As it’s World Book Day, I’m reflecting on the best business books I’ve read that have helped me to progress in my new freelance marketing business. Here are my top five, which I highly recommend you read.
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin
Seth Godin is a marketing guru who does things his own way, and I really respect that. He talks about the importance of finding your tribe, and he’s done that by forging his own path in a sometimes stuffy marketing world. I love all of Seth’s marketing books, but Linchpin is my favourite. The concept of the book is about making yourself the critical cog in the wheel – becoming the person that everyone relies on, and the workplace wouldn’t be the same without you. If you’re keen to get noticed at work or to position yourself in your company, this book is for you.
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
This book was a Christmas present from a good friend, and it’s packed with psychological insights that will help you to understand how people work. This is useful if you work in marketing, in sales, in PR, or even just in everyday life. It’s also great if you work with the public sector, where the focus is often behaviour change rather than sales. I love a good insight into the way people’s minds work, and how this relates to business success. This is so crammed with relevant and useful marketing information, it’s one for weekly reference.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
You can certainly judge this book by its cover because it focuses completely on asking why. It’s an insightful and inspiring leadership book that will encourage you to look a little deeper into problems to find new solutions. If you haven’t seen Sinek’s TED Talks, you’ll have definitely seen his quotes on Facebook and LinkedIn, He’s an inspirational guy, and this book includes lots of his best content.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Duhigg tells a great story. He gives some fantastic examples of good habits leading to success in this book, which can apply to habits in life as well as at work. The book explains how some people and companies can achieve change, but others struggle to get out of their old habits. Duhigg claims that the way to success lies in creating the right habits, and if you do the right thing, day after day, you can transform your businesses and your life.
The Chimp Paradox by Prof Steve Peters
This is one of my favourite books of all time because it’s totally changed the way I think. It’s more of a general self-help book than a business read, but its concepts apply to us in every part of our lives. It describes, in a really simple way, how our minds work, and will make you notice when your monkey brain is reacting to situations. It allows you to look at the way you think from an outside perspective, and will help you to manage your emotions, your reactions and your approach to other people. This is invaluable in helping you with conflicts at work. I read this one every year to keep the concept fresh in my mind, and to remind myself to keep my monkey inside its box!
Your favourite business books
I’m always looking out for business and self-development books to add to my list. If you have any suggestions for me, please comment below or contact me.
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