10 Must-Read Books for Introverted Entrepreneurs

I’ve never done this before.

Sure, I’ve written lists of great books for freelancers. But I’ve never considered what the list of ‘must-read books for introverted entrepreneurs’ would look like—until now.

Without further ado, here’s my top 10 reading recommendations for introverts who are, or who want to become entrepreneurs.

Personal Development

1. The Power of Less - Leo Babauta

The Power of Less teaches people how to limit distractions, focus on one task at a time, and ultimately be more productive, not by fitting more into life, but by systematically removing that which is unnecessary. Babauta has developed a system of living an intentional life where he can spend less energy on things that don't matter, which he shares throughout the book. If you’re often finding yourself distracted, this book is for you.

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2. Atomic Habits - James Clear

Atomic Habits by James Clear is an introspective and actionable guide for anyone who wants to be more productive. Clear’s goal with the book is to help readers develop the habit of forming new habits and breaking old ones with the intention of improving our lives, one habit at a time.

He has a lot of interesting points in this book, but one of my favourites was his idea that we should spend more time on our energy management than our time management. This is particularly relevant for introverts, for whom energy management is a critical factor in our long-term success.

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3. Deep Work - Cal Newport

Cal Newport, professor of computer science at Georgetown University, argues that deep work is one of the most valuable skills in our economy and society. He defines it as “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit”. In other words, deep work is the ability to focus without distractions on a cognitively demanding task.?

?For introverts, deep work is a critical skill enabling us to check off the endless to-do lists in our minds, ensuring we finish the day feeling like we have accomplished something. In fact, I’ve recently implemented my own deep work practice where I avoid all distractions until 2pm daily, and my productivity has skyrocketed.

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Business Development

?4. I Don’t Work Fridays - Martin Norbury

Martin Norbury is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of I Don't Work Fridays. He is a true believer in systems and processes (and I’d guess an introvert), which has led to his success.

He's been involved in the start-up world since he was 18 years old when he set up his first company with ￡200 to buy some computers from a friend who had just left school. He has now built multiple successful businesses and is always on the lookout for new ideas, systems and processes that can be applied to business development and growth.

Oh, and he doesn’t work on Fridays.

As an introvert, I have taken a similar approach to systems—recognising I wouldn’t have been able to scale my business without them. Also, I ‘work’ on Fridays, but it’s a ‘tidying up’ day and all of the hard work is done Monday to Thursday.

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5. The E-Myth Revisited - Michael E. Gerber

Michael E Gerber's book, The E-Myth Revisited, is about the importance of understanding one's own strengths and weaknesses and how to turn them into a successful business. He argues that there are three types of people who work in business— technicians, managers and entrepreneurs—and suggests systemising companies as though they were looking to franchise is the best way to grow at scale.

As an introvert, there’s that ‘s’ word again. Systemising is our secret sauce, and The E-Myth Revisited will teach you how it’s done.

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6. Traction - Gino Wickman

Gino Wickman is a business consultant who specialises in helping small businesses grow. He developed the ‘Entrepreneurial Operating System’ (EOS) which is a practical system of business development. We all know how much we introverts love systems… well, this is a system for setting up our business systems. It takes business growth and development from being a goal, to a concrete implementation plan.

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7. Quiet - Susan Cain

Susan Cain, author of the book Quiet, has spent her life studying introverts. She has come to the conclusion that while they are more sensitive to external stimuli, they are also more creative and empathetic than extroverts.

Susan Cain argues that introverts often outperform extroverts in various fields such as writing and scientific research. The reason for this is that introverts have a tendency to be more reflective and can think deeply about things without being distracted by their environment or other people.

Quiet is an important book for those who feel that they don't fit into the extrovert mould or who feel like there is something wrong with them because of it. More importantly, Quiet will give you the permission you’ve been seeking to continue being the person you know you are.

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8 & 9: The Introverts Edge & The Introverts Edge to Networking - Matthew Pollard

Matthew Pollard's believes introverts have the capacity to be highly influential in business, providing they have a system that suits them. The system? You’ll find it in these two books—The Introverts Edge and The Introverts Edge to Networking. and often have a network of friends with whom they can share ideas. By utilising the systems of sales and networking presented in these books, we introverts can overcome our fears of networking and sales, and even excel in these areas. But to do this, we have to understand how to use our strengths to our advantage, rather than trying to emulate extroverted qualities.

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10: Any Non-Fiction

?Now, I know this isn’t a book per se. But I’ve added ‘non-fiction’ as #10 because I’m introverted AF and I know what it’s like to live in this brain. I also know how wonderful it is to find such a good book that your mind becomes utterly entrenched in the story, giving your brain a break from thinking about work. If you’re an introvert + avid reader, you’ll already have your go-to’s. If you’re not, here’s a few of my favourites:

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• Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

I read this as part of a school project when I was 16. Re-reading it now, I realise I misunderstood so much during my first experience with this novel. Reading it now, I can see it is a masterpiece of utopian worldbuilding crossed with a critique of civilisation. If you haven’t read it yet, buy it now.

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• The Traitor Spy Trilogy by Trudi Canavan

Pure fiction in a brilliantly crafted universe of magical beings which, like BNW, has an underlying theme class-wars and the bounds of the idea ‘once a criminal, always a criminal’.

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• The Ocean at the End of the Land - Neil Gaiman

This is particularly good as an audiobook. In fact, I struggle to simply sit and listen to almost anything… but this had me hooked.

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• Twilight - Stephanie Meyer

I’d say sorry, but I’m not. It’s my go-to when I need a break from reality.

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