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This article showcases our top picks for the Leadership Books For Entrepreneurs. 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.
This product was recommended by Luka Juretic from BuzzLogic
I believe I enjoyed it so thoroughly because of the fact it was targeted at myself, or at least people like myself who have come from other fields and were due to one factor or another given leadership positions in their respective fields. Additionally, it has managed to light that spark in me that has led me to the position that I am in right now. The book also starts from scratch and has a nice tempo and message to it.
This book is widely regarded as one of the best self-help books of all time, especially for building character and effectiveness as a leader. The 7 habits cover all bases for building independence, interdependence and improvement as a person, all of which can be applied to professional development, for building direction, managing urgency, and achieving goals- it’ll be hard to find many better than this book.
Written by Machiavelli as a gift to the Medici as a guide for maximising the prudency and effectiveness of a civilisation’s leader. It explores the extent to which a prince’s success/failure is caused by his environment and his own free will, and teaches the reader to be tactile, cunning, but in some ways unscrupulous to maintain power – giving birth to ‘Machiavellian’ as an adjective.
As the title says, How to Win Friends and Influence People; in this book, the author offers many insights on how to do such. In the business world, having many friends and a high level of influence can bring forth success not only to one’s company but to one’s self as well. That said, this book is a great resource for entrepreneurs.
This product was recommended by Liam Wilson from Lottery ‘n Go
Resilience is one of the biggest qualities that all entrepreneurial leaders have to develop in these uncertain times. The world of entrepreneurship is harsh, and only a small percentage of those who start a business survive their first year. Those who survive are bound together by a quality that has been under the radar for too long – resilience. Since the pandemic, resilience has become much of a buzzword, but what does it really mean for entrepreneurs and leaders? In Change Proof, bestselling author Adam Markel investigates the dynamics of change and teaches us how to weaponize uncertainty instead of being its victim. We benefit from Adam’s extensive personal experience in both business development and personal development – two fields that are close to the heart of any aspiring entrepreneurial leader.
I have always enjoyed reading, it is one of the most productive hobbies one can have and I have read many novels on leadership and start-ups but none have had the profound impact as – Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek. The book is not about how you can become a great leader or when your company can become profitable. The question the book helps answer is why. It teaches the necessity of purpose, the need for self-realization and the importance of the vision that shapes your company. This is the book that helped me answer, ‘why do I want to build a startup?’ To give back.
This product was recommended by Suzie Cyrenne from Zumalka
A New York Times best seller I am recommending because not only will you learn how to leverage your current team into a thriving organization, but you will learn life lessons that will certainly stick with you.
This product was recommended by Deepanshu Bedi from Holistapet
I recommend the book “The Entrepreneurial Mindset by Rita Gunther McGrath. It was written specifically for entrepreneurs and gave a detailed description of the mindset of an entrepreneur. It is a motivational book that helps entrepreneurs realize their full potential. The book provides practical advice and meaningful ideas to help entrepreneurs reach their vision and keep company leadership on the right track. It is an easy read that is perfect for people with busy schedules. The author writes in a friendly, appealing way that makes it easy to understand. The Entrepreneurial Mindset is a relevant, interesting, and, most importantly, practical book. The book is broken down into different chapters that help you identify some of the obstacles you might face and how to make the most of them.
This product was recommended by Bram Jansen from VPNAlert
Since Peter F. Drucker was an early proponent of modern management, I believe this to be the best leadership book for business owners to peruse. To this day, his book, The Effective Executive, is still a must-read for any executive who wants to make the most of their time and energy. The book’s central tenet is to develop the competency that distinguishes highly effective executives: the capacity to get the right things done. You’ll develop the habits and strategies you need to make better decisions, no matter what role you play in the organization.
