One of the keys to my success across my varied career has been my hunger to learn through reading books. It was in my early career days, back when I was going from being a police officer to a marketing professional, that I realized so much knowledge was easily accessible and right at my fingertips. Books!
I imagine we all have thought-leaders we would love to sit down with over lunch or coffee and pick their brains. There are the “best and brightest” out there who can undoubtedly share wisdom and insight they’ve accumulated along the way. Fortunately for us, most of them have also written books.
I am the kind of person that loves to hold a real book, with real pages, in my hand. Not only that, I treat them as journals and intertwine my story with the book’s narrative by digesting the content as I highlight it, write my own thoughts, and respond to prompts by the author.
Since my Instagram stories regularly feature the books I am reading I have been asking more than once for my key suggestions for walk folks should read. From those requests this blog article has been born! Here are some of my all-time favorite business books. I hope you’ll choose one or two to read, whether you love to hold the book in your hands like me or you opt for an audio book. Regardless of the medium, invest well in your professional growth and give these books a go!
1. Built to Sell
I read this book when I had my first business, Blue Mobius Marketing. It was a baby consultancy when I read it – a “side hustle” and nothing more. Reading this book gave me the right mindset for how to build something bigger than myself. The ideas in this book directly supported my ability to grow a business (rapidly) and sell it. It is easy to digest and simple in its concepts, which is why it worked incredibly well for me all those years ago. It is a “must” that I reccommend to any business owner regardless of industry.
Chip and Dan Heath are some of my favorite authors. I’ve read numerous books by these brothers and find their voice welcoming, easy to follow, and engaging. This book in particular sticks with me because of how it helps underscore the importance of experiences that we create. It explores why celebrations, onboarding new employees, customer journeys, and other communal gatherings have a profound impact on who we are and how we continue to engage. It weaves in concepts of branding, professional development, and communications – whether overtly saying as much or only in principle.
You may hesitate to pick this one up. Don’t! Go for it! Authored by Jonathan Golden, this one is a battle cry for each of us to use our lives for greater impact. It does not take starting a non-profit to do so. There are many takeaways for business leaders of all types. If nothing more, this will inspire you that this world is full of everyday heroes who had the courage to say yes. For me, it was critical in realizing that my time as a police officer brought rich benefit to seemingly unrelated fields.
One of my dear friends and long-term clients, Dr. Logan Brooke, strongly suggested this book. It is one of his top – if not his #1 business book. In it, Simon Sinek offers a framework for business leadership that flies in the face of modern-day-capitalisms shareholder centric model. It advocates for stronger, more innovative, and more inspiring organizations through playing the infinite game.
Like Dr. Brooke, I am a big fan of Simon Sinek! His people-centric business leadership really resonates with me. I love this book because it speaks directly to how we humanizes others in the workplace. It can apply to internal teams but we can also consider how this applies to the clients we engage with. “Eyes on Leadership” is one concept from this book I carry forward with me, always.
Heads up: This book has faith principles backing it. I don’t think Lysa Terkeurst authored it with business in mind but her framework for decision making is something I have used since reading it. She emphasizes that decisions lead us in directions and ultimately, the directions we head bring us to destinations. It has helped me slow down and consider if the small decision I’m making today is pointing me in the direction of the destination I hope to arrive at one day. She is warm and friendly in her writing tone. If you’d like to consider how you are approaching time management, this could be a great one for you!
Brene Brown is another favorite author of mine! I have read most of her books but Dare to Lead stands out as most memorable and most applicable. This book is where “clear is kind, unclear is unkind” became a phrase I grab onto as a leader and business owner.
I won’t pretend that this was the most captivating book on the list. But it was important! It is especially important if you are an entrepreneur and responsible for careful money management for your business in addition to your personal finances. I like learned financial concepts through stories because finances make me fall asleep. So this one worked for me! I stayed awake, I learned important financial management principles, and I’m grateful for the insight it shared!
I hope that you will add one or more of these books to your professional development list! One of the best ways that you can invest in your business is by investing in your own growth as a leader.
If you do pick up one of these titles, let me know! I would also love to know what books you would add to this list.
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[…] much it informed my faith journey, healing, and personal growth. I’ve already talked about the business books that have shaped me, over on my company website. But now, it’s time to talk about some of […]