7 Great Business Books Every Manager Should Read

How does someone know they’re management material?

They’ve got to have confidence, but also the humility to motivate themselves by raising others up.

If the manager is already in that headspace, great! Now they have to focus on staying there. And if they have a ways to go, that’s alright, too. There’s a time-tested way for business managers to keep their edge and continually better themselves.

Good old fashioned reading. It’s still a thing!

There are countless others who have gone before today’s business leaders and blazed the trails, got left behind, and everything in between. They have scores of valuable insight–and everyone should be learning from what they have to share.

There are myriads of reasons to read a real book. This list of 6 great business books cover a wide territory and come highly recommended by thousands of today’s business leaders.

1. TED Talks

TED Talks are well known for their diverse topics and inspiring personalities. Talk “Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds”, was published in 2014 and has since got a lot of people talking.

Public speaking is an underrated art, usually only appreciated by those who fear it relentlessly. It’s a critical skill for business leaders, however. Whether speaking at a staff meeting or an international sales conference, this book preps the reader by reviewing the nine tips for mastering public speaking.

Highlighted Review: “Gallo takes you on the most amazing journey to creating and giving, not only a TED Talk, but also for any presentation.”

2. The Magic of Disney

Disney is known for giving the best customer experience on the planet. Investing the time to read great business books from the makers of “the most magical place on Earth” is probably not a waste of time.

A business manager’s customers are his or her staff. It’s crucial that he or she knows how to build an invested, happy team. Ultimately, the manager’s leadership will determine the overall impression left on the customer.

2011’s “Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service” brings the magic of the Disney Institute to the reader’s arsenal. It’s biggest selling point is its ability to re-mold the way the reader thinks, bringing about big ideas and real-world ways to make them realities.

Highlighted Review: “I liked the book so much I bought copies for all of my department managers. Within a week after giving the books, I started seeing the patient environment change for the better.”

3. For Go-Giver Leaders

Every great business leader will eventually find themselves at a crossroads–when times are tough, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s right.

Greatness has its costs, but ethics should never be one of them.

2016’s “The Go-Giver Leader: A Little Story About What Matters Most in Business” reminds managers what can be accomplished when they take the high road. At just 166 pages, it’s a quick read that will stay with the audience for the long-haul.

Highlighted Review: “A gem of a book that delivers so much wisdom and insight into what it means to lead in all areas of life and business.”

4. For the Influencer

First published in 1936, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is one of the most beloved business books of the 20th century, having sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

Looks like it’s won over and influenced quite a crowd.

The author, Dale Carnegie, uses the book as a guide on how to be well-liked and have influence where it really matters. Born in 1888 into poverty, he rose to success writing books that taught people that the best results come from changing one’s own behavior.

Highlighted Review: “I read every chapter twice before moving on.”

5. Coaching Talent

Talent isn’t always inherited from birth, and it almost always needs developing.

“The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How.” is based on the principle that there is a hackable “talent code” that can carry people to greatness.

Hint: Practice makes perfect!

Based on interviews and science, this is one of the great business books for down to business leaders who thrive on data and the tangible side of talent.

Highlighted Review: “It’s no coincidence that Brazil makes the best soccer players, and Cuba makes the baseball players, Russia makes great gymnasts, or the Suzuki Method produces many music prodigies. It’s that they figured out a system that works.”

6. Who Moved My Cheese?

1998’s “Who Moved My Cheese?” uses the art of storytelling to convey that in business–and at home–your attitude is everything.

Great business books such as The Secret have long proposed that our thoughts create our reality. As powerful as they are, they often lose people with philosophic conversations and metaphysical undertones.

“Who Moved My Cheese?” differs from other books in that it uses a simple format to gently remind us that we are in charge of how we feel.

In a fast-moving world of 24-hour news and a constant stream of “gossip” on our phones, computers, and TVs, “Who Moved My Cheese?” is a great business book because it’s about so much more than business.

Highlighted quote: “It will help you put things in perspective and can have a big impact on your life.”

7. Great Business Books: Runners Up

Because there is always room for more good advice, here are a few other great business books to check out once you’ve finished the first six:

• The Art of War, by Sun Tzo
• Rework, by Jason Fried
• You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero
• Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t, by Simon Sinek
• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, by Kim Scott
• In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs, by Grace Bonney

Wrapping Up

As you can see, there are options out there for every area of business management. A best practice of successful business leaders is to continually read the advice of others, as well as books in related fields. Doing so not only builds your personal library of knowledge but keeps you motivated to continually grow.

Craving more great business books for your arsenal? Check us out at our home base!