senior Executive

Executives searching for newsletters for senior leaders will discover a trove of useful data in the newsletter from Senior Executive. This well-presented media-centric site focuses on citizens of the C-suite, providing subject matter targeting the leaders’ leaders. A subscription to the company’s First Five Newsletter delivers weekly tips for keeping ahead of the executive game, while the DEI Advisor transmits the latest information on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace biweekly.

Learn more about Senior Executive.

Conclusion

With subscriptions to informative leadership newsletters, workers have a free tool to advance their knowledge of how to be an effective leader. New issues keep readers up to date without the need for an Internet search. Since most sites offer free subscriptions to their newsletters, readers can finetune their incoming publications by sampling a few to find the right fit.

For more leadership topics, read about building leaders and leadership activities.

FAQ: Leadership Newsletters

Here are answers to frequently asked questions about leadership newsletters.

What are leadership newsletters?

Leadership newsletters are online publications organizations offer to inform readers of leadership topics. These newsletters include links and articles encouraging personal and professional development for current and future leaders. Though most leadership newsletters are free, some charge a subscription fee for access to additional content, special offers, and occasional perks for leaders and readers.

What are the best newsletters for leaders to read?

The best newsletters for leaders to read include Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, a professor and author whose emails focus on personal development related to leadership. Another option is the Leadership Geek newsletter, a wrap-up of articles published by the website.

What should be inside a good leadership newsletter?

A good leadership newsletter should include helpful information that expands a leader’s awareness and points them toward a better leadership experience. Profiles of successful leaders for readers to learn from, tips and advice for being an effective leader, and an exploration of what it takes to build better leadership skills are all valuable elements for readers to look for. These items may come as original written pieces or as links to articles by other writers.

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People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com.
Grace is the Director of People & Culture at TeamBuilding. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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