8 business books that will revolutionise your business.
One of my mentor’s once said, leaders are readers. It has always stuck with me. If you read just 10 minutes a day he said - imagine how far ahead you will be at the end of the year. I am doing a little challenge at the moment, where I try and read a book a week (I have always tried to do this challenge, unsuccessfully for many years!) and thought today would be a great chance to share with you, 8 business books that I genuinely credit for changing the way I do things, or think about things. Add some of these to your Christmas list this year, you won’t regret it!
1) Healing is the new High by Vex King.
OK so not so much about business, but this one is a book I gift pretty much all my mentoring programme. I truly believe everyone needs a little bit of healing, and this book was like 10 minute therapy everyday. I released a lot of traumas through the exercises in this book and let go of a lot of things, which has a positive knock on effect for my business and my overall happiness.
2) How to Own the Room by Viv Groskop.
Viv has an amazing podcast, where she interviews some amazing women on just how they own the room. This amazing book is an extension of that, teaching us how to communicate, speak, work or just be more confident in our everyday lives. Every chapter is based on an inspirational woman, like Oprah or Michelle Obama, dissecting some of their most amazing speeches and how these woman, well… own a room! I learnt a lot from this book, mainly how to step into confidence a little bit more. It’s empowered me to want to public speak, something I never thought I would say! If you are struggling right now with finding your place and space as a woman in business, this is a great read!
3) The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger.
Genuinely, this is my book of the year. One of those books you wish you could erase your memory and read again. Bob Iger is the former CEO of Disney, with a hugely inspirational story of how a man, with no Harvard gold standard formal education, became the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world, and created huge waves at the same time. Bob was responsible for opening Shanghai Disney, bringing back Pixar to the Disney brand and operating the sale of Fox, Star Wars and Marvel. Every chapter teaches us something we can use in our own businesses, and I think I learnt the most from this book from a business perspective. An entertaining read, for those who aren’t readers too.
Another of my best book reads of the year, I love Pat’s podcast and knew I had to read his book on community building. He changed my perspective on who I am as a mentor, and how I need to show up in my community. It was one of those books where you can hear Pat through the pages and the way it is written is so easy, with easy actionable steps. If you are looking to build a community and create Superfans, not followers - this is a book for you.
5) The 5am Club by Robin Sharma.
Not a flawless book, but one I really did enjoy reading. Told through the narrative of 3 strangers, who change their business lives by waking up at 5am. For full disclosure, I don’t wake up at 5am and I don’t intend to. But this book helped me wake up earlier in general, prioritise my sleep and well being, and step into my CEO energy. Sometimes it’s not about fully remembering every sentence, and actioning every point the book makes, but rather, taking one or two things and making them your own. If you do want to take control of your morning routine, this is the book for you.
6) The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris.
Again, not a flawless read, but maybe one of the books that changed my business life the most. This book pulled me into true CEO energy, and look at my business and myself in a different way. If any book has helped me scale, it’s been this one. Tim has helped me delegate, automate, prioritise and look at myself not as a one woman show, but as a CEO running a future multi million pound business. There are some great tips in this one, ones that I truly believe can change the game.
7) Joy at Work by Marie Kondo.
I’m gonna hold my hands up and say, this is not my favourite book BUT, this book really helped me organise my work life. Thanks to this book I have a pretty organised desktop, backed up devices, organised iPhone, less notifications, and as a result, more time. If you are looking for a book to help you organise, this is the one. It’s not fun, it’s not sexy - but genuinely it changed my business for the better (I’m not selling it am i!). Just trust me.
8) Make Your Bed by William H McRaven.
A short read, but a powerful one. I recommend this book to everyone, but particularly non readers. William H McRaven is a former Admiral in the US Navy, who tells short stories in each chapter that helped shape him as a person. Each chapter, though short, is memorable, easy to read and entertaining - as well as incredibly inspiring. I do indeed make my bed every morning now, and you’ll have to read the book to understand why. If you head to Youtube, McRaven has an incredibly inspiring speech that will make you want to buy this book. And how did this help my business? It made me more disciplined, more focused and aligned my priorities. Must have read.
Those are my 8 recommendations as the year draws to a close soon. Let me know if you have read any of these too, by giving me a DM on Instagram!