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- 9 How to Run A Business Books You Should Read
You’ve probably got the fundamentals of running a small business down. But is there more you could be doing to grow or increase your professional satisfaction? These new releases come with examples, real life stories, well researched statistics and more to help you get into the right entrepreneurial mindset.
Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell
by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle.
This 2019 publication is based on interviews with over eighty people who knew and loved Bill Campbell. Bill Campbell, or Coach Bill as he was affectionately known, mentored some of Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs and played an instrumental role in the growth of Google, Apple, and Intuit. In addition to the fascinating stories and insights, there are clear-cut and actionable takeaways as well.
This is Marketing
by Seth Goodin
Readers describe Godin’s writing style as brief and written for the Twitter age. A book reviewer on Goodreads describes This is Marketing:
“It reminded me of a mini skirt—long enough to cover the subject, and short enough to keep it interesting.”
Godin uses examples from Apple to Elon Musk to show how marketing can be an “elusive fish” which caught correctly makes all the difference in a brands success.
Eye Contact
by Brian Grazer
Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer proves that eye contact is one of the most transformative habits you can develop in your daily life. He writes that eye contact, really looking someone in the eyes, offers validation, shows generosity, creates intimate and establishes genuine human connection.
When there’s engagement with your team, there’s productivity. Engagement with your target consumer can equal sales.
The Infinite Game
by Simon Sinek
Here’s a short description of finite vs. infinite games.
In finite games, like football or chess, the players are known, the rules are fixed, the endpoint is clear, and the winners are easily identified.
In infinite games, like business or politics or life itself, the players come and go, the rules are changeable, and there is no defined endpoint. There are no winners or losers in an infinite game; there is only ahead and behind.
Simon Sinek Simon Sinek is best known for popularizing the concept of “the golden circle” and to “Start With Why.”
This book explores how adopting an “infinite mindset” is a prerequisite for all leaders.
The Surprising Science of Meetings
by Steven G. Rogelberg
Rogelberg’s work only confirms what the average office worker already knows: meetings can be a huge time waster.
He has researched analytics and survey interviews with over 5,000 employees across a range of industries. Rogelberg shares proven techniques to help managers and employees enhance the quality of their meetings.
If your small business is dependent on meetings, you’ll find direction and guidance along with a how-to guide to change your working life starting today.
Take his suggestions to heart and your employees with thank you!
Be Fearless
by Jean Case
This book is promoted as “a call to action for those seeking to live extraordinary lives and bring about transformational change.”
Are you a business owner feeling stuck and reluctant to move forward? Author Jean Case offers great strategies for new entrepreneurs and those already running a successful business. She encourages readers to make a big bet, take bold risks, capitalize on failure, look beyond your comfort zone, and prioritize urgency over fear.
Leading Loyalty: Cracking the Code to Customer Devotion
by Sandy Rogers, Leena Rinne, and Shawn Moon
Leading Loyalty gets to the heart of the challenge every organization faces—inspiring people at every level to behave in ways that result in customers feeling their experience is one of the best they’ve ever had.
Leading Loyalty is filled with real examples and tools to help readers develop the three core loyalty principles—empathy, responsibility and generosity—into every customer interaction to earn customer devotion.
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
by Safi Bahc
Physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bahcall writes about a new way of thinking about group behavior. He offers fresh ideas and practical solutions—a combination of psychology and physics—to help change the way any person or team sets out to change the world.
You might not be wanting to change the world with your small business. However, you can learn from the examples and stories in the book about transformation and success.
Company of One
by Paul Jarvis
Paul Jarvis left the high-pressure, high profile corporate world when he realized that working in that environment was not his idea of success. Instead, he now works for himself out of his home and lives a much more rewarding and productive life.
Unlike other business books that focus on scaling and expanding, Jarvis explains how you can find the right pathway for success when staying small.
He discusses how to set up your shop, determine your desired revenues, deal with unexpected crises and keep your key clients happy.