I love reading. It’s one of my favorite hobbies… I don’t do it as much as I’d like, but man, it’s super high up on my list of “to dos” always. I’m currently reading “The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller.
One book that is probably going to have many teachable moments for both the entrepreneur and likely, anyone, is the authorized biography of Warren Buffet written by Alice Schroder: “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.” It’s at once a success story, a CEO how to, a look at the “strengths” and “frailties” that exist in all of us, and an exploration of Buffett’s “principles and ideas that have enriched people’s lives.”
One of my all time favorites is “You’re a Badass at Making Money” followed by the original “You’re a Badass.” These fun, and slightly sassy books by Jen Sincero have been the top of my “recommended reading” list anytime people ask. They’re a little “self-helpy” but it’s all about creating a life you totally love… by identifying the the beliefs that are self-sabatoging your success, and the behaviors that are keeping you from getting what you want. Change it, be better, go get ‘em tiger!
“Leadership and Self-Deception: getting out of the box” by The Arbinger Institute is a book that will not only help in the workplace but has concepts that can make all your relationships more genuine and healthy. The key takeaway is that our leadership isn’t dictated by what we do, but more so in our true selves. It teaches the reader about the “fascinating ways we blind ourselves to our true motivations and unwittingly sabotage the effectiveness of our own efforts to achieve happiness and increase happiness. We trap ourselves in a “box” of endless self-justification.” -Amazon
An oldie but a goodie is “How to Win Friends and Influence People: The Only Book You Need to Lead You to Success” by Dale Carnegie. Even if you have read it before, it might be time to read it again. It has sold over 30 million copies, so it must be doing something right. It gives precious insight into how to form and foster relationships in business and in life.
“Outliers: A Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell is another title that bears mentioning even though it has been around awhile. Basically, it will support your theory that you have to spend time at what you love in order to be great at it. Not only will this book give you a lot of food for thought, but it is a heck of a good read, and one of my all time favorites.
I’m also a huge fan of anything by Peter B. Stark (one of our clients.) His book “Why Leaders Fail and the 7 Prescriptions for Success” gave me a lot of clarity in my own leadership journey, particularly when I was struggling with a not-so-great work situation a few years ago. Whether you're in your first year of management or your 20th, Why Leaders Fail is a must read for aspiring leaders who know they need to be constantly learning, improving, and developing their leadership skills.
This book, “The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses” by Eric Ries is a good reminder to all small business owners and entrepreneurs that they need to continue to evaluate and adapt. “Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups in an age when companies need to innovate more than ever.” -Amazon
If you ever feeling like you are taking the right steps towards your goals, but don’t seem to ever achieve them, then “Atomic Habits” by James Clear could be the book for you (I’m definitely picking it up!). It is #4 on the New York Bestsellers list. Clear offers a “proven framework” to create good habits and eliminate the bad. The book includes how to make time for new habits amongst our crazy lives, how to restart when you go off course, how to create an environment for success, and how to cure a lack of willpower or motivation.
And, because we can’t do a book list without a Steve Jobs recommendation nor a marketing book, check out “Inside the Tornado” by Geoffrey A. Moore. This book delivers the pathway for marketers to help entrepreneurs reach their customers (Apple follows his prescribed methods for product release cycles). Moore states in the book, “As members of a market, our behavior is invariable: We move as a herd, we mill and mill and mill around, and then all of the sudden we stampede.” Making the case that with marketing changes and evolutions, we hold back adapting until it is impossible not to convert. What if we were more forward thinking?
Almost all billionaires tote massive reading resumes. Maybe you don’t aspire to be a billionaire, but we know you aspire to succeed. Happy reading!