Most executives will say you are what you read, and that’s no different for Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst.

The former chief operating officer of Delta and the author of “The Open Organisation“.

oversees more than 8,000 employees in 80 countries at the open-source software company. His unique views on corporate culture — including the importance of killing terminally nice cultures and his belief that employees who cry are good hires — have been shaped by several thought leaders along the way.

To find out what most influenced his career and leadership style, we asked him to share the business books that have been his biggest sources of inspiration. Read on to see his top recommendations.

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