“reading is essential” may be a more common adage in elementary school, but it applies just as easily in business. Books by notable industry personalities are especially important for entrepreneurs looking for inspiration. Adding inspirational books to your reading rotation can boost your business across the board, allowing you to explore new and diverse ideas, enhance your experience, and ignite your creativity.
Below are some of the best books for entrepreneurs to read when looking for inspiration or guidance.
You are reading: Motivational books for business
18 books for entrepreneurs that you must read
1. your businesswoman by dorie clark
This book is the perfect place to start if you don’t consider yourself a natural entrepreneur. maybe you’ve just worked for other people or are still figuring out what your career should look like. Your entrepreneur sets out to put you in the mindset necessary to prosper on your own. Consultant and Keynote Speaker Clark takes you on a deep dive into the challenges and rewards of self-employment, the importance of establishing multiple independent income streams, and the kind of flexibility he needs to build a successful freelance career.
2. Permission to screw up: How I learned to lead by doing (almost) everything wrong by kristen hadeed
we all make mistakes. When you work for your own company, the stakes are high and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. permission to screw up aims to turn these mistakes into opportunities. Hadeed, a leadership coach, teaches you how to trust yourself and your ability to lead, even when you don’t always have all the answers. these lessons are critical for anyone building their own business.
3.dare to leadby brené brown
entrepreneurship requires leadership. For those not used to being in charge, that can be intimidating. Brown, researcher and storyteller, provides advice on how to make leading less daunting, including how to have difficult conversations and accept the vulnerability necessary to do good work. This book is like a pep talk from his smartest friend and a must read for anyone looking to build a freelance career.
4.the 4-hour workweekby timothy ferriss
Want to escape the grueling work week but earn an income at the same time? This book details Ferriss’s transition from earning $40,000 a year to $40,000 a month, all while working just four hours a week. The book’s step-by-step format will help you learn how to become a self-made success; In addition, there are useful tips on how to optimize its operations, such as using virtual assistants or eliminating excess work.
5. how to change: the science of getting from where you are to where you want to be by katy milkman
Making the leap into a business career is, for many, a big change, and change can be difficult. you may not like the work you do for others, but you know it’s safe. maybe there are habits you struggle with that you know you need to establish if you’re going to be successful on your own. how to change uses behavioral science to help you make the changes you need to achieve the life you want.
6.the education of an american dreamerby peter g. peterson
In this candid and extraordinary book, peterson, former secretary of commerce and co-founder of the world’s largest alternative private equity firm, blackstone group, talks about his successes, failures, tragedies and triumphs, including becoming a billionaire at 80 years. ancient. according to mishelle weinerman, a member of wework, the book poignantly illustrates the responsibilities a leader should have.
“I’ve learned how corporate culture really begins and ends at the top, and the ethics and effort behind what it takes to succeed in America,” says Weinerman, founder of Secretsauce. “It’s a compelling read, with lessons I keep coming back to years after finishing the book.”
7.the obstacle is the way by ryan holiday
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This book explores this timeless philosophy: You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. By examining various historical figures over time who have experienced remarkable success, the book shows readers how to turn adversity into opportunity.
8. unbound: my liberation story and the birth of the me too movement by tarana burke
If you’re looking for the courage and inspiration to build a career based on your principles, look no further than burke’s incredible memoir chronicling his journey to create the me too movement. While activism may seem immediately related to entrepreneurship, the ability to inspire others and create change is a key skill every entrepreneur can learn from. From her childhood struggles to her path to world-changing activism, this story will inspire anyone on their own journey to find success.
9. good to excellent by jim collins
Why are some companies successful and others not? Collins’ 21-person research team set out to answer this very question by coding thousands of articles and interviews on the subject over five years. this book presents his findings as a universal recipe for business success.
“Building a business isn’t easy, but knowing how to manage rapid growth is even more complicated,” says Nicolas Marsaud, co-founder of the online publication Magic Office. “This book is a fascinating and surprising study of the typical profile of entrepreneurs leading hyperscale companies.”
