That leaders must set aside time for readingis a point often expanded on in terms of startup advice. But delving intothe pages of books?benefits even the most seasoned employers. After all, surveys aplenty praise it as essential to?leadership development.
Fiction, according to Annie Paul in the New York Times, “stimulates the brain and even changes how we act in life“. More importantly, she points to research explaining the improvement of empathyAnd the ability to understand someone else’s point of view. Other reports indicate its use in making us better communicators, decision makers and goal setters.
But while we all love a good story, it often helps to get caught up readingA business book. Not only does it boost creativity, it exposes how those within and outside your industry are enabling growth. And like most genres, there are numerous options to choose from.
If you’re not sure where to start off, then why not try reading the recommendations of these 11?UK leaders?
1)?Robert Dagge, MD at Dynistics
“I’d recommend TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, which guides readers on how to do a presentation like a TED speaker. It’s fantastic because it lists everything I think I do in a presentation anyway, but probably don’t. It takes presenters back to basics and gives invaluable advice on how to give a compelling presentation at events, sales pitches and so on.
“The other is?Beermat Entrepreneur. A relatively old book but still very relevant in business today. It provides no nonsense advice on launching and running a bootstrap startup. The book covers the basics really well and I feel it is a must-read.
2) Hubert Da Costa, VP EMEA at”Cradlepoint
“My favourite 
is?The Go-Giver.”It’s about a young and ambitious salesman who seems to be getting nowhere fast. It had such an impact on me that I bought copies for colleagues and became an evangelist for its simple but effective message.
“I won’t give away its ‘Five Laws of Stratospheric Success’ in case you have yet to enjoy the book yourself, but suffice to say they add up to turn what we are led to believe is the accepted contemporary approach to business (what’s in it for me ) on its head in favour of an approach which asks what we can give.
“Reading over the lessons a protagonist has learned in a book such as thiscan often prompt you to draw comparisons with your own motivations and the lessons you have learned along the way in your personal and professional life. And once I similarly focused on what I could give and the value I could add for customers, I started to see the returns for myself.
3) Heather Baker, CEO of TopLine Comms
“if you’re going to do some reading then definitely get?Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less?by Greg McKeown. This book taught me a valuable lesson about what’s truly most important and saying ‘no’ to everything else. This approach freed up my time dramatically; suddenly focusing on sales and strategy was something I did, not something I wanted to do.
?One profound result is that we stopped pitching for cheaper jobs. Not only because they were less profitable, but because it sent the message that we were playing in a lower league. Changing our thinking saw an immediate upturn in average sale value. We now attract bigger clients with bigger budgets and higher standards. Our workis also of a consistently higher calibre.
“If you’ve ever found yourself stretched too thin, feel simultaneously overworked and underutilised, or, and this one was a biggie for me, feel like your time is hijacked by other people’s agendas, then Essentialism is the game changer you’ve been looking for. This book changed my life and the business.
4)?Georgina Nelson, founder of TruRating
“I really wanted to put forward The Hard Thing About Hard Things?by Ben Horowitz. This is the Bible for all entrepreneurs.
“The book speaks to you and gives comfort in challenging times as well as practical advice on issues you?ll face but more than simply citing the practical scenarios HorowitzAlso addresses the psychology involved the emotions which hit the hardest for the founder / CEO.
All the topics and issues that you don’t learn at University or business school are covered. You put it down feeling stronger,?more determined and optimistic.
Read on for more reading material on superbosses, moving fast and tricks to boost engagement.
5) Adam Blaskey,”founder and CEO of The Clubhouse
“There are numerous business books worth buying, but here are two must-haves for your summer reading list. The first is?Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. She’s a psychologist that?takes us on a journey to discover the true qualities that lead to outstanding achievement.
“Personal, insightful and powerful, Grit is about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that not talent or luck makes all the difference.
“There’s also?Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent. It suggests that while good bosses hittheir goals and successfully leadA team, a superboss blows away those goals by building an army of new leaders. Which would you rather be It also shows how we can emulate tactics from the likes of CEO Larry Ellison and fashion pioneer Ralph Lauren?to create our own networks of extraordinary talent.”
