Business Books the CEO Warned You About

I read many business books. They help me think about my business in new ways and cause me to question my approach and hone existing skills and try new ideas. Many people like to get cozy and escape in a fantasy. Me, I prefer to escape into someone else's business challenges.

Before I go further, I should point out that I tend to listen to audio books rather than read hard copy or e-Ink versions. Far from cheating, there’s research suggesting that it can aid comprehension. For my purposes it allows me to “read” while driving, exercising, standing in line or otherwise in trapped-time situations. I should also note that I often read at 1.5-2x audio speed, far faster than I can comfortably read text.

Here are five recommendations:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

I like this book because it deals with the interpersonal elements of business. It helped me identify opportunities for building better trust, healthier conflict, and more accountability and ownership across my team. The book is very simple the examples are borderline hokey; that said, the principles are sound, and I have found the application of them to have meaningful results.

https://smile.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Building a diverse culture is important to me, especially in a technology sector that is often not very diverse at all. While many women read this book a few years ago, and it has had its share of controversy, I thought it was a great perspective for people in business to understand. It helped me look for my biases, and it helped me encourage others to sit at the table and participate. I think helping ambitious women to lean-in is part of it but creating a workplace that fosters and supports it is also important.

https://smile.amazon.com/Lean-Women-Work-Will-Lead-ebook

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Communication is the hallmark of any business. However, few people talk about creating deeper connections, friendships, and relationships. This books taught me to seek first to understand, then to be understood. The lessons of the book have withstood the test of time, and while the book was originally published in 1936, its lessons still ring true today.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01H38S9FY/

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey

Most people are results-driven. After all, who does not like results? That said, aiming for a result is not always effective in terms of making progress. This book does a great job at helping me think about lead measures vs. lag measures.  While many people focus on results, the book helps explain how you can better achieve results by thinking critically about the actions that directly impact, or lead, those results. In terms of execution, it’s helped me think about how I can better impact my business by focusing a step ahead of the results.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B005FLODJ8/

Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock

Company culture is the heart of any business. It encompasses policies, expectations, benefits, and more. This book was written by the Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google. It gives an inside look at how Google thinks about benefits, retention, and management. This book taught me that the things that are often most valued by employees are often the things that don’t require a Google-sized bank account.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00MEMMVB8/

Bonus books, these didn't make my top five but are also worth a listen

• Screw Business as Usual by Richard Branson
• Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• Bossypants by Tina Fey