Experts Tell Us the Best Books on Strategy and Planning

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
2 years ago
This article showcases our top picks for the Books on Strategy and Planning. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below). We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

This product was recommended by Richard Clews from PantsandSocks

The book I would recommend first for anyone in business or thinking about going into business is The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. This book covers so many fundamental concepts on how to effectively plan, develop strategies, and collaborate in the workplace. It is a classic and is still one of my go-to books to remind me how to effectively run our company.

Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt

This product was recommended by Sean McPheat from MTD Training

By the name of this book, it isn’t hard to believe that this is a great book on strategy and planning. Richard wrote this in 2011 and it’s as valuable 10+ years later as it was when it was first published and is a great piece of literature to learn from. This book can help you strategize for a variety of situations and doesn’t just help you put together a quality strategy. It helps you recognize a bad strategy and analyze the approach you should have for any certain situation. It’s worth a read when learning about strategy and planning.

Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David

This product was recommended by Paula Glynn from Pixelstorm

Published in 2020, this is one of the best books on strategy and planning. It focuses on broad thinking and anticipating chains of events as opposed to tackling decisions in isolation. The book offers tips for strengthening your business and building a system that will withstand the test of time – helping organisations gain the upper hand against their competitors.

The Predictioneer’s Game by Bruce Bueno De Mesquita

This product was recommended by Hammad Afzal from Softception

Bruce Bueno de Mesquita knows a lot about game theory, which is a fancy label for a simple concept: People compete, and they always do what they think is in their best interests. Bueno de Mesquita employed game theory and theories about human behavior to predict and even engineer political, financial, and personal events. He has been used for forecasts by the CIA and many major corporations, and now he shares his startling methods in this dazzling and revelatory book.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

This product was recommended by Hannah Dworkin from USScrapYard

In his book Collins explains how to take a good business and make it a great one with 7 steps that are crucial for every entrepreneur to keep in mind and work on. It helps any aspiring business owner to plan and implement correct strategies to keep the business not only afloat but to make it successful. The book makes use of successful companies that have made it through the years and ended up beating the stock market.

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

This product was recommended by Jason Cordes from CocoLoan

Starting with Why, this book shows that the leaders who have had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way – and it’s the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with why.

The 5 Roles of Leadership by Wladislaw Jachtchenko

This product was recommended by Jason Cordes from CocoLoan

Inside this book, you will find the insights and the skills that will make these obstacles a thing of the past! You will learn the best methods for effective communication with clients and employees and how to improve time management and implement productivity techniques for yourself and your team.

Leadership by Doris Kearns Goodwin

This product was recommended by Jason Cordes from CocoLoan

This book provides an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders. In today’s polarized world, these stories of authentic leadership in times of apprehension and fracture take on a singular urgency.

Quiet Voice Fearless Leader by Terrance Daryl Lee

This product was recommended by Jason Cordes from CocoLoan

If you have ever doubted yourself or thought that you had to be extroverted to be successful, this book was made with you in mind. It’s time to awaken the leader inside because the truth is; that your introversion is your superpower.

Winning on Purpose by Fred Reichheld

This product was recommended by Cornelius Fichtner from PM Exam Simulator

What I love about this book is that it’s a very light read with lots of interesting content that may even seem surprising. Fred Reichheld’s NPS (Net Promoter System), which shines through this book, has been adopted by thousands of companies including Mercedes-Benz, Apple, and Amazon. The book has personal insights and stories that serve as a guide on inspiring customer love in your company, which keeps your clients coming back for more! Reichheld insists that customer appreciation is the ONLY way to succeed and it’s proven true for my businesses as well!

Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke

This product was recommended by Lisa Odenweller from Kroma Wellness

Former World Series of Poker champion turned business consultant, Annie Duke, draws on her experiences to prove that decision making is not about certainty but is instead an act of weighing the odds. The book’s themes are great for the new entrepreneurs that tend to chase certainty rather than confidence and let their fear of failure halt their success. It will incite entrepreneurs to embrace the risks that come with investing in yourself as a business owner.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin

This product was recommended by Igal Rubinshtein from Home Essentials Direct

Traditional methods of growing your business may work but they will certainly not help you break the mold and stand out. In this day and age, a large number of businesses are doing exactly what their competitors are, making the market a homogenous and uninspiring space. However, Purple Cow teaches entrepreneurs how, much like a purple cow, you can draw attention by standing out from the rest. With some research, one can identify the challenges and create innovative products that can overcome the threats. Among other instances of modern marketing paradigms through successful brands, the author explains how effective strategies can help businesses blaze the trail and move up the corporate ladder.

Strategic Planning by John H Dobbs

This product was recommended by Mimi Paul from Starkflow

This books stands out from others on the market by being direct and a practical guidance gleaned from solving real-world problems with real-world businesses. A great work and mostly a practical guide for anyone considering strategy and planning.

HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Strategy by Harvard Business Review

This product was recommended by Madilyn Hill from TruePersonFinder Inc.

This book provides a clear framework for designing and sustaining a more effective organization. This book includes fascinating 10 Harward business articles and selected the most important ones to help users catalyze their organization’s strategy, growth, and performance. This expert collection of best-selling articles is pragmatic and easy to use and distinguishes your company from rivals. This book will inspire you to make an explicit priority, allocate resources early, and create a vision for an uncertain future.

David Friedland

Bit of a gear addict.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Don't Miss

Photo by Pixabay

The Best Strategy Books For Beginners

This article showcases our top picks for the Strategy Books For Beginners.
Photo by Sebastian Arie Voortman

The Best Picture Books For Questioning Strategy

This article showcases our top picks for the Picture Books For Questioning