Have you ever heard the famous quote, “Leaders are readers?” If you haven’t, I can promise you that there has never been a more truer statement that this ever spoken. Here’s a fun fact for you: did you know that the average person read less than one book a year after they graduate high school/college?
When polled, the most successful people in the world not only read, but they read a lot! It’s said that Warren Buffet reads for 4-6 hours every day! Today, I want to talk to you about 5 books that I think every business owner should read that will help give them the foundations towards achieving business success!
“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
Even if you haven’t read this book before, chances are that you’ve heard about it. Kiyosaki’s book is a classic that describes how to achieve true wealth in your life. Without giving it away, he talks about the “two dads” that he grew up with in his life: his biological father and his best friends dad.
His dad is by all accounts successful. He has a great career and follows all of the steps that most of us have been taught to achieve success in life. Yet he calls his dad the “poor dad.” Contrast that with his best friends dad, who never got a formal education past the 6th grade, but despite that built massive wealth for himself. He refers to him as the “rich dad,” which upon first glance, seems counterintuitive to what we’ve been taught.
The book discusses wealth, the misnomers that we’re taught as a society, and how you can take lessons from both dads (what to do and what not to do) if you want to create truth wealth and success in your life.
“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
If you’re a business owner reading this blog, hopefully before you started your business, you took some time to really figure out WHY you’re starting your business, and what is the mission and purpose behind it. This is exactly what Sinek’s book talks about.
He introduces a concept in the book called, “The Golden Circle.” In this he describes how most people think about and talk about their business, which is in terms of the “what” or the “how.” However, these are not the central concepts that you should lead with and discuss when it comes to your business.
On the outside ring of the circle is the “how,” followed by the middle ring which is the “what,” and finally the inner circle which is the “why.” This is what you should lead with when it comes to your messaging, your content, and your marketing. You lead with WHY you do what it is you do. Then you talk about WHAT it is that you do, and finally HOW you do it.
This ensures that people don’t just hear about features and benefits, but they get a chance to connect with you and your brand on a deeper level, because they get to hear about your mission and purpose, which is what people truly buy into.
“Think & Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill
An all-time classic, this book discusses the power of what you think about, how you think, and how that affects your future and your success. Maybe you’ve heard this famous quote: “How you think dictates your actions, and the actions you take dictate your destiny?” This shows you that how you think and what you think about are the foundation of everything that happens in your life.
Through the principles Hill teaches in his book, people young and old can begin to change the way they think through principles such as “autosuggestion” and begin to change the results and outcomes they see if their lives. If there is one book that I’d recommend above any other, it would be this one. That is how powerful the way you think is.
The reason that reading is so powerful is because for less than $20 (or even for free if you have a library card), you can tap into the knowledge of people that have achieved unparalleled success in their lives. Reading is a habit that every business owner should implement, and one that I credit a lot of my success to.
What’s one of the most impactful books you’ve ever read? Let me know in the comments!