Business success does not happen overnight. Behind every successful entrepreneur is a great depth of understanding of strategy, mindset, and decisions made, usually learned through experience or enlightening reading. If you are looking to enhance your skills, start a business, or just want to understand how great businesses are built, these 10 best business books represent great starting places. These life-changing business books contain everlasting lessons on, that, whether you are a novice or someone who is already in business, help you think bigger, act smarter, and lead better.
1. The Lean Startup – Eric Ries
This book is popular among modern entrepreneurs. The Lean Startup provides a framework for starting a business quickly, efficiently, and cheaply. Ries offers the concept of the MVP (Minimum Viable Product), which allows businesses to test their idea without spending their entire budget. If you are planning to build a business from the ground up, this is a good book to read.
2. Good to Great – Jim Collins
Why do some companies go from good to great and others don’t? Jim Collins spent years researching to discover the answer and has taken the findings from that research and put them on paper in this classic. The concepts of “Level 5 Leadership” and “Hedgehog Concept” are concepts that will stick with you for who knows how long after you put the book down. This is an ideal read for someone looking to take a successful existing business into the realm of greatness.
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey
While not exclusively a business book, Covey’s 7 Habits is a good basic read for anyone looking to develop strong leadership characteristics and personal discipline. The habits, including being proactive, thinking ‘win-win’, and sharpening the saw, are all extremely relevant for entrepreneurs who want to remain grounded and effective in high-pressure situations.
4. Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
Published almost 100 years ago, this book still speaks to entrepreneurs everywhere. Hill studied the lives of success icons like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison and identified big patterns related to the way they thought and the way they worked. The key takeaway? Success starts in your mind. Think and Grow Rich helps create a business distinction that is curious, goal-focused, persistent, and action-oriented.
5. Start with Why – Simon Sinek
If you have ever struggled to describe your business idea or struggled to create an emotional connection with your customers, then this book is for you. In Start with Why, Sinek has an idea called “The Golden Circle”. This theory shows us that people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it. This is a solid read for any entrepreneur trying to build meaningful brands and audiences.
6. Zero to One – Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, encourages readers to think differently. In Zero to One, Thiel suggests that creating something totally new, or going from 0 to 1, is far better than merely copying and copying something that already exists, or going from 1 to n. This book is bold and provocative and serves as a perfect read for any forward-thinking entrepreneur.
7. The One Thing – Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
In our shared society, we’re always trying to do too much, too much multi-tasking. This book flips this idea on its head and poses a different question: what is the one thing you can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary? It teaches you focus, it teaches you discipline, and it also teaches you that sometimes less is more (do fewer things – but do them better). If you struggle with time management or find yourself being overwhelmed with the amount of work you have, it can really change how you think about approaching work.
8. Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
Many people go into business to obtain financial freedom. This book talks about how the rich think differently about money, business, and investment. The book is in a simple story format. Thus, the principles are to help the novice and are easy to understand. It will definitely change how you think about income and assets and about being an entrepreneur.
9. Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne
Why fight for space in a crowded market when you can create a space of your own? That’s the message this book shows. It introduces the concept of “blue oceans” – untapped market spaces, where there is no competition, and it does not exist. This is a great read for those wanting to stand out in business, rather than only fitting in.
10. The E-Myth Revisited – Michael E. Gerber
Many small owners feel trapped working in their business, rather than ON the business. This book helps you to escape that trap. Gerber demonstrates how to set up systems so the business can run without you. If you want to build a business that provides you with freedom and not just another demanding job, then this one is a must.
Why These Books Are Important
Each of these 10 business books offer something different – from strategy and mindset, to execution and leadership. Combined, they help you to see the 360 degrees of what it takes to really win in business. This is not the result of trend or hype; it is based on actual experience, careful research, and timeless principles.
More importantly, these books are written to be accessible. The reader does not need to have an MBA to understand them; rather, the reader needs to be willing to learn, have the desire to grow, and have the courage to enact what they have read.
Final Thoughts
So, if you are new to your journey. Do not attempt to read all 10 business books resources at once. Find the resource that feels most aligned with where you are now. For example:
Are you just starting out? Read: The Lean Startup or Rich Dad Poor Dad.
Are you feeling stuck? Read: The One Thing or The E-Myth Revisited.
Are you trying to grow big? Read: Good to Great or Blue Ocean Strategy.
Reading these top 10 business books will not instantly make you a successful entrepreneur, but they will give you the mindset, framework, and inspiration to become one. And that’s a pretty good place to be.
