5 Books for Every Entrepreneur: Variety Pack

The Skinny:

Just as the best athletes stick to a gym regime, you, the entrepreneur, must continually be hitting the books to stay on your ‘A’ game. You, your business, and your team will all become better versions of themselves as a result of your efforts to listen, watch, or read about how you can succeed. To keep up with the times, we recommend a variety pack of resources to build perspective, strategy, and tactics to keep you operating at your maximum potential. Whether it’s a classic leadership book or a very practical lesson on social media, pick up any of these books if you consider yourself an entrepreneur.

The Fat:

1. Things A Little Bird Told Me, by Biz Stone

In this book, the co-founder of Twitter and Medium discusses the power of creativity and how to harness it through stories from his remarkable life and career. Things A Little Bird Told Me inspires the entrepreneur in all of us by chronicling the success and failures of startups. It draws you in with the inspiring story of Biz Stone and explains crucial lessons about how to navigate the startup world. It is both comprehensive and most important, comprehensible without needing to know all the business jargon that doesn’t help anyone. Give it a read and you just might not put it down until you are done, we sure didn’t!

Follow Biz Stone on Twitter: @Biz

2. The Leadership Challenge, by James Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

There are few books that have shaped the way we view management and leadership than the Leadership Challenge. Originally released in 1987, it has been used everywhere from the classroom to the boardroom to discuss the way people interact as leaders and teammates. If you have heard of it and you hadn’t read it yet, get on it! If you haven’t heard it and plan to manage your own business, this is a must-have. If you have a team at work, or even just a large family at home, this book will take your relationships to the next level.

There are great articles on their blog if you are interested in the stories of how the Leadership Challenge has impacted them.

3. EntreLeadership, by Dave Ramsey

Many of us know Dave Ramsey as the financial guru and radio personality telling people how to become and remain debt-free. Dave and his team released the EntreLeadership book to create a book about the crossroads of what it means to own a business and be a leader based on their journey in building a 400 person team. Refer to this one as your business playbook . it covers the gambit from financial lessons to marketing for businesses.

These folks also publish a weekly podcast of the same title for those who are auditory listeners, and those who have read the book and want more. Check it out here.

4. Without Their Permission, by Alexis Ohanian

In Without Their Permission, Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, shares his ideas, tips, and even his own doodles about harnessing the power of the web for good, and along the way, he shares his philosophy with young entrepreneurs. As the title eludes, when starting a business you don’t need to ask anyone’s permission. If you want to create something, create something. Without Their Permission empowers entrepreneurs to get out and do what they are passionate about and utilize some of the great resources available online. This is a great read for striving business owners or savvy veterans of the business world, this book has something for everyone.

Stay up to date with all things Alexis on Twitter: @alexisohanian

5. Why Now is the Time To Crush It: How to Cash in on Your Passion, by Gary Vaynerchuk

If you want a very straightforward and practical book about building a business, then Crush it is right up your alley. Gary Vaynerchuk’s passion shines brightly in this book while he teaches how to use the power of the internet to build an online business that you love. If you are unsure how you want to start your own business or have a business that needs to get caught up in the modern world, give this a read.

For more great entrepreneurial insight and entertainment, check out the Ask Gary Vee Show on YouTube.

Want more content from us? Then sign up for our biweekly newsletter.

Thanks for reading!