The smiling faces of CEOs, thought gurus and accidental millionaires gorge the business section of every bookstore. Most of the volumes are self-aggrandizing tripe or neu-think, but some emerge as essential, influential reading.
What business book do you most often thumb through? Which magnum opus changed your approach to career or professional conduct?
Comments
nov 06 2007 15:21
2 Reputation Points
God Is My CEO: Following God’s Principles in a Bottom-Line World
2002
by Larry Julian
Covers issues such as developing patience, cultivating leadership by example, yielding control, making tough decisions and maintaining right priorities.
For career, professional, and personal conduct 7 days a week, this is the one.
Edit (for another )nov 06 2007 15:44
2 Reputation Points
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People- Steven Covey
Edit (for another )nov 06 2007 20:53
4 Reputation Points
One of my favorite books is Moneyball by Michael Lewis. It chronicles how the Oakland Athletics built a winning team on a budget. Because they couldn’t afford the same talent as their richer competitors, they devised their own new performance indicators to see talent in a new light. By doing so, they assembled a cheap roster that outperformed big budget teams.
The story line is baseball. But the concepts apply to business, especially to early-stage companies that live and die on recruiting. The book’s byline tells it all: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.
Edit (for another )nov 08 2007 16:20
9 Reputation Points
Crossing the Chasm – Geoffrey A. Moore
Edit (for another )nov 09 2007 09:36
3 Reputation Points
Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done – Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan
Edit (for another )nov 09 2007 10:26
2 Reputation Points
On a sales performance level, my vote goes for Don’t Fire Them, Fire Them Up by Frank Pacetta. Pacetta knocked the sales world on its feet in the late 80’s and early 90’s when he took Xerox’s worst-performing sales office and turned it into an underdog success story.
It reads as mapwork, bullet-style planning for success, and as a cheering section to motivate you along the way. While Xerox sales methodology might differ from that of other companies, and whether you’re running a sales team of 4 or running a corporate sales division of 80, the book translates into a simple solution: Work with your team, learn their strengths, weaknesses, and be the one to harness them towards achieving those goals.
Edit (for another )nov 13 2007 11:47
9 Reputation Points
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference By Malcolm Gladwell.
Not a business book in the traditional sense, but a must read for anyone in the marketing of products or ideas. It helps you understand our world and how we can effectively play in it, influence it and make important noise.
Edit (for another )nov 14 2007 09:59
5 Reputation Points
Just one? I can’t recommend just one..
Hardball
THE manual on how to compete hard and fair.
A Good Hard Kick in the Ass: Basic Training for Entrepreneurs
Should be force read to people before they go on Dragon’s Den. The basic rules for talking to “angel” investors.
The 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene, Joost Elfers
Survey of the history of power plays – one should at a minimum, be aware of them. Helped me shed my naivete without being cynical.
The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas Some of the same lessons as above.
Banishing Burnout
The authorities on burnout provide strategies for dealing with the value and fit mismatches that cause burnout.
Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning
How to be happy at work, and how to build workplaces that promote happiness.
Now, Discover Your Strengths
This, and its precursor (First Break All The Rules) – the ‘strengths based’ to finding your fit and managing for highest performance.
Edit (for another )nov 14 2007 10:25
2 Reputation Points
Some great suggestions here, but for me the choice is simple: The Cluetrain Manifesto.
It’s not that the book was some kind of giant epiphany – the thoughts and themes were all pretty well-trodden by the time the print version of the original Cluetrain site and Topica discussion group came out.
But the book set down in black & white what I’d been trying to articulate to clients for a while. A great example, for me, of “what oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed”.
To this day, I still recommend it to clients, colleagues, and friends.