10.Silence: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talkingby susan cain
Many entrepreneurial books are written by extroverts for extroverts. they tell you that to win you have to be loud, in people’s faces, and always speak up. Susan Cain challenges that notion. she exposes the benefits of being the quiet one in the meeting and the underrated strengths of introversion that are often ignored in professional settings. If you’ve ever felt like you’re too shy or not “people person” enough to be an entrepreneur, this is a must read.
11. the $100 start-upby chris guillebeau
This book demonstrates how small investments can turn into big businesses while nurturing creativity and self-actualization. Author Guillebeau has always rejected standard ways of working, so he reviewed the experiences of 1,500 people who built successful companies following his passion. He surveyed small businesses (no more than five employees) that required less than $1,000 in startup capital and grew to generate more than $50,000 a year.
The key to success, in Guillebeau’s opinion, is discovering how personal passions and expertise intersect with other people’s needs. guillebeau helps readers determine which ideas have financial support and offers guidance and encouragement to turn passion into profit.
12.the difficult of difficult thingsby ben horowitz
As one of Silicon Valley’s most respected business leaders, venture capitalist Horowitz uses humor, honesty and even rap lyrics to illustrate the difficulties of being an entrepreneur. The book details the ups and downs of buying and selling businesses, as well as the realities of ownership. horowitz addresses how to manage his own mental health, making this invaluable reading for seasoned entrepreneurs and newcomers alike.
13. shoe dogby phil knight
This riveting memoir from Nike’s founder and CEO talks about how he helped transform a small company into the iconic empire it is today, and serves as a powerful inspiration for entrepreneurs in a variety of industries.
“[This is a] great book to read if you’re building a business/brand,” says Jay Singh, former COO of fraud detection software company Check An Invoice. “Not only does it educate and humble you about the struggles Phil Knight faced in creating Nike, but it also explains how he overcame it all to create Nike as we know it today.”
14. eric ries’ lean start-up
Ideologically inspired by lean manufacturing practices, ries teaches readers how to run a sustainable operation, cultivate innovation in co-workers and partners, and stay inspired in the face of uncertainty. this book will teach readers how to continually adapt and adjust as they move forward with a new business.
15. when: the scientific secrets of perfect timing by daniel h. pink
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Life is all about timing, both in our personal and professional lives, and Pink, a journalist and author who served as Senior Speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore, explores timing as a science rather than an art . This book features research from psychology, biology, and economics to help readers identify when is the right time to move forward or take a step back.
16.how to be a capitalist without capital by nathan latka
latka, who runs his own private equity firm, explains how opportunism and unconventional methods helped amass his fortune. This rule-breaking book teaches entrepreneurs how to grow with little or no funding, which is useful for startups of all kinds.
“Nathan has an amazing Saas podcast, but this book, as the title suggests, is great for helping founders save a dollar and manage their time and money,” says Jeff Mckinnon, company COO dotcom website admin and former member of labs.
17. how to win friends and influence people by dale carnegie
This timeless 1936 bestseller has influenced generations of professionals by teaching them how to climb the ladder of success in both their business and personal lives. Carnegie details several ways to be nice, win people over, and change others without building resentment.
18.the last conferenceby randy pausch
in 2008, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, pausch, a professor of computer science at carnegie mellon, delivered an impressive final lecture at the university. This book details his beliefs about empowering his dreams and overcoming obstacles.
“as entrepreneurs, we sometimes forget what really matters in life, and this book is the best way to ground ourselves when the going gets tough,” says tara mahboub, CEO and founder of everypet. “It inspired me to see life through a different lens and reminded me that an ordinary life lived in an extraordinary way is still an extraordinary life.”
get inspired to take the next step
Starting a business requires a certain level of courage and determination, and reading motivational books like these is a great first step on your journey to entrepreneurship. The best books for entrepreneurs can also be essential resources as your business ages.
And while literary advice from industry experts is invaluable, so is input from the community around you. For this reason, a coworking community can benefit budding entrepreneurs and growing businesses; Not only will you have the flexibility to grow or shrink based on your success, but you’ll also have a built-in network to introduce new ideas and share knowledge.
This article was originally published on December 12, 2019 and has been updated by the editors.
Madelyn Neck is a former writer for WeWork’s Ideas by We, based in New York City. Previously, she was a copywriter at Macy’s and Lord & Taylor, as well as a contributing writer for the online publications cnnekt and highlark.
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