We’re all on a quest to live our best lives, which is never an easy task to try and accomplish. It’s why, according to market research, the self-help business is a booming, $9.9 billion industry, as people do almost anything they can to eliminate stress, negativity and/or try to improve their lives.
While some people try meditation to help clear their minds, some workout to occupy themselves and feel physically healthy and others write or listen to podcasts to get their fill, one of the most traditional ways of inspiration is reading. Hey, it’s what you’re doing right now, so why not do it more often, right?
For those who are always looking to slow things down by grabbing a good book to help improve your life, you’re in luck today, because we pulled some of the most influential books that some of the world’s top CEOs recommend, so you may want to grab one of these.
Fooled by Randomness, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Zouhair Belkoura, CEO of Keepsafe)
We live in a day and age where overconsumption is all around us. From a variety of social media apps to online dating apps and other distractions, it seems like we’re all on our phones while being in front of a computer and/or TV all at the same time. With such influences each day, the book Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas helped the CEO of Keepsafe, Zouhair Belkoura, realize how he needed to approach his own life differently.
Belkoura said that the book “taught me to look at life’s opportunities and activities with a mindset of power-laws and probabilities,” making him realize and identify with a consumer’s need for digital privacy. Sure, marketers and brands are all around us, but it can lead to fatigue, which can be more harmful than impactful when done too frequently.
The One Minute Manager, by Kenneth H. Blanchard (Jim Silver, CEO of TTPM)
For anyone who is, or has been, someone’s boss, you know that it takes a lot of selflessness and time. It makes you put others before yourself, understanding that, at times, you’ll need to inspire them and lend a helping hand, even if that pulls you away from your own daily tasks, which is a test in your delegation skills. That’s one of the reasons why Jim Silver, CEO of TTPM, praises the book The One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard.
According to Silver, he said that the book is essential for a manager regardless of level, adding reading it “helped me create a work environment that people like and are extremely productive,” he explained. “It’s also not a coincidence that over the last five years our turnover rate is less than two percent and the book has been a big help with insight how to be a good manager.”
Brandwashed, by Martin Lindstrom (Yali Saar, Founder of Tailor Brands)
Ever wonder why some brands seem to experience more success than others? It may not have anything to do with a successful marketing strategy or ad, but, instead, what many companies are doing wrong. It’s easy to look at a brand and say it’s successful because of a home run of a marketing campaign or some top-level exposure, but Yali Saar, founder of Tailer Brands, says Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom focuses more on the opposite side.
“Lindstrom gives us the corporate aspect. These two books are the kind that not only helps you understand marketing better but allows you to be a better and more educated consumer,” he explains.
It’s an important lesson for everyone to understand: that learning from failures can lead to success, and that it’s an important part of reaching that level.
Good to Great, by Jim Collins (Daniel Clark, CEO of Brain.Fm)
The book Good to Great by Jim Collins is about considering your intentions when you’re taking on a big task. That can be leading a group or starting your own business, among other things, with this book leading you through different decisions and how they might impact others. CEO Daniel Clark of Brain.Fm said this when describing his affection for the book:
“In the book, the author illustrates how great organizations need to focus on finding the right people first over anything else. As my team grows, I remember that a culture fit is more important than a resume,” he added.
This trains your brain to focus on the who and not the what, which can be a struggle when trying to accomplish something with a team. It’s a good reminder that each decision as a leader impacts others in different ways.
The Path of No Resistance, by Garrett Kramer (Beau Hodson, CEO of Transparent Mortgage)
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say, according to Bryant H. McGill, and the book The Path of No Resistance serves as a reminder of its importance. The book deep dives into our own feelings and how they’re such an instrumental part of our lives, but focuses on why listening and acknowledgement from others will open our minds to different experiences.
Said Beau Hodson, the CEO of Transparent Mortgage, “My feelings, especially related to my business, are not predicated on external circumstance, regardless of how much it looks that way. But rather, my feelings are directly related to what is inside, i.e. my perception and the personal thinking I have in the moment,” he explained.
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