Stumped for what business books to add to your spring (or spring break) reading list? Here are five must-read books for leaders well worth adding to your list:
- Lead With A Story — A Guide To Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire. Author Paul Smith explains why storytelling has emerged as a vital skill for every leader and manager. In the book, you'll find over 100 ready-made stories you can use as templates to tell your stories. Stories are so powerful because they are simple, timeless, demographic-proof, contagious, easy to remember and inspiring. Most important, they put the listener in a mental learning mode.
- What's The Future Of Business? (WTF?) — Changing The Way Businesses Create Experiences. This book, by Brain Solis, details the incredible transformation happening in business today, driven by new social and mobile technologies. And he explains how experience design helps your business and how you can harness its power for business growth. This book is a wake-up call for every business leader.
- AMA Business Boot Camp — Management and Leadership Fundamentals That Will See You Successfully Through Your Career. Edited by Edward T. Reilly, this is the book for brushing up on your leadership skills or learning what to do in your new leadership role. It covers basic management, managing staff changes, managing projects, strategic thinking, hiring, delegating, and communication…and lots more.
- The Facts Of Business Life — What Every Successful Business Owner Knows That You Don't. Author Bill McBean has spent nearly 40 years as a successful business owner. In his book, he explains that to be successful you need to know more than your industry and just the basic concepts of leadership, management and operations. His advice? Planning is about preparing for the future, not predicting it. If you don't market your business, you won't have one. Plus, there are five other lessons McBean teaches in the book.
- Leadership Conversations — Challenging High-Potential Managers To Become Great Leaders. I couldn't put this book down. It's rich with real-world examples and tactical guidance. And it covers the four types of conversations every leader must effectively master; conversations that: build relationships, develop others, make decisions and take action. Authors are Alan S. Berson and Richard G. Stieglitz.
So, there you go. Five books I recommend you read this summer.
