My 10 Favourite Business Books (So Far)
I always love checking out other people’s recommended reads, so I decided to write a list of my own! Last year, I started devouring business books and have continued into this year. I try to alternate between fiction, business, memoirs, and humour just to mix it up, attempt to make a dent in my ever-expanding to-read pile, and allow time for some of the bigger ideas to percolate.
Here are ten of my favourite business/non-fiction books. Some of them aren’t technically business books, but they have all helped me grow as an employee, a team leader, and an individual.
1. Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humility by Kim Scott
I loved this book! Five stars. Cannot recommend enough. I head up the content team at an inbound marketing agency in Toronto. For a while, I only had one or two people to manage, but in 2017, we experienced growth, and all of a sudden, I had five in-house people on my team, plus a slew of freelancers.
This book made me realize I had been leaving my growing team hanging. I would go about my day-to-day tasks, responding to clients, delegating tasks, and crossing things off my to-do list. I just assumed they were fine. If they needed to chat or encountered a problem they couldn’t solve themselves, they’d let me know. Right? Wrong. Turns out, my newest hires were feeling neglected, uncertain, and unsupported.
I read this book and realized if I wanted to be a great boss, I’d have to build strong relationships with my team members. I’d have to start regular dialogue, give honest feedback, and ask for feedback. “Radical Candor is the sweet spot between managers who are obnoxiously aggressive on one side and ruinously empathetic on the other. It’s about providing guidance, which involves a mix of praise as well as criticism — delivered to produce better results and help employees achieve.”
It gave me the framework I needed to start having weekly one-on-ones with each team member, as well as what the author Kim Scott refers to as “career conversations.” I used this book to guide these weekly discussions and I found it incredibly useful.
“Understand people’s motivations and ambitions to help them take a step in the direction of their dreams.” — Kim Scott
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939161-radical-candor?ac=1&from_search=true
2. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Obviously this is on the list! If you haven’t read it yet, stop what you’re doing.
I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to reading it. I guess I didn’t think it would apply to me because I work at this young start-up and I already feel like I have a seat at the table. I’m not sure why I wound up deciding to read it, but I’m so glad I did.
There is so much great advice in this book. Where do I even begin?
Highlights:
· Women need to lean in to the boardroom table and men need to lean in to the kitchen table.
· Treat your career like a jungle gym, not a ladder.
· Take opportunities based on potential for growth rather than pay or prestige.
· “Women need to shift from thinking ‘I’m not ready to do that’ to thinking ‘I want to do that — and I’ll learn by doing it.’”
· At her first Facebook performance review, Mark Zuckerberg advised her that “her desire to be liked by everyone would hold her back. He said that when you want to change things, you can’t please everyone. If you do please everyone, you aren’t making enough progress.”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16071764-lean-in?from_search=true
3. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
You’ve definitely seen this book around. I kept picking it up again and again. I mean, how can you not notice this book in a bookstore or online? Bright orange and the F word?
Anyway, for whatever reason, I didn’t read it for a while. I just did finally and it did not disappoint.
I think I thought it was going to be about not caring what other people think and just doing what you want, but that’s not really the point. The book is NOT at all saying NOT to give a fuck. It’s actually saying the exact opposite. It’s saying you should stop and think carefully about what you give a fuck about.
Favourite quotes:
“Whether you realize it or not, you are always choosing what to give a fuck about.”
“Negative emotions are a call to action. When you feel them, it’s because you’re supposed to do something. Positive emotions are rewards for taking the proper action.”
“To deny one’s negative emotions is to deny many of the feedback mechanisms that help a person solve problems.”
“Real, serious, lifelong fulfillment and meaning have to be earned through the choosing and managing of our struggles… the solution lies in the acceptance and active engagement of that negative experience — not the avoidance of it, not the salvation from it.”
“This, in a nutshell, is what ‘self-improvement’ is really about: prioritizing better values, choosing better things to give a fuck about. Because when you give better fucks, you get better problems. And when you get better problems, you get a better life.”
