Books that can boost your business acumen & possibly improve your life

Whether we’re entrepreneurs, realtors, CEOs or managers, it’s really important to do everything in our power to help our start-ups thrive. Believe it or not, there’s no need for business people to have an MBA from a reputable university to do well in their field of activity. Sometimes, all we need is something to motivate us to move forward and stay focused on our goals. Here are some books to help you boost business wisdom and possibly improve your life.

“Crucial Conversations” – Ron McMillan, Kerry Patterson, Al Switzler, and Joseph Grenny

When there’s a lot at stake and you want to achieve something, you must strive for success. Opinions vary a lot in business, particularly because people have strong perceptions and different principles. To reach agreements you have to engage in fruitful conversations otherwise you’ll have to deal with the consequences. In “Crucial Conversation” the authors are trying to help readers achieve positive resolutions through dialogue. By reading this book, business people will learn to be persuasive not rude. The key to proper communication is active listening, and the more involved you are in a dialogue the higher chances you have to be admired and appreciated by counterparts.

“Linchpin” – Seth Godin

Do you have what it takes to be a linchpin? Is your work better than everyone else’s? Does management think you’re indispensable? Seth Godin released “Linchpin” in 2010. As a business person he wanted to help readers make themselves indispensable in their working domains, and thus achieve greatness. In today’s business environment it is almost impossible to build a career if you can’t make yourself noticed. That being said this book is about teaching readers to become linchpins. Taking risks and having the courage to speak when nobody else would are all actions you will have to undertake if you want to make yourself noticed.

“The Tipping Point” – Malcolm Gladwell

The smallest changes in life can have the greatest impact. Even though this theory is not new, it has been beautifully highlighted by Gladwell in “The Tipping Point”. This book is meant to inspire readers to think big and dare to dream about a better career future for themselves. If you have an idea worth exploring you shouldn’t hesitate to put it into practice. Even if you make a mistake, at least you’ll learn something from it.

“Drive” – Daniel H. Pink

Here’s an excellent book about what really motivates people to succeed. What’s your trigger? In spite of conventional perceptions that argue people are motivated by money and fear, Pink’s updated “Drive” explores a whole new way of perceiving motivation. The authors have included several concrete examples, too. Google for example, was one of the first companies to give employee freedom of speech and open offices. The company’s approach went beyond the norm, and that was the reason it worked. Google now allows employees to choose their projects, thus keeping them engaged and boosting motivation at the workplace. Would you be willing to adopt such innovative business strategy?

“The Millionaire Next Door” – Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko

First published in 1996, “The Millionaire Next Door” is not your average type of book about how to become a millionaire. Don’t expect to read about five-star restaurants and famous people, but about ordinary people who have worked hard to attain wealth. These people don’t like to show off and they live in the shadows. They could be your neighbor next door. The authors focus on the importance of hard work in life, and they talk a lot about making the right decisions to make money.

Books can have a great influence on our perceptions. They keep us motivated and they might help us attain our goals. Business books in particular, can be extremely influential. Aside from being convincing, they could change and improve our lifestyles completely. We all want to be wealthy and have a successful business; sadly, it’s easier said than done. All sorts of challenges will appear down the road, so it’s important to find a way to stay motivated no matter what. Business and self-help books can help us maintain our focus. Which of the ones we mentioned would you like to read first?