What books should entrepreneurs read?

What books should entrepreneurs read?

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other,” these were the beliefs of the 35th President of the U.S. John F. Kennedy. And this stands true for every leader whether leading a country or a company. Learning is an essential part of growth. And to keep learning, one needs to keep reading.

But what books entrepreneurs should read? Choosing the right book that gives you information, inspiration, and insights will lead you on the right track of growth. What you read influences your thought process, which impacts your actions and decisions and every aspect of your life.

As they say, ‘what you read is what you are.’ So, here is a list of books to start or continue with your reading habit.

Good to Great by Jim Collins Why do some businesses succeed while others fail? What things successful entrepreneurs induce in their businesses from day one? Only if you could learn the insider’s secret. Author Jim Collins and his research team set to find the answers to these questions. After studying 28 companies for over five years with his team, Collins poured all the research data, interviews, and findings in his book Good to Great where he identifies the key aspects of success and failure in business.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss The title might feel like a breather for those overworked especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While post-pandemic several businesses have adopted a 4-days workweek, others considering the needs of their employees to rid of the overwhelming work burden.

Timothy Ferriss’s ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ that has spent 4 years on the New York Times Best Sellers List can help the entrepreneurs decide. In this book, Ferriss describes the hacks for lifestyle design to help you eliminate 50% of your workload while making more money and live the life you want.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey The world of entrepreneurship is not easy to enter. One needs constant motivation in the right direction to face challenges and take the right risks to achieve their business goals.

In the business classic, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey describes a habit-based approach to help you develop and stick to your ‘true north’ to achieve your business goals.

The Essays of Warren Buffett, by Warren Buffett Talking about developing habits, making money is an essential habit every entrepreneur needs to nurture along with their creative flair and business strategies. And when it comes to business and finance who else is better to get advice from than Warren Buffett?

Noted as among the most successful investors of modern history, Warren Buffett, in his book The Essays of Warren Buffett, talks about everything an entrepreneur needs to know from basic business principles to how you can align your interests with those of your investors.

The Innovator’s Dilemma, by Clayton M. Christensen The growth of business lies in innovation and the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of innovation. And if you want to know how the big brands have adopted innovation in their business then The Innovator’s Dilemma is a must-read for you.

In this book, Christensen cites the luminaries from Steve Jobs to Jeff Bezos which comes as an instrumental to know how they think about inculcating innovation while managing their businesses.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport Along with innovative strategies work ethics is another key to drive business to success especially in the distracting world of digital marketing. On this ground, Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is another relevant read you should tick off your TBR list.

This book will guide you to cultivate deep work ethics in the era of emails and social media by focusing on four concrete rules.

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie “Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another,” Author and professional speaker John C. Maxwell rightly said. Dealing with people is a part of an entrepreneur’s life. And no doubt the right influence is the key to attract opportunities and collaborations to lead your business to success.

When it comes to influencing people, this book is a classic that guides you on how to win people over to your thoughts without causing any resentment.

Tribes, by Seth Godin In the world of new normal where social distancing has become a norm ‘Tribes’ by Seth Godin becomes another essential read during these tough times. Socializing has always been an essential part of our lives. It has been human nature to organize around tribes since the beginning.

In his book ‘Tribes’ marketing guru Seth Godin describes how community plays an important role in business branding. He further explains how one can find opportunities to build a sense of community around your business to achieve your goals.

Timeless classics yet relevant to today’s new normal, these books shed a light on everything an entrepreneur needs to know from basic business principles and how to align your interests with investors to cultivating habits for success to business tycoons’ take on innovation in companies.

As you start ticking these books off your to-be-read list you will get the needed motivation and right insights to lead your company to create new milestones and sore new heights of success.