6) Richard Stewart, founder of Untangl.co.uk
“Try reading The Curve: From Freeloaders Into Superfans. Highly readable and insightful,it uses a number of case studies to illustrate an important shift in commercial strategy around digital/software businesses.
“The central theme is that you need to build a loyal customer base using a low entry cost and then some will happily become valuable clients as they develop their relationship and trust with you.
“For businesses looking to develop new pricing strategies, this book provides the context and background to help you find the right path. We’ve taken this advice on board inthe employee benefits space,And opted for a zero-cost entry model with various upgrade options. Time will tell but, so far, we are getting encouraging feedback from clients.”
7)Antonia Taylor, director of Antonia Taylor PR
“I can’t recommend?She Means Business?by Carrie Green highly enough for those interested in reading corporate-focussed books. It covers all bases from finding your why, scoping out your business plan, creating a content marketing strategy plus a whole range of resources.
“I would say it’s relevant for anyone thinking about a business from the kitchen table to more established entrepreneurs. Just by following the 28 Day She Means Challenge, you?ll make a difference in your business. Yes, it’s probably for the #girlboss community but it’s a rising tide movement.
8) Nigel Vaz, CEO of Sapient
“Jonathan Taplin’s latest book Move Fast And Break Things has caused a massive amount of stir. The book contends that a small group of libertarian entrepreneurs who in the 1990s began to hijack the original decentralised vision of the Internet, in the process creating three monopoly firms?” Facebook, Amazon, and Google that now determine the future of the music, film, television, publishing and news industries.
“The book states: The behemoths absorb what they cannot crush, and hide it all behind ‘a patina of social entrepreneurship’. The scale of it beggars belief. The titans of the digital age frequently behave like spoiled and ignorant brats with far, far more money than sense; and their victims include many of the artists who create things of real value and who can no longer earn a living from doing so.
“The book is representative of the widespread fear and bitterness instilled in many corporations that the future is all doom and gloom. That we will forever fall victim to the behemoths. But there is a solution to this issue, and organisations can overcome the prominence and power of these companies.”
9) Steve Butler, CEO?of Punter Southall
“Who says Elephants Can?t Dance Inside IBM’s Historic TurnaroundisA?rocky business ride from the perspective of turning around a business giant. In the early 1990s, Gerstner inherited an ‘elephant’ of a company. IBM had a conservative, slow-moving corporate culture, focused on processes rather than customers, and was failing fast, overtaken by far more agile competitors.
“This is his account of how he resurrected the company, changing its strategy and culture and completely restructuring it and it’s definitely worth reading, especially for those who need to understand the complexities of managing a business.
“Another reading favourite is The Slow Pace of Fast Change: Bringing Innovation to Market in a Connected World?by Bhaskar Chakravorti. I first read this book when it had just come out after the technology bubble had burst, and thought it provided real value in helping to understand managing innovation. I have recently re-read the book and feel it is just as relevant despite the significant changes in markets over the last decade.”
10) Simon Corbett, CEO of Jargon PR
“In my view Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss is a must read for anyone looking to develop themselves into a successful entrepreneur. The book provides a fascinating insight into the behaviour of different billionaires, business icons and high end performers.
“It provides a strong analysis into the tools, techniques and habits of some of the leading business owners in today’s global business landscape.
“One of the most exciting take-away’s for me was around business reverse engineering. It helped me to look at where I want to take Jargon PR and plan every single step the business needs to take to get there. A simple analysis, but highly effective.”
11) Tom Jeffries, SEO executive at Bizdaq
“My recommendation is?Made to Stick by Chip Heath. Whilst not a solely business-based book, it is an absolute must-read for anyone who uses words at work. It teaches you the small (and not so small) tricks you can use to make your writing more engaging and memorable.
“Putting everything into an easy to understand framework and giving you a multitude of examples throughout, it’s honestly a fun and exciting way to learn how to structure sentences simply and make people listen. Anyone with an interest in improving their written communication would greatly enjoy it!”
