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January 16, 2007
10 books for every business leader
Todd asked for a list of books that every business leader should read. I know lists like this have been done before on blogs but I love books lists, so here goes a 2007 version (in no particular order):
“Team of Rivals,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin on working with smart people outside your comfort zone who challenge your conventional beliefs.
“Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini because that’s what work is often about.
“The Future of Competition,” by C.K. Prahalad and Venkat Ramaswamy really did define the future of competition, making this a must-read to understand the benefits of customer partnerships.
“First, Break All the Rules,” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton on how to be a boss whom employees connect with (and how to hire others who are good bosses, too).
“Disney War,” by James B. Stewart on how to become a tragic figure of your own success and alienate every trusted friend, confidante and colleague.
“Growing Pains,” by Eric G. Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle on understanding your company’s predictable stages of growth and the inherent problems of each stage.
“Theodore Rex,” by Edmund Morris is a wonderful biography of President Theodore Roosevelt, but it’s also a treatise on the qualities of superhuman energy, charm and political skill.
“The Effective Executive,” by Peter Drucker is dated in its gender bias favoring men, but it’s nonetheless a solid manual on the expectations of you, Mr. or Ms. Manager of Many People.
“Purple Cow,” by Seth Godin summarizes in 137 easy-to-read pages what thousands of marketing textbook pages often struggle with: How to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
“Selling the Dream,” by Guy Kawasaki proposes this simple but monumental question: How are you going to change the world? Guy wrote the book on understanding the difference between changing the world all by yourself vs. inspiring others to help you do it.
Other blogs that reference 10 books for every business leader:
» Jippie weer een lijstje (2) from Belevenissen
en als je er op gespitst bent, weer een lijstje. De 10 beste businessleader boeken van Ben McDonell op Church of the Customer. Een mooi en niet alledaags lijstje met veel marketing (Godin en Kawasaki) maar ook biografisch materiaal (Disney War en Theo... [Read More]
A great list indeed. My personal favorite from it being Selling the Dream which is such a good read in a very dangerous way since it gets the mind going in overdrive.
Reminds me I need to order your latest book right now! :)
As far as personal effectiveness - something I cover extensively on my blog - is concerned I think non-business specific reading is also useful.
Steven Covey's '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' would be my number 1. Master the lessons in that book and much else either becomes easier or just falls into place on its own.
I'd adding "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. Not directly "business related" it is all about being productive.
I agree with you about Drucker's gender bias, but I believe the book is to management what Shakespeare was to theatre. The language may be outdated, but they both influence all of us.
Regards,
Glenn
I would add a book that was just released and I just finished reading. Marshall Goldsmith's (world-renowned executive coach) What Got You Here Won't Get You There. It is in the top 5 of books on Amazon as we speak. It covers 20 workplace habits successful leaders need to break to become even more successful. You might think about putting the list on you blog, it will really make your readers think. I know it made me think and I definitely have a few of the habits and need to work on getting rid of them. I enjoy the blog, keep up the good work.
Joe Green
