Books for the Business Professional
One of the things that seems pretty consistent across any industry is the importance of education.
Without a doubt, one of the best ways to learn is reading, and in the digital age where things like washing the dishes and commuting to work has turned into “found time”, audiobooks have been helping people better themselves and reach their goals for sometime now. With this in mind, I wanted to take a quick look at some must-reads for the business professional that you can find in a brick and mortar store and on places like Audible.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
There’s a reason this one has stood the test of time. Perhaps the most popular of all self-improvement books recommended to budding (and seasoned) business professionals, Dale Carnegie gets at the heart of what any good-minded successful professional knows — you have to add value to the people around you.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
This is another classic, and in the age of social media influencer and go, go, go, the idea of “efficiency” may seem like I’m preaching to the choir. But Covey really helps the the reader understand the importance of improving their overall lives, including their time spent outside the office. This holistic focus on self-worth and mental health is, in my opinion, one of the aspects of this book that factor into its now classic status, and one we would do well to remember as an increasingly busy society (busy and productive are qualitatively different).
It was written to educate war generals. But to be honest, sometimes business and entrepreneurship can feel a bit like you’re going into battle. If you’re looking to up your snobby readership game, and learn a thing or two about the importance of understanding your enemy (business translation = competition) then you definitely won’t be disappointed.