Background The importance of effective leadership for improving patient care and physician well-being is gaining increased attention in medicine. Despite this, few residency programs have formalized education on leadership in medicine. The most effective ways to train graduate medical education (GME) trainees in leadership are unclear. Methods Our large internal medicine residency program implemented a book club to develop leadership skills in residency. Through independent reading of the selected book and resident-led small group discussions, we facilitated dialogue on the challenges of leading effectively. Results A survey-based curricular evaluation demonstrated that 61% of respondents felt that the book club influenced their thoughts about leadership and that 66% of participants would recommend the book club to other residency programs. Lack of time was the main barrier to participation while addition of complementary media or alternative book formats were identified as possible solutions to increase engagement. Conclusions Leadership book clubs are a practical and effective way to teach leadership during residency. More research is needed to identify the best formats for book club discussion and to develop additional tools to foster future physician leaders.