Books on Business and Success: My Top Five Reads
I’m asked quite often about how to be successful in business. The answers I give are filtered through my own experiences and sometimes through those of good friends and associates, and I’ve even written other blog posts, essays, and white papers on the topic. The thing is, my experiences can differ greatly from those of other successful people and may not be relevant to every situation and person.
I’ve always been an avid reader, though, and I’m not so conceited that I believe I have nothing more to learn. Everyone who wants to be successful can use guidance, even those who, like myself, have already established themselves in the business world. And because I can’t always give personalized advice, I thought I’d share with you my Top Five books on business and success. This list is in no particular order, and I’ve found each to be equally helpful resources.
A Company of Owners: Maximizing Employee Engagement, by Daren Martin
Let’s face it: A large factor in my business success has been employee engagement. They are the people who have had faith in me and the products I sell. They’re engagement is what drives gaining new customers, retaining old customers, and sales. I’ve done well with employee engagement through higher levels of rewards and providing them with the opportunity to run their own business and team. That’s not to say that’s all there is to it, though.
Daren Martin’s research has shown that the biggest challenge facing businesses today is employee engagement. For years he has helped companies and coached leaders, teaching them how to turn team members into owners. This book shares the insights he’s gleaned with his readers.
I like the graphic layout the book has, too, which makes it easy to digest. While it can be challenging, it’s also humorous and engaging. And it’s solutions oriented.
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
The subtitle of this gem is hardly hyperbole. Author Chris Voss did have to negotiate as though a life depended on it. He is a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI. This book offers a new field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations that can be used in the boardroom or at home.
In Never Split the Difference, Voss reveals the skills that helped him save lives during negotiations. That’s the highest of stakes. He negotiated with criminals that included bank robbers and terrorists and became the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. This guide impressed me as being practical as well as gripping. In it he shares the “nine effective principles” that can be used to become more persuasive in our personal and professional dealings.
And after all, isn’t life just a series of negotiations? Your salary, the price of a car, buying a house, and having deliberations with your spouse or partner. This book gives you the competitive edge no matter what you’re negotiating.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear
With more than a million copies sold and number one on the New York Times best seller list, Atomic Habits is a well-respected guide to improving yourself and reaching your goals. James Clear is one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation. In this easy-to-read book, Clear reveals practical strategies that teach the correct way to form good habits, break bad habits, and master the little behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
We tend to blame ourselves for bad habits, but that’s not usually the problem. Clear says that your system is the problem: You repeat your bad habits not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
Clear has the ability to take complex topics and distill them into simple behaviors that can be applied to your everyday life and career. I was inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and rise to the top of their fields.
Not only is this a great business book, it’s also a nice guide for people who want to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or whatever other goal you have.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Second Edition: No Guilt. No Excuses. No BS. Just a 6-Week Program That Works, by Ramit Sethi
Sethi has impressed a lot of people other than me. Forbes calls him the “wealth wizard,” and Fortune says he’s the “new guru on the block.” Now, in this second edition that’s been updated and expanded, he delivers a simple 6-week program on money that works.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich gives you a roadmap for keeping your cash and getting to your destination: more wealth. And he shows how to make your money grow automatically. There are great tips here, including faster debt reduction, setting up no-fee/high-interest back accounts, the exact words for negotiating a big raise at work, paying for a wedding, saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month, and much more.
With 80 more pages and new tools, this is a book worth owning and studying, whether for business or personal goals.
Grit, by Angela Duckworth
Did you know there is a psychological aspect to success? Ms. Duckworth does, and in this book, she presents a tour of the psychological research on success. You see, wealth, business success, and personal success aren’t all about rules, tips, and tricks. A lot of it is about mindset and the mental preparation to get where you want to go.
She believes that anyone striving to succeed needs to learn the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” Duckworth developed her hypotheses while employed in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience. Her conclusion: It’s not genius, but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance that drives success.
Illustrated with stories from cadets at West Point, teachers at the toughest schools, and even the young finalists at the National Spelling Bee, Duckworth has gleaned insights from these and others. She even takes us on a historical tour of experiments in peak performance. Additionally, she passes on the wisdom she’s learned from interviewing dozens of successful people who rank among the highest of achievers, from JP Morgan CEA Jamie Dimon to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.
Grit made me realize that any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal, and that grit can be learned, regardless of IQ or circumstances. For many I think this book can be life-changing. As the Wall Street Journal said, Grit is “a fascinating tour of the psychological research on success.”
Conclusion
If you’re looking to succeed in business, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you should immerse yourself in books that are strictly about the business world. The same with wealth, relationships, and life in general. These books look at different aspects of the subjects with different perspectives. You, as I did, might find it easier to read and succeed when you’re not trying to plow through all those heavy tomes on just one aspect of success.