This product was recommended by Steve Elliott from Restoration1
As far as leadership books go, this one is the one that every entrepreneur should read. Storytelling and leadership go hand in hand. They convince others, including investors, employees, and customers, of their ideas by telling interesting stories. It may seem like a natural ability, but in reality, you can learn this skill. And if you want to learn from the best in the business, marketing guru Dave Gerhardt is standing by to teach you. Many successful businesspeople can thank Gerhardt for helping them find their voice. In Founder Brand, he details the steps you should take to make your personal narrative the cornerstone of your company’s identity. That way, your company will always know where it stands as it navigates the early stages. In addition, Gerhardt provides advice on how to make the most of social media and other important marketing platforms to spread your story further and faster.
This product was recommended by Brian Hong from Big Easy SEO
This book gives an in-depth look at what makes leaders successful and how they do it. What I love about this book is that it’s not grounded in metaphors but in empirical pieces of evidence that prove why a leader is a leader. Ultimately, it contains many exercises that can help you work on developing your leadership skills; lest we forget, the body and the mind are the backbones of our expertise. In the absence of proper care for these, we are bound to face defeat.
This product was recommended by Frederic Linfjärd from Planday
This is the best leadership book I’ve seen for business owners. You, as the company’s founder, will naturally play a significant role in driving revenue. However, you may be inexperienced in sales, which is especially problematic in aggressive markets. Chris Prangley, the author, gets it. Now that he’s made it to the top of the tech sales world, he’s writing The Tech Sales Warrior to teach others how to do the same. You’ll learn the routines Prangley says make him so fast in each successive chapter. You can improve your relationships with everyone by incorporating these actions into your leadership choices. With this work, your sales team will consistently outperform quarterly goals, so you may want to purchase extra copies to distribute to staff.
This product was recommended by Helen Armstrong from Apsley Company
I can say that this book truly lives up to its name. If you want to learn how to create a workplace culture that is happy and productive, then this is the book for you. I have implemented many of the concepts from this book in my own business, and the results have been amazing. I also love that Tony is such an exciting and inspiring person, and his story is motivating.
This is the best leadership book for business owners, in my opinion. Manny Khoshbin, a successful real estate businessman, tells an inspiring story of overcoming adversity that will restore your faith in the American Dream. Aspiring entrepreneurs will find the habits, mindset, and insights they need to turn dreams into reality in Driven: The Never-Give-Up Roadmap to Massive Success, which goes far beyond Manny’s own ride through the entrepreneurial journey.
This product was recommended by James Rehm from Skuuudle
As far as leadership books go, this one is the one that every entrepreneur should read. At the outset of your company’s operation, you have the luxury of spending more time mentoring your staff. With more people working for your company, you’ll have less and less direct contact with them. However, as Jackie Insinger explains in Spark Brilliance, there are methods you can use to motivate your team to go above and beyond the call of duty, even when you’re not there to oversee their every move. Insinger draws extensively on her experience as an executive coach to create a practical manual. After all, the simple act of creating a more accepting and supportive work environment for employees could have a major impact on efficiency and output. So, today is the day to start igniting your inner brilliance.
When it comes to books on leadership, this is the one that every entrepreneur should read. Any effective leader will always be striving to better themselves. Still, it’s not always easy to determine which aspects of oneself to keep and which to alter. Don’t worry about it. The Habit Mechanic is Dr. Jon Finn’s 20-year labor of love, a toolkit and life manual crafted for achievers like you. It’s important to note that this isn’t your average self-help tome. Finn’s method for self-improvement draws heavily on findings in neuroscience, behavioral science, and psychology. Raise your Super Routines to the Next Level. Improve your work-life equilibrium. Learn to lead like a boss and impress your team and customers.
As far as leadership books go, this one is the one that every entrepreneur should read. At other times, not even your own reflection in the bathroom mirror can be relied upon. For this reason, RESTORING REASON will appeal to you. Dr. Travis Corcoran writes about the importance of having faith in one’s own abilities to find solutions to problems and how to do so with the help of reason and classical philosophical thought. When you’re in charge of a group, you can rest assured that you’ll face challenges every day. To understand what does and does not matter, implement Corcoran’s advice. The numbers from your database system aren’t the only evidence of logic. Logic is a potent tool for navigating the complexities of both major and minor business decisions. The path to leadership is not without its challenges. Whatever the case may be, you can tackle the difficulties of leadership head-on if you have solid, tried-and-true advice from those who have gone before you on the path of entrepreneurship.
