Our Favorite Business Books
It’s back to school for so many! For those of us no longer in the classroom, every day is an opportunity to learn and improve ourselves. In honor of national Book Lover’s Day, check out our team’s favorite business books and why they are worth a read.
Biography
1. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder
This is a great read! If you love investing, business, history, and learning the story behind great people, then you will love this book. One of the richest men in the world, and an incomparable figure of success, Warren Buffet is the source of valuable lessons and inspirations through this biography. Readers with an interest in investing will appreciate the many personal and business insights Alice Schroeder gives into this accomplished investor. Even those non-investors will appreciate the ingenuity of his life story. You will finish the book feeling like you know him pretty well. You may even catch yourself saying, “Oh, Warren would love that!”
Personal Improvement
2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Without a doubt, this is one of the most read self-improvement books, and with good reason. It is easy to read about the successes of others and think that they were just lucky. Covey’s book empowers everyone to accomplish their goals; it just takes adopting theses seven habits. Covey breaks down practical actions we can all take to have more impact in our work, and therefore make our dreams a reality. This book is all about setting goals, realizing your vision, working with others, and prioritizing so that you can achieve success.
3. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
No matter what industry you work in, it is highly likely that your work day is full of distractions. Advances in communication technology, such as emails, text messages, and social media notifications, have shortened our attention spans and made us much more susceptible to distractions. In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport explains the science of focus and distraction. He offers practical advice on how to avoid multitasking, a habit that can actually make us less productive and result in less valuable output. Rather, by focusing in on periods of distraction-free “deep work”, we can produce more valuable work in less time.
4. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Angela Duckworth has a fascination with success. Do the most accomplished get to the top simply because they were born with talent? Duckworth’s studies found that determination, or grit, is actually the biggest predictor of lifelong achievement. Perseverance is all that we need to stand out. Effort is what matters. While we may not think of ourselves as capable of Olympian-level accomplishments, Angela Duckworth offers four key steps to adopt “grit” and improve ourselves beyond what we had imagined. After reading this book, that gold medal won’t seem so far away!
5. Money: Master the Game, 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins
Awesome, awesome, awesome and oh so very practical! You will totally revamp your portfolio. Tony Robbins is famous for his motivational and life-changing words. It should come as no surprise then that when it comes to finance, he offers practical advice and empowerment. For those who feel like they’re not a “numbers” person, or who feel like financial freedom is impossible, Tony Robbins walks through harmful financial misconceptions and offers key advice that is easy to understand. This book is all about empowering individuals to make better financial decisions for themselves and their futures.
6. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell takes a deep dive into the most talented and asks what it took to get them there. He finds that innate talent will only open doors, whereas hours of dedication will really make you stand out. He looks at the lives of outstanding achievers from Bill Gates to the Beatles and highlights that what truly made the difference for them was not being unique or special, but years and years of practice. This book will free you of the pressure to be instantly perfect and inspire you to work hard and become an outlier yourself.
7. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence- and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk
Have you ever wondered what a personal brand is, or how to create one for yourself? In this follow-up to his 2009 book Crush It, Gary Vaynerchuk presents the tools you need and theories you need to understand to create a successful personal brand, one that will follow you to any venture. He breaks down the most influential social media tools and shows you how to create a personal brand that will resonate with audiences and take your career to the next level.
Organizational Excellence
8. Forces for Good: Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits by Heather McLeod Grant and Leslie R. Crutchfield
The authors of this book took a deep look at some of the most impactful nonprofit organizations in America and asked, what made them successful? They found six commonalities among the organizations, which they explain in detail. In addition, they debunk myths about what it takes for a nonprofit to succeed. For example, they found that perfect mission statements and high scores on conventional metrics didn’t really matter for the success of the organization. Rather, practices such as innovation and empowerment set these groups apart from the rest.
9. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
Rather than focusing on individual success, Collins looks at the factors that lead to a company’s success. He studied thousands of successful companies to understand what made them different. Collins looks at the impact that disciplined people, thought, and action can have a company and how that can truly set it apart. Whether you are in a management position or not, this book will offer valuable insight on how you can help direct your company to greatness.
We hope that we’ve added some inspiration to your reading list. What are the books that have inspired you, professionally or personally? Let us know in the comments below!