From smart business strategies to helpful stress-management, reading and continuous education are highly effective habits of the most successful entrepreneurs.
Bill Gates is reading 50 each year, and Elon Musk spent 10 hours a day reading in his younger years. You can start to see the correlation between great minds and books.
To help you learn from the best, we’ve put together this list of top 10 books shared consistently as some of the top for entrepreneurs.
10 Must-Read Books for Entrepreneurs
- Mindset by Carol S. Dweck
Carol Dweck shares her research about the power of the mind and the difference between individuals who have a fixed mindset versus those who have a growth mindset – and how your mindset can dictate whether you fail or you flourish. Great for those building their personal brand to grasp the idea of growth and development to fulfill all of their goals.
- Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers
Wondering if you should jump the gun and build your brand? This book aims to help you turn passivity into assertiveness. Author Dr. Susan Jeffers shares actionable tips on allowing yourself to feel fear, and indecision but also to get the confidence and take action to make better decisions.
- The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
When we’re imagining how to move forward and show the real us, we often have doubts of what to show and what to hide. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown urges you to let go of who you think you’re supposed to be according to societal standards and embrace exactly who you are. A very important step in transmitting a genuine self to others.
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
For those of you who enjoy a good story with a message, Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, promotes the importance of being financially educated and cautious – a super important aspect to focus on in entrepreneurship.
- Alibaba’s World by Porter Erisman
Bigger than Google, Facebook, and Twitter combined, Alibaba has risen as one of the most successful companies in the world. This book by Porter Erisman tells the story of the e-commerce giant, how it started, and what it took to get to where it is today. A positive message about adversity and the strength it takes to successfully beat it that could be inspiring to those fighting to create a brand themselves.
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
With an innovative vision into the future of business, Zero to One by Peter Thiel, shows us how startups work from the ground up while focusing on the importance of doing and building new things.
- The Greatest Salesman in The World by Og Mandino, Mark Bramhall
A story about overcoming difficulties to achieve great goals, Og Mandino writes and motivates us to live each day as it was our last and to forget past misfortunes in order to succeed. We’re sometimes forced to change careers and completely reinvent ourselves and this book touches on creating new habits in your life and picking yourself up.
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Struggles and difficulties are part of life and entrepreneurship. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz is a helpful guide to entrepreneurs on how to overcome the scuffles of embarking a new venture.
- The Entrepreneur Mind by Kevin D. Johnson, David DeBoy
Develop an entrepreneurial way of thinking by learning from the experiences of successful business tycoons such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Sara Blakely of Spanx. What habits and mindsets do they have that differentiate them from the rest? It is about having a critical mindset and understanding the potential to succeed.
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Author Malcolm Gladwell responds to a question asked by many who watch the success of others and aim to also get there: What makes high-achievers different? “Outliers” lays out a variety of factors that lead to success.
Did I miss one of your favorite books for entrepreneurs? Tweet us at @paper_li to share yours!
