Commentary: 21 Must-Read Books for Business Success
We learn from the experiences and wisdom of others. Channel Insider asked successful solution providers what books have both inspired them and have shaped their approach to making their businesses a success. Here is Channel Insider’s recommended reading list, straight from the source—the Channel Insider community.
21 Must-Read Books for Business Success by Kathleen A. Martin
In Search of Excellence Thomas Peters & Robert Waterman Jr. This classic tome explores the management and business practices of successful organizations. Written in the 1980s, its business lessons are applicable today as they were then.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity David Allen Allen shares with readers the key to getting things done? Relaxation. If you've tried other time management strategies and still are in chaos, take a minute—and a breath—to check this out.
Power of Process: Unleashing the Source of Competitive Advantage Kiran K. Garimella Reading as both fiction and a business guide, the author shares his arguments for the new mindset and corporate culture needed to bring true change and a differentiated competitive advantage.
How to Castrate a Bull David Hitz Written by the founder of NetApp, this book traces the difficulties, challenges and lessons learned in starting a business and growing it into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.
Balanced Scorecard Strategy for Dummies Charles Hannabarger, Peter Economy, Frederick Buchman Easy to use checklist and equations highlight the four critical areas in your business to balance. While the format is simple, there is nothing dumb about the results.
Good to Great Jim Collins A study in the differences between good companies and those that are truly great. Collins takes a different approach to understanding the success factors, providing valuable business lessons.
Blue Ocean Strategy W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne Drawing upon a study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than 100 years and 30 industries, the authors explain how "value innovation" renders rivals obsolete and creates new demand.
How to Win Friends and Influence People Dale Carnegie A must have on the classic business persons bookshelf with more than 15 million copies sold. This is a how to guide for anyone looking to build social contacts, expanding their network and create better presentations.
The Big Switch Nicholas Carr If you want to understand cloud computing in real-world terms, The Big Switch is a must-read. It compares the build out of cloud computing to the nascent 19th century electric grid. It’s a compelling read.
The Innovators Dilemma/Innovators Solution Clayton Christensen Wonder why your disruption technology missed while your competition created the next great wave? Christensen shares the keys to avoiding the same fate other companies have when technology is not the answer.
Tipping Point/Blink/Outliers Malcom Gladwell A series of books that focus on natural instincts and critical success factors for business. Paying attention to the little (and later larger) market indicators and how to identify that next great thing.
The Long Tail Chris Anderson Detractors have risen to debunk the concept of the long tail, but Anderson remains correct that the Internet has created a phenomenon of building a product once and selling it many times over.
Crossing the Chasm Geoffrey Moore You simply cannot be in business and not read this book. Moore outlines the technology buying process and how to go to market with new technologies and how to leverage vertical communities.
E-Myth Michael E. Gerber This is the book to read before you start a business. If you are already in the process of running your own business this is a must read. It explodes the myths surrounding business creation and shows how common assumptions, expectations and even technical expertise hamper success.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey Paying attention to basic principles, Covey explores how to balance and succeed in both your personal and professional life through seven personal development steps.
The Daily Drucker Peter Drucker Economist Peter Drucker defined the principles of effective business management for several generations of corporate leadership. The Daily Drucker is more than 300 tips and lessons for coping with business challenges and opportunities.
Groundswell Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff Who doesn’t want to catch the social networking wave? How many actually understand what social networking means and how to leverage it? Groundswell goes a long way toward understanding the social networking phenomenon and ways to tap into it.
Execution Larry Bossidy Written from the viewpoint that execution (that is, linking a company's people, strategy, and operations) is what will determine success in today's business world this book details the steps to delivering results from the mailroom to the CEOs office.
Go Giver Bob Burg and John David Mann This fictional tale of one man’s journey into the business world and the lessons he learns from experienced businessmen is inspiring for its most simple lesson: give and you will receive.
Quiet Strength Tony Dungy Winning a Super Bowl takes both a mastery of the game and extreme management skills. Coach Dungy walks through what it takes to manage multiple personalities, adverse constituencies and challenging conditions. He shows you can succeed without compromising convictions.
The Art of War Sun Tzu Written more than 2,500 years ago by a master military strategist, the Art of War is often referred to as the best treatise on business ever written because many of the military tactics are equally applicable to business. This book must be on every manager’s bookshelf.
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