My Favorite Business Books for Leaders and HR Professionals
As an avid reader, I try to have a variety of genres of books that I read. One type of book has always been up there as one of my favorites: the self-help/business book. As an HR practitioner, I find these are the books that deliver results from different perspectives. The variety of books on how to be a great leader, work more effectively, manage your time, overcome adversity in business (and more), seem to be endless. Some that commonly make the “top business books” lists were honestly not my favorite (while others were). Therefore, I wanted to put together the books that have most influenced the way I operate in business.
The value I’ve found in these books has given me a framework for how to approach work and people from all backgrounds in the business world. It has shaped my leadership style into one of supporting people and my work style into one of organization and strategic thinking. And maybe most importantly it has led me to be a values driven leader. These recommendations are for anyone searching for inspiration as a professional, but more importantly, for someone who is a ‘student at heart’.
If you wish to purchase any of these books, I have linked to independent book stores where you can order online. I don’t make any commission off these sales, but will always encourage you to ‘shop small.’
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Summary: Covey lays out 7 principles that have changed the way I approach work and life. This book has a step by step approach and is a fairly easy read with lots of anecdotes from Covey.
My Top Take Away: Begin with the end in mind and seek first to understand.
2. Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Summary: Scott identifies three principles for managers to build better relationships with their employees.
My Top Take Away: I am already a pretty radically candid person most of the time, for me this book emphasized the importance of a lot of the things I was already doing, Scott reminds us that to be the best manager we must personally care about our employees and challenge them in their work.
3. Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Summary: Dare to Lead looks at company culture that often lives in scarcity, fear, and uncertainty. Brown addresses how to tackle these challenges head on by facing our shame and being brave.
My Top Take Away: Clear is kind, and shame is no way to lead. Brown has two podcasts, one by the same name, Dare to Lead, and Unlocking Us.
4. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hseih
Summary: The Founder of Zappos takes you on his journey to over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales in less than ten years with all the lessons he learned along the way. The passing of Hseih in 2020 was such a loss to both the business community and his community in Las Vegas.
My Top Take Away: At Zappos they couldn’t find the talent they were looking for so they trained people to do the job, when promoting people they found smaller more frequent promotions (especially for Millennials) were more motivating than larger less frequent ones. Also, customer service is the job of everyone in the company.
5. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Summary: Lean In has received criticism since it’s publishing for being an elitist and whitewashed approach to feminism. While much of the criticism has merit, so does the movement this book started. The Lean In Organization has taken a whole new approach since the book was written and the light this book shed on the differences women face in the world of work cannot be ignored. Men, women, and gender non-conforming people should all read this book to understand this perspective on the experience of women at work.
My Top Take Away: This book addressed imposter syndrome before we were actively using the words imposter syndrome, for me this was a reminder to believe in myself in business and that I am not alone in my experiences. I also enjoy Tilted: A Lean In Podcast
6. How Full Is Your Bucket by Tom Rath and Don Clifton
Summary: While maybe not technically considered a business book, the field of positive psychology can have such a profound impact on the way we think about managing people. This book teaches the strategy of positive psychology using a bucket and dipper. With positivity you can fill both your bucket and the buckets of others.
My Top Take Away: Happy Brain Science, as it can be affectionately referred, can positively impact you and the people on your team.
7. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Summary: Learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.
My Top Take Away: Getting people’s names right is so important.
8. It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton
Summary: This is an inspiring and quick read and just what I needed in the middle of 2020. Hamilton is the first queer, black woman to found her own Venture Capital firm, Backstage Capital. This book tells her journey of overcoming something.
My Top Take Away: Be your authentic self because someone is looking for you and your expertise and if you’re trying to be someone else, they won’t find you when they are looking, also to keep going when things get tough. Hamilton also has a great podcast, Your First Million, and digital courses, Arlan’s Academy.
9. Radical Focus by Christina Wodtke
Summary: Wodtke uses a fictional case study to explain how to use the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) method of goal setting. Read this to learn the system of creating your focus to find your success.
My Top Take Away: OKRs are an excellent way to set goals as a company, individual goals should be aligned with company goals, and OKRs should always be stretch goals.
10. Brotopia by Emily Chang
Summary: An expose of Silicon Valley’s white cis-male dominated landscape. Chang talks about ways to fix the toxic culture we see in so many companies.
My Top Take Away: This book walks through the history of how Silicon Valley became a culture that favors antisocial nerds and risk taking bros, it points out biases like perks being created for young, single men, and explains the meritocracy myth that we often base our ideals on.
I loved all the books above and found them so valuable. However, I know there are so many books that I have yet to crack open. What business books did I miss that make your top ten? I’d love to engage in discussion, so feel free to reach out via email, at info@workvisionconsulting.com.