“We assume we already know what’s supposed to happen, how the story ends. Certainty is the enemy of growth. Instead of striving for certainty, we should be in constant search of doubt. Instead of looking for how to be right all the time, we should be looking for how we’re wrong all the time. Because we are. Being wrong opens us up to the possibility of change. Being wrong brings the opportunity for growth.”
“Uncertainty is the root of all progress and all growth. As the old adage goes, the man who believes he knows everything learns nothing. We cannot learn anything without first not knowing something. The more we admit we do not know, the more opportunities we gain to learn.”
“The openness to being wrong must exist for any real change or growth to take place.”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28257707-the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-f-ck?ac=1&from_search=true
4. They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer by Marcus Sheridan
I’ve seen Marcus Sheridan speak at INBOUND (an awesome inbound marketing conference hosted by HubSpot, which you should check out if you haven’t already).
This book is all about inbound marketing. Since SalesHub is an inbound marketing agency, a lot of what is covered here is stuff I already know. But, I have to say, Marcus Sheridan has really simplified the concepts in a way that everyone can understand, most importantly, our clients.
The whole point of inbound marketing is to address the changing buying behaviour of today’s consumers. We research products and services online before making buying decisions. Inbound marketers and content marketers understand the need to provide content online to allow potential customers to make buying decisions, but are we answering all of their questions?
Since reading this book, I’ve started sending our clients a brainstorm exercise to get them to identify every question they’ve ever heard from their customers and prospects. We want to make sure we are answering these questions on their websites, in their blog posts, on social media, and in their email campaigns. If you are a marketer, a sales rep, or a business owner, definitely give this one a read.
“‘Inbound marketing’ was simply the process of attracting (instead of chasing) customers. And ‘content marketing,’ was simply the act of teaching and problem solving so as to earn buyer trust. Just answer people’s questions.”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30557185-they-ask-you-answer?ac=1&from_search=true
5. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
I am obsessed with this book. Our whole content team read this one and no, I did not force them to. It is full of great ideas and Ann Handley has done a wonderful job of keeping everything short and sweet, which any content marketer will appreciate.
“Business can be complicated. Products can be intricate and concepts may seem impenetrable. But good content deconstructs the complex to make it easily understood: it sheds the corporate frankenspeak. It conveys things in concise, human, accessible terms.”
Thank you, Ann, for giving me the much-needed term “corporate frankenspeak.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23001125-everybody-writes?ac=1&from_search=true
6. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Stephen King’s book On Writing has been around for ages, but I just read it recently. He, too, has made it his mission to keep the book short and to the point.
This is a memoir and a writing guide. He reminds his readers there are plenty of other books out there that cover grammar extensively, so he doesn’t bother going into many specifics. The advice he offers is practical and, no surprise, his writing is entertaining.
“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out.”
“Life isn’t a support-system for art. It’s the other way around.”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7143113-on-writing
7. The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin
I made everyone I know take the Four Tendencies quiz and encourage you to do the same!
The framework Gretchen Rubin has come up with helps us understand why we do what we do. It’s about what motivates us to act (or not act).
I can’t believe how spot on the descriptions are and that everyone can be categorized into four clearly defined categories:
· Upholders
· Questioners
· Obligers
· Rebels
According to the quiz, I am an “upholder” and I can tell you this is 100% accurate. I am an upholder through and through.
Quotes that describe me to a T:
“Upholders are often very intrigued by rules.”
“For upholders, meeting outer and inner expectations doesn’t make them feel trapped; it makes them feel creative and free, because they can execute any plan they want…that certainty about myself gives me a deep sense of freedom, control, and possibility.”
“Because upholders easily meet both outer and inner expectations, they rarely suffer from resentment or burnout, and they don’t depend on others to motivate or supervise them. While their discipline may make them appear rigid to others, upholders themselves feel free, effective, and independent.”
