Best books on scaling your business

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From 4-hour workweeks to the psychology of sales: what makes a business successful?

If you’re looking for inspiration, we spoke to innovate uk edge’s experienced scaling director, neil donald, who has a background in branding and communication, to learn about some of the best books for scaling your innovation business.

You are reading: Best books on scaling a business

Find our full reading list below, curated by our team of expansion managers…

best business books for… diversity in innovation

Diverse perspectives are important for entrepreneurs looking to scale. having complete diversity on the team in terms of ability, disability, age, race, ethnicity, neurodiversity, gender, geography, and a host of other factors can help foster innovation.

It is up to the next generation of business owners to implement and determine this change.

women and power, by mary barba

women and power by mary beard explores the cultural roots of misogyny and power. Including personal anecdotes and historical context, this book provides a roadmap for change that can be applied to a business context. This book asks interesting questions about power structures and where women fit in today, providing food for thought for ambitious entrepreneurs structuring their businesses.

must read business books for… time management

Time is one of the most precious commodities, especially for growing businesses.

the power of total commitment, by loehr & schwartz

In The Power of Total Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz focus on managing energy, not time, as the key of success in the digital age.

This science-based, step-by-step program helps readers balance their energy expenditure and renewal, expand capacity, and develop positive energy management processes for long-term change.

This book is perfect if you’re looking for a way to get more involved, connected, and focused on your quest for business growth.

required reading for… the psychology of business

nudge, by thaler & sunstein

nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness by richard h. Thaler and Cass R Sunstein is all about the decisions we make every day and the psychology behind them. Drawing on behavioral science, this book explores how we can make better decisions in life and in business.

From picking lunch to making a significant investment, this book could help you move to the next stage of business growth.

ego is the enemy, by ryan holiday

what is the biggest barrier to success according to ryan holiday? the ego. This book aims to remind aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs that humility is a key component to achieving innovation.

This work draws on a wide range of examples from the history books to highlight the successful strategies of those who have managed to conquer their own egos and achieve their goals.

thinking, fast & slow, by daniel kahneman

thinking, fast & slow by daniel kahneman encourages you to analyze your time and energy and how you interact with products and services.

This important book on behavioral economics explores how the brain works as a product of its environment, examining cognitive bias and intuition and how they influence our decision-making. this is particularly important from a business perspective, as it describes how science and psychology can influence people to buy certain products or form particular opinions about an organization. This psychology of change and engagement is also relevant to entrepreneurs, as building a strong and consistent company culture is crucial to sustained success.

This book offers practical techniques to encourage slower, more rational thinking to help you make better business decisions that aren’t influenced by subconscious bias.

business books to read about…management and leadership

the new leaders, by daniel goldman

The New Leaders: Transforming the Art of Leadership into the Science of Results explores the role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership. The authors describe a new leadership style that values relationships and lay out a roadmap to transform leadership in people, teams, and organizations.

A good read for those looking to improve their leadership skills as their business grows.

start with why by simon sinek

Why are some people and organizations more successful than others? That’s the question Simon Sinek sets out to answer in his book Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

sinek argues that all successful people, from bill gates to martin luther king jr, begin by understanding and communicating why they are doing what they are doing. so starting with why business leaders can inspire others and achieve greatness. sinek’s “golden circle” offers a framework upon which organizations and businesses can be built.

mighty, by patty mccord

As the Director of Talent for Netflix, Patty McCord has experience recruiting, motivating, and building great teams.

in powerful: building a culture of freedom and responsibility mccord advocates practicing radical honesty in the workplace. Whether it’s motivating through challenges rather than perks or laying off employees who don’t quite fit in, McCord offers tips and advice for creating a culture of high performance and profitability.

the five dysfunctions of a team, by patrick lencioni

patrick lencioni uses storytelling to demonstrate the five common dysfunctions within work teams. He meets CEO Kathryn Petersen and follows her fight to unite a failing team.

From Trust to Accountability: This book includes practical steps to help leaders build cohesive, successful teams.

best books for business success

good to great, by jim collins

A lot of data supports the good and the great: why some companies make the leap…and others don’t. With a large research team behind him, Jim Collins set out to discover how companies of all sizes can achieve greatness by comparing carefully selected companies and their long-term performance.

Ambitious entrepreneurs can use the findings to inform everything from management to strategy.

the difficult of difficult things, by ben horowitz

In this personal account, ben horowitz, co-founder of andreessen horowitz and respected silicon valley entrepreneur, discusses his experience starting and running businesses, including how he overcame obstacles to business growth.

The book is packed with eye-opening anecdotes, from firing a friend to cultivating the mindset of a CEO, and is a great source of advice from someone who’s been there, done it, and earned the T-shirt.

chimpanzee paradox, by steve peters

The Chimpanzee Paradox: The Acclaimed Mind Management Program to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence, and Happiness lays out a way for readers to manage their thoughts and emotions to improve well-being.

Each chapter offers exercises to address a different element of your mind, from overcoming anxiety to mastering greater focus.

best books on business growth strategies

The next best books for growing your business focus on strategy and practical frameworks for success…

traction: control your business, by gino wickman

traction by gino wickman offers a practical approach to business growth. the enterprise operating system (eos) is based on real-world implementation and covers six key components for running profitable businesses.

windows of opportunity, by david sainsbury

In Windows of Opportunity: How Nations Create Wealth, Lord David Sainsbury draws on his experience in business and government to argue that economic growth occurs as a series of leaps, based on investment in high-end companies. value added. his new growth and development theory concludes that governments should take a long-term view rather than support individual businesses.

the power of ignorance, by dave trott

In the Power of Ignorance: How Creative Solutions Happen When We Admit What We Don’t Know, Trott uses real-life stories to provide lessons in problem solving and creative thinking that can be applied to business and the wider world. . the core idea is that admitting when you don’t know something can often lead to discovery and innovation.

what should you look for in a good business book?

when looking for a great book on business growth, neil recommends thinking twice about endorsements and “celebrity” gimmicks. While books by well-known authors and celebrities can be helpful, they’re not the be all and end all. In addition to giving you business advice, a book should help you understand your own vision, strategy, and delivery without necessarily giving you all the answers.

according to neil, a good business book should help you gain an understanding of yourself, the way you work, and help you through your innovative thinking process.

how can innovate uk edge help innovative companies scale?

innovate uk’s edge stretching program helps ambitious innovation companies deliver on their growth vision. By helping to address key scaling challenges and identifying pitfalls, experienced scaling directors can help you access the markets of the future, make connections, and attract growth capital.

get in touch to see if you are eligible.

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Best books on scaling your business | Innovate UK EDGE