Edit (for another )nov 14 2007 12:18
3 Reputation Points
The Monk and the Riddle : The Education of a Silicon Valley Entrepreneur
by Randy Komisar (Author), Kent L. Lineback (Author)
Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Rich Dad)
Edit (for another )by Robert T. Kiyosaki
nov 17 2007 14:47
2 Reputation Points
Rich Dad,Poor Dad
by Robert kiyosaki
The Book on Network Marketing
by Richard Kall
Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump also had a article together promoting MLM companies.
Edit (for another )All very successful people.
nov 28 2007 09:47
10 Reputation Points
For me, The Art of War, is a constant companion.
If you accept the principle that business is ultimately about managing conflict and competition, Sun Tzu may be the greatest CEO ever.
Understanding landscapes, strategic planning, tasking and resourcing, effective communications, applying rewards and recognition, use of intelligence . . . any of these sound familiar?
The Art of War teaches us is that preparing for and mastering conflict makes us invincible to it, which gives us peace of mind.
I keep a pocket-sized version on me at all times and routinely refer to it for strategic guidance.
Edit (for another )dec 04 2007 19:00
8 Reputation Points
1. Crossing the Chasm – Geoffrey Moore
http://tinyurl.com/2w6ttj
2. Good to Great – Jim Collins
http://tinyurl.com/2mzmg5
3. Art of the Start – Guy Kawasaki
http://tinyurl.com/2qeb2u
4. Innovator’s Dilemma – Clayton M. Christensen
http://tinyurl.com/38r77y
5. Blue Ocean Strategy – Kim/Mauborgne
http://tinyurl.com/34cdnu
6. Differentiate or Die – Jack Trout
http://tinyurl.com/3439r7
7. Living on the Fault Line – Geoff Moore
http://tinyurl.com/2l3qp8
8. Solution Selling – Machael Bosworth
http://tinyurl.com/3xr85a
9. Agile Software Development with Scrum
Edit (for another )– Ken Schwaber, Mike Beedle
http://tinyurl.com/3bngkc
dec 20 2007 06:46
1 Reputation Point
The World is Flat.
Edit (for another )dec 21 2007 17:35
1 Reputation Point
I agree with Eric, Interesting point, this is exactly what I was going to point out. Looking forward to see more comment like this. soruce :
Thanks you
Edit (for another )jan 14 2008 20:37
1 Reputation Point
Annapurna South Face – Sir Chris Bonington: How to tackle the impossible.
Winning at New Products: Robert Cooper – proper product development
Inside the Tornado: Geoffrey Moore – follow up to Crossing the Chasm
Edit (for another )jan 22 2008 21:44
1 Reputation Point
I must second so many of the excellent choices above Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, Geoffrey Moore, Kim/Mauborgne, Kiyosaki, Sun Tzu, Buckingham and Covey. All well worn and often re-enjoyed members of my library.
I just want to point out a perhaps slightly lesser-known gem: Selling the Dream by Guy Kawasaki. THE book on building a sales and marketing effort centered around evangelism. And such an enjoyable read (as all his books) as well.
Edit (for another )jan 25 2008 23:28
7 Reputation Points
To shake things up a bit, I suggest picking up books on selling art – the low-tech, two-dimensional things. A good one will show you the psychology in the business, the motivation behind actions, and how to connect with customers emotionally. For samples, you can visit http://www.artbusiness.com/artists.html
Edit (for another )feb 29 2008 00:10
2 Reputation Points
Quality is Free, Phil Crosby. Crosby might have gone off the rails a bit in recent years, but this is a philosophy that has informed my thinking for decades.
The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins. Understanding how ideas live, die, and get passed on is crucial to understanding where we sit in the grand scheme of things.
Edit (for another )mar 03 2008 15:35
5 Reputation Points
‘The One Minute Manager’ – Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson.
Though it’s deceptively simple, this is a great/profound read! How to catch people doing something right and the power of clear, understandable goals.
‘The Pursuit of Wow’ – Tom Peters.
When aren’t Tom’s rants relevant…
Imagine – “The customer comes second!” (i.e. – if you want to put customers first, you have to put your people first!)
Edit (for another )