I wrote Back After Burnout to share some of the lessons I learned during my own entrepreneurial journey. It’s got lots of lessons and frameworks that can help people get back on track. But, there are other, more established books available too, and I’ve read many of them. To help entrepreneurs find the best self-help books, we asked ten leaders, including founders, CEOs, and Managing Partners, to share their top recommendations. Here’s what they had to say.
- The E-Myth Revisited: A Business Building Guide
- Atomic Habits: Achieving Goals through Productive Habits
- The School of Life: Emotional Intelligence for Entrepreneurs
- Alan Mulally: Effective Strategies for Venture Management
- Getting Things Done: Efficient Task Management
- The Art of Possibility: Perspective-Shifting Insights
- The Lean Startup: Lean and Iterative Strategy
- The Confidence Gap: Boosting Self-Confidence in Business
- The Hard Things About Hard Things: Overcoming Challenges
- Book Yourself Solid: Effective Client Acquisition
The E-Myth Revisited: A Business Building Guide
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber is a top favorite of mine. This book uncovers some common misconceptions about entrepreneurship, coupled with valuable insights into building a successful business.
Gerber’s book reveals that a thriving business requires at least three key personalities: the doer (technician), the organizer (manager), and the visionary (entrepreneur). It further explains the importance of delegation, the need for reliable systems, and how talents can be trapping in business. It has altered my mindset that I should work ON my business, not IN it.
If you’re an entrepreneur looking for a meaty and thought-provoking read, this book should be on your list.
Marissa Sabrina, Creative Director, LeadLearnLeap
Atomic Habits: Achieving Goals through Productive Habits
The best self-help book I’ve ever read is Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book has not only proven beneficial but has also helped me become a better person. It’s not that you need to go out of your mind to pick up this book that will help you improve. Rather, it suggests that with better, more productive habits, you can change the world and achieve your dream goals.
Entrepreneurs need inspiration and motivation to kick off their ventures. This book will tell you how to break down the bad habits that have been hindering you from achieving your goals. The author explains that building a positive attitude is a slow process, so being patient is important. You will find this a good read, and you’ll feel motivated after reading it.
Perry Zheng, Founder and CEO, Pallas
The School of Life: Emotional Intelligence for Entrepreneurs
One of the best self-help books I’ve come across for entrepreneurs, which could be highly beneficial for our strategies at Technews180, is The School of Life: An Emotional Education, a book focusing on emotional intelligence and self-awareness. This isn’t just a book; it’s like having a mentor by your side. It provides guidance on managing stress, building meaningful relationships, and harnessing creativity—all essential aspects of running a successful venture.
By delving into the emotional side of entrepreneurship, the book equips readers with tools that can lead to thriving in their business. It’s not only about profits and losses; it’s about understanding oneself, controlling emotions, and making wise decisions. This book offers actionable advice and would be a great addition to any entrepreneur’s toolkit.
Marco Genaro Palma, Co-Founder, TechNews180
Alan Mulally: Effective Strategies for Venture Management
American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company, by Bryce G. Hoffman, is a testament to Alan Mulally’s strategies that work like a charm for businesses of any size. It’s a daily go-to for managing ventures effectively.
This book has become a personal self-help guide. Instead of constantly racking one’s brain, which often leads to unnecessary stress, there is now a reliable blueprint at hand. It serves as an anchor, providing structured strategies from Alan Mulally’s wisdom. Whenever direction is needed, turning to this guide instantly reduces stress and allows for navigation of the journey with confidence and clarity.
Eran Mizrahi, CEO and Founder, Ingredient Brothers
Getting Things Done: Efficient Task Management
One book that significantly impacted my entrepreneurship journey and personal life is Getting Things Done by David Allen. This book is more than just a guide to productivity; it’s a comprehensive system to manage tasks, ideas, and commitments more efficiently.
What sets Getting Things Done apart is its practical, step-by-step approach to organizing tasks and ensuring that they align with an individual’s personal and professional goals. Allen’s methodology allows us to declutter our minds, prioritize tasks effectively, and achieve our vision with clarity and focus.
Michael Sena, Founder and CEO, SENACEA
The Art of Possibility: Perspective-Shifting Insights
One of my favorite books is The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. It beautifully illustrates how shifting our perspective can transform challenges into opportunities and elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary.
In the diamond industry, much like crafting a unique piece of jewelry, it’s all about finding that unique sparkle, that distinctive edge. The Art of Possibility has been a touchstone, reminding me to approach challenges with an open heart and an expansive mindset.
Nikhil Jogia, Managing Director, Jogia Diamonds
The Lean Startup: Lean and Iterative Strategy
In my experience as an entrepreneur, Eric Ries’ The Lean Startup has had a significant impact on my journey. This book, in my opinion, provides vital insights on developing a successful startup using a lean and iterative strategy.
Ries places a special focus on the significance of rapid change, the testing of hypotheses, and the supply of value to customers. Having encountered several similar problems in the past, I found this book to be a useful resource for resolving issues such as product-market fit and resource constraints.
The practical strategies, real-world examples, and actionable advice given in The Lean Startup altered my entrepreneurial perspective, making it required reading for anybody navigating the complexities of business startup and growth.
Tim De Visser, Founder, Karpatia Trucks
The Confidence Gap: Boosting Self-Confidence in Business
Travel is a great business to be in, but it doesn’t come with the newfound confidence that many sometimes believe.
The book The Confidence Gap by Russ Harris offers practical solutions to self-confidence and concern issues. The introduction encourages readers to identify areas where they lack confidence and list the advantages of enhanced self-confidence. Reminders to monitor internal dialogue promote active reading, and exercises teach value identification and present-moment awareness. The book builds on these concepts so that readers can develop a plan to boost their self-confidence by the end.
These exercises and the book’s ideas are helping me handle unpleasant situations and their aftermath. After a sudden loss of self-confidence because of the pandemic, I found myself searching for a “self-help” book to assist me with job challenges. There are several methods to generate confidence, from the ethereal spiritual/relaxation approach to the assertive, confident, commanding tone, which seems like a 180-degree turn.
Aiden Higgins, Senior Editor and Writer, The Broke Backpacker
The Hard Things About Hard Things: Overcoming Challenges
One of the most insightful self-help books for entrepreneurs is The Hard Things About Hard Things. This book is not just another guide on entrepreneurship; it dives deep into the genuine challenges and hardships business leaders face.
Through its pages, entrepreneurs can find support, realizing they’re not alone in their struggles. It offers perspective and tools to overcome these challenges, serving as both a mirror to reflect on one’s experiences and a compass to navigate the entrepreneurial journey.
By reading it, you gain a clearer understanding of the difficulties that might arise and acquire strategies to strengthen yourself against them. This book truly assists entrepreneurs in turning obstacles into stepping stones.
Rafael Sarim Özdemir, Founder and CEO, Zendog Labs
Book Yourself Solid: Effective Client Acquisition
One of the best self-help books for entrepreneurs is Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port. This book provides an uncommon, yet effective, approach to getting clients and earning money. It acts almost like a manual for sales, providing useful tips on marketing yourself effectively as a freelancer or entrepreneur.
It is not only full of useful advice but also contains inspiring stories from established business owners who have achieved great success using the same strategies outlined in this book. As such, ‘Book Yourself Solid’ is a great resource that will help entrepreneurs build their confidence and create successful businesses.
Julia Kelly, Managing Partner, Rigits