Is your history as an entrepreneur taking you into a field that has a checkered past or an overarching goal that you find yourself struggling to wrap your head around? If so, you should keep a copy of Breaking the Stigma close by, whether that’s by your bed or your desk. Charlena Berry, the founder of Cannabis Business Growth, wrote this book after facing the challenges facing the cannabis industry. Berry was successful in the face of adversity because of his willingness to learn from his mistakes and his dogged determination. Her ordeal will serve as an example for you to follow. As an added bonus, you’ll learn a ton of insider information on how to deal with any kind of adversity. Therefore, you can strengthen your resolve to ignore critics and take charge with conviction.
This product was recommended by Andrew Dale from CloudTech24
If you’re an entrepreneur, this is the best book you can read on leadership. As a leader, you must have the foresight and guts to put the responsibility squarely on your shoulders. The trouble is that few people actually know how to do this. The Innovation Mentality equips entrepreneurial and corporate leaders with the skills they need to work with colleagues and employees to harness the power of positive change through its six strategies for disrupting the status quo and reinventing the way we work.
This product was recommended by Adam Garcia from The Stock Dork
If you’re an entrepreneur, this is the best book you can read on leadership. To be a good leader, you need more than what you can learn in a classroom, podcast, or seminar. Big ideas, some calculated risks, and the ability to take a step back and see opportunities in plain sight will be required. Business expansion is easy when you follow the advice of growth expert Scott Duffy.
Professional in the technology sector and early-stage investor Dr. Patti Fletcher demonstrates how various businesswomen have attained success in their own eyes. As a result of adhering to the unspoken rules of business culture established long before women entered the workforce, the business world is stacked against women at every level of the organization, from the board to the CEO to the freelancer.
This product was recommended by Haris Bacic from PriceListo
Ray Dalio’s Principles was one of the most popular and effective leadership publications of 2018. Dalio recollects some of his personal failures, such as when he misjudged on live TV what would happen to the US economy during the 1970s, as well as when he set up Bridgewater Capital in his apartment and nearly went bankrupt. You can use these principles and methods for running your business, setting goals, and making decisions, as well as emotional intelligence.
Small Fish, Big Pond: Building A World Class Business That Swims Circles Around Competitors written by Jeff Mains, is a book that takes the lessons that may be learned from ocean life and teaches business executives how to outsmart, outswim, and outlast their opponents by playing to their own strengths. Confronted by large, well-established competitors, small businesses often find themselves in a difficult position. The book Small Fish, Big Pond explains the Futureproof Strategic Framework, which provides entrepreneurs with a tried-and-true method for building an authentic business that attracts top talent, provides exceptional customer experiences, and outperforms the competition at every stage of growth. The most successful businesses carve out their own territory and maintain dominant mindshare among the ideal prospects for their products. Leaders that accept their individuality and don’t compete with one another to be the next shark are the ones who change the rules of the game. These leaders incite a buying frenzy and set the stage for enormous growth potential. Size becomes irrelevant. The little ones devour the larger ones!
First Things First by Stephen Covey is one of entrepreneurs’ most highly regarded leadership books. This book is about taking charge of your life and priorities, and it has helped countless entrepreneurs develop a more effective approach to their work and personal lives. I suggest reading First Things First if you’re looking for a book to help you focus on what’s truly important and learn how to manage your time and priorities better. Being a leader takes a lot of time and effort, but this book will show you that it’s possible to balance your work and personal life if you’re willing to put in the effort.
This product was recommended by Akshay Vikhe from OnlineCourseing
Most ‘leadership’ books focus on telling you successful things you can do to be a better leader. This book focuses on identifying your built-in strengths, how they can be utilized, and what other strengths they match well with, especially when working with a team. It enables you to combine and build good teams by complementing your organization’s strengths.
