Top 10 business books every manager should read

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What does it take to become a successful leader?

How do you manage, motivate and gain the respect from your team?

It's clear there is no shortage of business books to help inspire and develop your leadership skills so we've put together the top 10 every manager should read.

1. How to Win Friends & Influence PeopleBusiness Books - How to Win Friends Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

This one of the first best-selling self-help books ever published. It has sold over 30 million copies world-wide and went on to be named #19 on Time Magazine's list of 100 most influential books in 2011.

As relevant as ever, Dale Carnegie's principles endure, and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age.

Learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

This timeless best seller is definitely worth a read.


Business books - Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill2.
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller - Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

by Napoleon Hill

While promoted as a personal development and self-improvement book, the book's title and much of the text concerns increased income. The author insists that the philosophy taught in the book can help people succeed in any line of work, to do and be anything they can imagine.

The book was first published during the Great Depression and by 2015 over 100 million copies had been sold worldwide.

If you haven't already, put it on your "must read" list.

 

Business Books - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

by Stephen R. Covey

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for 25 years. It has transformed the lives of World Leaders and CEOs, educators and parents - in short, millions of people of all ages and occupations.

Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity - principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

 

Business books - Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell4. Outliers: The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"- and asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at maths, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

 

Business Books - The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg5. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg

Explore the science behind habit creation and reformation.
In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distil vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation. 

Along the way we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight.

 

Business Books - The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss6. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

by Timothy Ferriss

Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan - there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.

 

Business Books - The Art of War by Sun Tzu7. The Art Of War

by Sun Tzu

'Opportunities multiply as they are seized.' Written in the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu's The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise that is still revered today as the ultimate commentary on war and military strategy. Focusing on the principle that one can outsmart your foe mentally by thinking very carefully about strategy before resorting to physical battle, this philosophy continues to be applied to the corporate and business world. Sun Tzu's timeless appraisal of the different aspects of warfare are laid out in 13 chapters, including sections on 'Laying Plans', 'Waging War' and 'Terrain'. Words that are as resonant today in every aspect of our lives as they were when he wrote them.

 

Business books - Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman8. Thinking, Fast and Slow

by Daniel Kahneman

The phenomenal New York Times Bestseller by Nobel Prize-winner Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow offers a whole new look at the way our minds work, and how we make decisions. Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical), and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking. It will enable to you make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do.

 

Business Books - Good to Great by Jim Collins9. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

by Jim Collins

A truly beneficial management book that describes how companies transition from being good companies to great companies, and how most companies fail to make the transition. "Greatness" is defined as financial performance several multiples better than the market average over a sustained period. Collins finds the main reason certain companies have great triumphs over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. The book was a bestseller, selling four million copies and going far beyond the traditional audience of business books.

 

Business books - Go Pro by Eric Worre10. Go Pro: 7 Steps to Becoming a Network Marketing Professional

Go Pro by Eric Worre

Over twenty years ago, Worre began focusing on developing the skills to become a network marketing expert. Now he shares his wisdom in a guide that will ignite your passion for this profession and help you make the decision to create the life of your dreams. He shows you how to find prospects, present your product, help them become customers or distributors, and much more.

 

So there we have it, our top 10 must read business books which are sure to help transform, inspire and develop your company. What business books have you read recently that you would highly recommend?



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