The 10 Best Business Books of 2016 (So Far)

According to Bloomberg, around 11,000 business books are published each year. You can't read them all - and you probably wouldn't want to (there's a lot of bad advice out there).

But the good ones?

(Because there are some, I promise).

I think they're worth their weight in gold.

Here are 10 of the best business books to hit the shelves in 2016 (so far) that are worth sinking your teeth into.

1. Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent

Being a boss isn't easy. Being a great boss? That's even harder. For his 2016 entry into the competitive world of business books, Sidney Finkelstein carried out more than 200 interviews with "superbosses" - bosses who "focus on identifying promising newcomers, inspiring their best work, and launching them into highly successful careers - while also expanding their own networks and building stronger companies."

If you want to learn how to be more than a boss who "bosses" - if you want to be a boss who inspires their employees and in turn gets the very best out of their team and the business itself - then this is the book for you.

2. Only Humans Need Apply: Winners and Losers in the Age of Smart Machines

Thomas H. Davenport's dystopian-esque business book is worth a read regardless of whether or not you're interested in applying its teachings to your company or career. I imagine most people have an awareness of the threat technology poses to the work we do, and in turn, the future of humanity - but how many of us understand the extent of this threat? And how many of us are putting plans in place to future-proof our lives and careers?

This is a thought-provoking and eye-opening look into what potentially (probably?) lies ahead. Read it. Enjoy it. Change how you think about your future because of it.

3. Hustle

Neil Patel's latest release (currently on pre-order) is aimed at those who feel they've been dealt the short straw in life because they "don't have the money, looks, or valuable connections that others seem to be born with."

Hustle teaches us how to get past these "shortcomings" regardless of the hand we're dealt. No money or education? Feel trapped in a job you hate? Convinced you're just "unlucky"? Neil will show you how to start making your own luck by hustling your way to a happier and more prosperous life.

4. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

This feels like an apt read to follow Patel's entry above. In a similar vein to "Hustle," psychologist Angela Duckworth's Grit refuses to subscribe to the notion that our path in life is dictated by the hand we're dealt at birth. Grit teaches us that we don't need to be a "genius" to be successful. It shows us how instead, if we're passionate enough and persistent enough, we can get anything we want to happen.

5. Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change: Inspire the People and Succeed Where Others Fail

Initiating change in established businesses can be tough. "Why fix what isn't broken?" Sound familiar?

Even when something is broken, it's not unusual for the C-Suite to resist innovation. That's where this book from H. James Dallas comes in. It's not just about forcing change; it's about inspiring people and getting them excited about implementing positive changes that will gain the company a competitive edge. In short, it will help you "conquer the most daunting change initiative with the right people, tools, and strategies."

6. Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

Named a bestseller by both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, Sprint will help transform how you test ideas and resolve problems - no matter how big or small. It promises to save you and your team "countless hours and countless dollars."

Dan Heath, co-author of Made to Stick, said it "teaches you a novel process for solving really thorny problems in just five days. It's full of helpful, entertaining stories that will make it easier for you to succeed."

7. If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Happy?

A catchy title that I'm sure resonates with a lot of people, business professor Raj Raghunathan's first release is part of his Happy Smarts project - an investigation into whether the same traits that make us so successful in our careers could be keeping us from being happy in our personal lives. In other words: why so many smart, bright, and successful people are so "profoundly unhappy."

Sound familiar?

"If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Happy?" will change how you think about happiness, what it is, and what constitutes a happy life. It will help get you on the path to enjoying your life the way you deserve to.

8. Hell Week: Seven Days to Be Your Best Self

If you struggle to focus and do what needs to be done - if you're a serial procrastinator - you are far, far from alone.

Overcoming procrastination is hard. Many people claim to have the answer, but it's a habit that's so ingrained that snapping out of it can feel like an impossible feat.

While I doubt this solution from Erik Bertrand will help everyone, I think it's an excellent idea. In short, it entails committing to being the very best, hardest-working, most dedicated version of yourself you can be - for a week. The idea is that if you can manage it for a week, you can break away from old habits and do it for life.

Got to be worth a shot, right?

9. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Deep Work aims to teach us how to gain absolute focus in a world that's ripe with distraction (a great read to follow Bertrand's entry above).

As well as being the name of the book, "deep work" refers to "the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task." The idea is that if you can focus fully, without any distractions, you can "produce better results in less time" - and why wouldn'tyou want to be able to do that?

10. The Art of People: 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want

Lots of factors go into making someone successful - hard work, dedication, and passion, to name a few. Arguably one of the most important (if not the most important, depending on what you want to be successful in) is people skills.

The ability to get people thinking your way, agreeing with you, and doing what you want, can make a massive difference in all areas of your life - especially business.

The latest book from entrepreneur Dave Kerpen will help you hone your people skills through "53 bite-sized, easy-to-execute, and often counterintuitive tips."

I'm Sujan Patel, co-founder of Web Profits & Hubspot Academy Instructor. In my 13 years in marketing I’ve helped grow companies like Mint, Salesforce, Linkedin, Yahoo!, and many more.

This article was first published: https://www.inc.com/sujan-patel/the-10-best-business-books-of-2016-so-far.html