Okay, let’s be real…we all have that stack of business books gathering dust on our nightstand. But every once in a while, you pick up a book that actually sticks with you. You know the ones I’m talking about. The books you find yourself quoting in meetings, recommending to friends, or thinking about during your morning coffee.
Here are ten books that legitimately changed how I approach work and life. No particular order, just solid reads that deliver.
Good to Great by Jim Collins
This one’s a classic for a reason. Collins basically locked himself and his research team in a room for five years to figure out why some companies absolutely crush it while others just…exist. The whole Level 5 Leadership thing really hit me. Turns out the best leaders are actually pretty humble people with insane determination. And that concept about getting the right people on the bus before you even figure out where you’re driving? Game changer. I use the Hedgehog Concept all the time now (basically: find the intersection of what you’re passionate about, what you can be best at, and what drives your economic engine).
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Yeah, it’s old school (we’re talking 1937), but don’t let that fool you. Hill basically stalked 500+ successful people for 20 years, including Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford, to figure out their secret sauce. It’s not really about getting rich…it’s about understanding how successful people think. The mastermind principle alone is worth the read. Pro tip: skip past some of the dated language and focus on the core principles. They’re gold.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Heavy? Yes. Life-changing? Absolutely. Frankl survived Nazi concentration camps and came out with insights that’ll stop you in your tracks. His main point: we can’t control what happens to us, but we can always control how we respond. Whenever I’m complaining about a rough quarter or a difficult client, this book puts things in perspective real quick. It’s not a business book per se, but it’ll change how you handle every challenge that comes your way.
Traction by Gino Wickman
EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) sounds fancy, but it’s actually the opposite. It’s about making business simple again. Wickman gives you actual tools you can implement now. Rocks (90-day priorities), Level 10 Meetings, the Accountability Chart…this stuff just works. I’ve seen multiple companies transform using these tools. Fair warning: once you start using EOS language, you’ll annoy your friends who haven’t read it yet.
Full disclosure: I believe in EOS so much that I actually became a Professional EOS Implementer®. So yeah, I’m a little biased here, but for good reason. This stuff transforms businesses. Call me! LOL. But seriously, whether you work with me or self-implement, just get this book.
Get a Grip by Gino Wickman and Mike Paton
Think of this as Traction’s more fun sibling. Same concepts, but told through a story about a fictional company implementing EOS. It’s like watching someone else make all the mistakes so you don’t have to. Super helpful if you’re actually trying to roll out EOS in your company because it shows you exactly what resistance you’ll face and how to handle it.
As a Professional EOS Implementer® (yep, still me!), I can tell you this book is basically a crystal ball for what’s going to happen when you start implementing. It saves so many headaches because it shows exactly what’s coming. The story format makes it way easier to get buy-in from your leadership team too…just saying.
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
If you’re drowning in tasks and wondering why you started a business just to become everyone’s assistant, read this immediately. Martell breaks it down super simply: figure out your hourly rate, then systematically stop doing anything that you could pay someone less than that rate to do. His “Buyback Loop” isn’t just theory it’s a practical system that actually works. I’ve probably saved 15 hours a week using his methods.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Written by an ex-FBI hostage negotiator. Need I say more? Voss teaches you negotiation tactics that work whether you’re dealing with terrorists or trying to get a better price on your car. The “tactical empathy” stuff is brilliant, and his techniques like mirroring and labeling emotions work scary well. Plus, the hostage stories are absolutely wild. You’ll never approach a negotiation the same way again.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Fair warning: this one’s dense. But if you want to understand why people (including you) make terrible decisions sometimes, this is your book. Kahneman won a Nobel Prize for this stuff. He breaks down how we have two thinking systems…the quick, instinctive one and the slow, logical one, and how they constantly trip each other up. Once you understand cognitive biases, you’ll spot them everywhere. It’s like seeing the Matrix.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel
Want to know a secret? Most professional investors can’t beat a simple index fund. Malkiel proves it with mountains of data. This book will either save you a fortune in investment fees or make you really angry at your financial advisor (maybe both). It’s not just about index funds though; it’s a full education in how markets actually work. Read this before you put another dollar in the stock market.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Everyone and their mother has recommended this book, and for good reason…it actually delivers. Clear doesn’t just tell you to “build better habits” (thanks, Captain Obvious). He gives you a system: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, make it satisfying. The 1% improvement thing sounds cheesy until you do the math and realize that getting 1% better each day means you’ll be 37 times better in a year. I’ve built more good habits from this book than from the previous 10 years of New Year’s resolutions combined.
Here’s the thing…reading these books won’t magically fix your life or business. But they’ll give you frameworks and mental models that compound over time. The ROI on a good book is insane when you think about it. Twenty bucks and a few hours of reading (or listening) for insights you’ll use for decades? That’s a deal I’ll take every time.
What books have actually changed how you work or live? Drop them in the comments. I’m always looking for my next great read.
#BookRecommendations #BusinessBooks #PersonalGrowth #Reading #LeadershipDevelopment #BooksThatMatter #AlwaysLearning #EOSImplementer
About Niki Wilson
As a Professional EOS® Implementer, Niki Wilson serves as a teacher, coach, and facilitator, helping business leaders transform their companies and their lives through the Entrepreneurial Operating System®.