“Leaders are readers”.
List
“When you are finished learning. You are through.”
If you are like me, you have found that books are one of the most powerful ways to accelerate your learning.
With that being said… Personally, I we can find it tough to find time (and sometimes the focus) to read books, but audiobooks are a great alternative. You can listen to them in the car on your way to and from work.
I believe it was Zig Ziglar who coined the phrase “Automobile University”. The car ride can be one of the best ways to expand your learning and personal and professional development.
Below are eight books (also available as audiobooks) that I have found helpful. If you have not already read them, check them out…
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
Darren Hardy was a publisher of SUCCESS magazine, so he obviously knows his stuff! The book focuses on ‘mo' or momentum and making continuous progress one direction or another. So it might as well be intentional.
What he means by this is that every little thing you do contributes towards your final goal.
All the small things you do each day add up in the long term. Something may seem insignificant, but it is a small step in the right direction.
If you can make one of these small steps every day, you'll find your goals nearer than you think. This is the compound effect and it's great for changing your business mindset.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
This is a long standing classic in the business world, first released in the 1980s.
It's been revised for each new addition and there have been more than 25 million copies sold worldwide. You'll find lots of great tips in this book.
It's all about how best to build relationships, how to most effectively pursue your goals and how to manage your time. It offers good solid advice.
You'll learn how to prioritize well, dividing tasks up by how urgent or important they are.
Personally, I found the concepts can be a little hard to grasp when I first read the book. Now I find that it is worth listening to at least once a year.
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
Do you ever feel like you are not getting the work done that you know you need to get done? The important work.
If so, you may be experiencing what Steven Pressfield often refers to as the resistance. It is very common and rears its ugly head in many ways.
If you hold yourself back because you're worrying about risks or what people will think, this book will give you the skills to overcome this. It's all about the battles you fight with yourself in your head.
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This book came out around 20 years ago and it's a must read for everyone. This now classic book is one that helped me change my own mindset many years ago and to head down a more entrepreneurial path than I had been before.
The title relates to the author's dad, and his friend's dad, one was rich and one was poor.
One was well educated, one had had little education. If you have not read it, you may be surprises which one is which.
In the book, Robert Kiyosaki speaks a lot about the mindset of a successful business owner. This truly is a must read if you have not read this already.
Influence by Robert Cialdini
This is a fascinating read, especially for anyone with an interest in how people are able to influence one another.
The author is a professor of psychology and in the book he shows how real world examples of how principles of influence can be applied to practical situations. This is not just academic fluff.
Interestingly, he discusses his “weapons of influence” from both the standpoint of someone who is looking to influence others (hopefully for good) and someone who might be in a situation where someone could be trying to influence them.
There are some interesting stories and studies referenced to back up his statements about influence. As an entrepreneur, you are in the game of influence whether you are selling to customers, getting people to sign up for your email list, or trying to work with others.
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
This is another book from the 80s. The E in the title stands for Entrepreneur. It examines the reasons why so many small businesses fail and how to ensure that yours doesn't! He explains how most businesses are set up due to the business owners having a talent or a skill in a certain area.
For example, if you're a great cook, you might start up a catering business. Someone who love animals might start a dog grooming business.
However, running a business is complicated and the business owner often ends up spending far more time in the business than actually running the business. This book really drives home the point about the value of setting up systems and processes.
The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
At first, when I saw the title of this book, it seemed just a bit ridiculous, perhaps some sort of scam.
Don't judge this book by its cover. Take the title with a pinch of salt. It is a contemporary success classic.
You're not likely to end up working for four hours a week after reading it. But, you will pick up some good ideas and you'll learn to think differently about business.
You'll learn how to create systems that will take away some of your workload, and streamline your business processes.
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
This is the wild card of the bunch as it's actually a work of fiction and could be a bit controversial. It's really amazing and so well worth a read.
In this book, Ayn Rand lays out why she feels there is so much importance in the value of the individual and having belief in oneself and one's ideas and values.
Personally, I found it really motivating and inspirational reading even being a work of fiction.
If you have not already…
Check out the video above, and I even go into these two programs (available on Audible). In full disclosure, if you purchase through any of the links on this page, you would be helping me out since I get a small commission.