Best Business Books
Here's my list of the books you must read to become as effective as possible in today's challenging world.
The Effective Executive
by Peter F. Drucker
My nomination for the best single business book ever. Even after re-reading it since the sixties I always find something to take away
Winning
by Jack Welch
This book is the result of all the answers Jack Welch has given to all the questions at his public appearances. Good, practical wisdom, straight from the head.
Nineteen Stars: A Study in Military Character and Leadership
by Edgar Puryear
This is about generals, but it's the only book I know that deals with the impacts of preparation, luck, and mentors on a career.
Geeks and Geezers
by Warren G. Bennis
Don't let the title put you off. This book is an excellent look about how leaders grow and make use of crises to shape their character and leadership style.
Leading Change
by John P. Kotter
This is the book where John Kotter first laid out his Eight Step Process for Achieving Change. It's a great guide for what to do and how to think about change initiatives.
Warfighting
by U. S. Marine Corps Staff
For my money, the best book on strategy that there is. It's better than The Art of War for Western managers because it's written in a straightforward, Western style.
Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors
by Michael E. Porter
You have to read this because everybody else references it and uses Porter's language. It's a dreadful slog, but worth it.
The PIMS Principles
by Robert D. Buzzell
Originally done years ago, this book will help you understand how to build long term competitive advantage and profitability.
The Wisdom of Crowds
by James Surowiecki
Learn about how teams work and don't work and how to put great ones together.
The Living Company
by Arie de Geus
You should read at least one book on the biological model of the company and this one is the best. Plus it will give you an idea about Shell's scenario planning methods.
The Fifth Discipline
by Peter M. Senge
This is another book that you should read because lots of people refer to it. This book is worth buying for Appendix 2 which is the best description of how systems work that I've read.
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal
by Jim Loehr
This one's a must-read if you want to be a peak performer. The authors stress the value of energy management and offer you lots of great ideas.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen
This book is about how to manage workflow and priorities. It's time management for the 21st Century.
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras
A classic about what you can learn from twenty companies with outstanding performance since before 1950.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
by Jim Collins
The companion classic to Built to Last. This one's about companies who made the leap from mediocre performance to great performance and sustained it for at least fifteen years.
The Leadership Challenge
by James M. Kouzes
The one best book devoted to the overall topic of leadership. Solid, research-based and helpful.
Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership
by Wally Bock
My own book that uses a story to teach basic leadership principles.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell
This is another book that lots of people quote. Read it to find out how messages, including marketing messages, spread like an epidemic.
The Platinum Rule: Discover the Four Basic Business Personalities and How They Can Lead You to Success
by Tony Alessandra
Ever wonder why you just can't communicate with some people? This book will tell you why and how to do better.
The World Is Flat : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
by Thomas L. Friedman
Everybody is quoting this book, too. The author travels the world as a columnist for the New York Times and has lots of provocative observations about how the business world is changing.
Moments of Truth
by Jan Carlzon
A "moment of truth" is the encounter between one of your people and your customer. Moments of truth are was customer service and satisfaction are all about.
The Ultimate Question
by Fred Reichheld
This book will show you two things. You'll learn how you can replace long involved customer surveys with a single question and get better info. And you'll find out how to build the relationships that make for competitive advantage.