The following list of books come from our Harbor Leadership Team and are suggested reading to help you on your career journey.
You can download the PDF list here.
Justin Erickson – CEO & Owner Harbor Foods
Another Way - Building Companies that last…and last…and last – Dave Whorton with Bo Burlingham
Introduces the concept of “Evergreen companies” — businesses built for long-term success through purpose, people, and steady growth over quick exits.
Kevin Pribilsky – President Harbor Foodservice
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey
A timeless guide to personal leadership. Focuses on building the right habits before chasing business success.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership — John C. Maxwell
Simple, practical principles that show how great leaders earn influence and lead consistently over time.
Dan Seth – VP Business Development / Local Contract, Harbor Foodservice
Start with Why — Simon Sinek
Challenges you to lead with purpose. Great leaders inspire by clearly communicating the “why.”
The Infinite Game — Simon Sinek
Reframes business as a long-term game. Focus on resilience, purpose, and staying in the game.
7 Moments that Define Excellent Leaders — Lee J. Colan
Breaks leadership into the key moments that matter most in how you show up and lead others.
Cris Bade – VP of Operations Harbor Wholesale
Servant Leadership — James C. Hunter
Leadership through service. Prioritizing people builds stronger, more effective teams.
Extreme Ownership — Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Leaders must own mistakes and failures, learn from them, and develop a plan to win, rather than blaming external factors.
Bryce Schneider – VP Sales Harbor Wholesale
The Go-Giver Sells More — Bob Burg & John David Mann
A relationship-first approach to selling. Focus on giving value to drive long-term success.
Jeff Paradise – VP of Independent Sales Harbor Foodservice
It’s your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy – D. Michael Abrashoff
Turn a struggling team into top performers by empowering people and building trust.
Erika Cottrell – Chief Marketing Officer Harbor Foods
The Big Leap – Gay Hendricks
Break through self-imposed limits and stop holding yourself back from success.
Daring Greatly – Brene Brown
Vulnerability is the key to courage, connection, and strong leadership.
Darrin Soderberg - Vice President of Merchandising & Sales Operations Harbor Foodservice
Getting Things Done - David Allen
A system to capture and organize all tasks outside your mind, enabling clear focus and stress-free productivity.
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter – Michael D. Watkins
A framework for succeeding in a new role by learning fast, building trust, and delivering early wins.
Jim Winkle – EVP & CFO Harbor Foods
Atomic Habits - James Clear
Small, consistent behavior changes compound into remarkable long-term results. Focus less on goals and more on building systems and identity-based habits that stick.
The 10x Rule - Grant Cardone
Success requires setting goals 10 times bigger than you think and taking massively more action than feels necessary. Most people fail by aiming too low and underestimating effort.
Good Leaders Ask Great Questions - John Maxwell
Great leadership comes from curiosity and asking the right questions, not having all the answers. Questions unlock insight, build trust, and drive team engagement and growth.
Rick Jensen – President Harbor Wholesale
Master Mentors - 30 Transformative Insights from the greatest minds - Scott Jeffrey Miller
Challenges and restores your current mindset and beliefs that you find effective but aren't currently living in alignment with.
Inner Excellence - Train your mind for extraordinary performance and the best possible life - Jim Murphy
Mental training developed by athletes to rise to the top and transform their lives.
Heather Jorgensen – Vice President Human Resources, Harbor Foods
The Ideal Team Player – Patrick Lencioni
The best team players consistently exhibit three traits: humility, hunger, and people smarts. Organizations thrive when they hire and develop people who embody all three.
When – Daniel Pink
Timing is a science, not intuition, and aligning tasks with natural energy patterns dramatically improves performance. Success depends on doing the right work at the right time.