“For an inner expectation to be met, it must be clearly articulated. Therefore, upholders must take care to define for themselves what they want and what they value — that clarity is essential.”
Rubin also gives tips for working with each tendency, which I have found very useful at work. I can’t assume my team members are upholders like me. They aren’t. I have one of each tendency on my team! One responds well to and actually prefers external accountability, while another does not and will actually accomplish more without it.
Take the quiz here: https://gretchenrubin.com/take-the-quiz
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33607642-the-four-tendencies
8. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
This is another memoir/writing guide hybrid. When she and her brother were kids, the author remembers he had had months to write a report about birds, but he left it until the last minute. He was sitting at the dining room table surrounded by untouched bird books the day before the project was due. Their dad told him not to worry and to just go bird by bird.
Great message — for writing and life.
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
“When people shine a little light on their monster, we find out how similar most of our monsters are.”
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.”
“E.L. Doctorow said once said that ‘Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.”
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren’t even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they’re doing it.”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12543.Bird_by_Bird?from_search=true
9. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
This one really resonated with me. I’m fascinated by the concept of habits.
It’s important to realize habits are not permanent; we have the power to reshape them. Duhigg says we can’t just put a stop to a bad habit, but we can change our habits. This book covers everything from how and why we form habits to how to change our negative habits into more positive habits.
I am constantly striving to adopt and form new, healthy habits, and this book really breaks down the process in an actionable step-by-step way.
THE FRAMEWORK:
· Identify the routine
· Experiment with rewards
· Isolate the cue
· Have a plan
“The Golden Rule of Habit Change: You can’t extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it.”
“Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.”
“Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there’s less power left over for other things.”
“If you believe you can change — if you make it a habit — the change becomes real.”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12609433-the-power-of-habit?from_search=true
10. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
You’ve definitely heard of this one. Who can resist a title like this? Plus, the cover boasts an image of a hammock on a beach. Imagine working from a tropical locale, laptop at your side, delegating tasks, and working on your tan.
While I do go into the office most days, we have the flexibility to work remotely and also have an unlimited vacation policy. Last year, I was lucky enough to spend an entire month travelling Europe, all thanks to the internet and my incredible SalesHub family. This book offered a ton of great advice that resonated with me. Efficiency? Productivity? Crushing goals? Music to my ears.
“For all of the most important things, the timing always sucks. Waiting for a good time to quit your job? The stars will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. ‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.”
“Being able to quit things that don’t work is integral to being a winner.”
“Serving the customer (customer service) is not becoming a personal concierge and catering to their every whim and want. Customer service is providing an excellent product at an acceptable price and solving legitimate problems in the fastest manner possible. That’s it.”
“Many a false step was made by standing still.”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6444424-the-4-hour-workweek
*Bonus book/currently reading:
Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures through the Science of Total Motivation by Neel Doshi & Lindsay McGregor
I am currently reading this book, which was recommended to me by a colleague. As SalesHub continues to grow, we are constantly thinking about and talking about how to inspire curiosity, learning, adaptability, collaboration, strategic thinking, problem solving, and more. I head up our content team and find myself devouring articles and books about leadership and growth. This one is really speaking to me. I have written down pages of notes and am looking forward to implementing several ideas from the book.
The authors explain that there are three positive motivators (play, purpose, potential) and three negative motivators (emotional, economic, inertia).
“Curiosity and experimentation are at the heart of play. People intrinsically enjoy learning and adapting. We instinctively seek out opportunities to play. Some companies actively encourage their employees to play in their work… the organization encourages its people to indulge their curiosity — to play in the work itself.”
“A culture that inspires people to do their jobs for play, purpose, and potential creates the highest and most sustainable performance.”
“Where do you find play, purpose, and potential in your daily activities?”
Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24585389-primed-to-perform?ac=1&from_search=true
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what your favourite books are, whether they are business or self-improvement. Always looking for recommendations!