My Top 7 Books to Read Early in Your Career

When I look back on my career, I can immediately identify the things I wish I’d known at the beginning that ended up playing key roles in the foundation of my success. I know, hindsight is always 20/20 vision right?

Book authors became teachers over time and they’ve continued to be sources of knowledge, advice and guidance that have helped me immensely along the way. Naturally, some stand out from the pack and it’s not an overstatement to say that they’ve not only informed my perspectives on work but have also had a profound impact on my life.

Here are my top picks for anyone about to forge their own path in the working world:

?1. The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington

I used to be a very proud member of #TeamNoSleep and the 'I’ll sleep when I’m dead' gang. I was convinced that the more time I spent awake was an investment in my productivity only to learn I was doing myself, my health and work quality a severe disservice.

The Sleep Revolution completely changed my perspective on sleep; Arianna thoroughly explains the global sleep-deprivation crisis and its consequences on our physical and mental well-being, our happiness, our relationships and our job performance.

?It's helped me rebuild my relationship with sleep, which has improved the quality of my life and how I tackle the rigours of the day. I realised that running on 3-4 hours of sleep a night was a waste of my day because I would spend most of it either thinking or talking about how tired I was. I'd also procrastinate more, thinking I had more hours later in which I should have been asleep.

Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will.

Prioritising 7-8hrs of sleep is no longer a debate for me because I see how much it's improved my waking hours. I am more engaged, sharper, in a better mood, and essentially more productive.

2. Start with Why by Simon Sinek

The title says it all. Why do you do what you do? This book provides a practical way to understand purpose. Through the stories of great leaders and companies, Simon shows us how inspirational leadership and innovation can be approached correctly. He uses the concept of the Golden Circle, a three-layered circle with 'why' at the core, followed by 'how' and 'what'. He argues that very few people and organisations know exactly why they do what they do, and that those that do know why are most likely to succeed.

Applying the 'Start with Why' framework to my career and approach to life has given my work more meaning and focus. It's less about what I do and more about why I do it. That's precisely how I established my personal brand hashtag, #Binspired (Boipelo Inspired), which underpins what I do. #Binspired is about using my story and experiences to inspire others to believe in themselves. The more you ask 'why' the clearer things become.

WATCH Sinek unpack 'Start with Why' in this Top 25 most popular TEDTalks of all time:

3. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

I read this book within hours of buying it and it was amazing. It felt like Shonda was sitting right there talking to me. I did not expect anything less from one of the world's most influential women and the creator and producer of some of the best TV shows ever including Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and Bridgerton. Shonda beautifully reveals how her life changed when she committed to saying 'yes' to everything she would have otherwise said 'no' to for a year.

"You never say yes to anything"

?It was these six words said by her older sister to describe her that stung and sparked the Year of Yes. This made me think about great opportunities I may have missed because I did not say 'yes' either out of fear, lack of confidence or self-sabotaging tendencies. I have had a complete mindset shift from saying 'no' to remaining in comfort, to saying 'yes' and embracing new territory. I now approach my career looking for opportunities to say 'YES'! Yes, to being challenged, to growth, and to learning new things.

Shonda goes on to describe how before her Year of Yes she struggled to say 'no' even when she knew she needed to. This brings us to what I think is one of the key lessons from the book and one I related to the most; learning to say 'Yes' to saying 'No'. It is so important to know when and how to say 'no' to things that no longer serve you in your career.

4. The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma

Easily one of my favourite authors, Robin Sharma, is a global leadership and elite performance expert. In The 5AM Club he provides the blueprint of a morning routine that will set you up for success. He delivers his gems in an enchanting fictitious story about two strangers from very different backgrounds and a tycoon who becomes their mentor.

I bought the book for two reasons. First, my curiosity was heightened by the social media hype. Second, I had never considered myself a morning person so I was interested to see what it could possibly offer someone like me. Robin delivered!

The book provides a framework for getting ahead of the day, maximising productivity and improving your wellbeing which begins with waking at 5AM. Although the story is fictitious, the principles and tools are based on over 20 years of Sharma's research and work with world leaders, top CEOs, billionaires, and famous figures. I found his advice and formulas very practical and easy to incorporate into my life - so much so my circle now knows me as the 5AM queen!

A lot of the things I previously thought I didn't have enough time for like reading, going to gym or even just quiet time, could fit into my life based on how I structured my mornings and subsequently my days. It works! It helped me with setting a base for good time management and maintaining a healthy balance between work, school and 'me-time'.

Key to note is that enough sleep is one of the main components of mastering the 5AM club formula.

#FanMoment: Check out my IG post about The 5AM Club that Robin Sharma himself commented on! So stoked about it still.

5. Lean In For Graduates by Sheryl Sandberg

I was given this book as a present by a mentor shortly after graduating with my BA degree. Truth be told, I only read it a year or so after that, but it turns out that this was the perfect time to do so – right before the start of my journey in corporate.

Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Meta (formerly Facebook), delivers an honest account of her decisions on life, family, and career, while challenging the notion that women must be superhuman to have a family life and a professional career. She urges women to unapologetically "lean in" to their careers.

Lean In served as a wakeup call particularly on the gender politics I would be confronted with in the workplace. This was especially heightened for me after competing in Miss South Africa and having to deal with the 'beauty queen' stereotype in corporate. I realised I had to be intentional about my positioning and rebranding internally, and that's where Sheryl's words became a guiding light. Chapters such as 'Sit at the Table', 'Seek and Speak your Truth', and the additional chapters from experts including 'Own Who You Are' by Melody Hobson, President of Ariel Investments, and chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation provided me with a good foundation.

6. The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma

Another powerful offering from my fave, Robin Sharma. If there's one thing this book confirms it’s that in a world that respects and treats people based on their titles, you don't need one to make an impact.

Similar in structure to his other works, The Leader Who Had No Title is written as a fable, but the lessons shared are very applicable. Sharma teaches us how to work with and influence people regardless of your position, seize opportunity in times of changes, and build psychological strength to lead your field amongst others.

The principle that stayed with me since reading the book was showing leadership in everything I do. Whether I am taking minutes in a meeting or presenting a strategy, I should commit to always deliver excellence. It's not easy but it's a position of power because no other person can give it to you or take it away.

Making excuses for myself due to my lack of title or position was no longer an option in my thoughts. Instead, I would sit longer with these thoughts to explore how I could be impactful in my role with what I knew and had available. The notion of concerning myself with what I had control over became very real, which helped me learn and grow a lot more in a short space of time.

I started in corporate as an intern and within three years had become a manager, passing people who had been there for years. The main difference was mindset and attitude. My managers trusted me with more and with bigger projects because of the diligence displayed in the little stuff.

7. The Art of War by Sun Tzu

I was introduced to the Sun Tzu classic in my first year of political studies at Wits University.

You might be wondering why a Chinese military treatise written in roughly the 5th Century is relevant to your career journey. Well, the book translates well in the corporate and business context. Business leaders across the world recognise it as a key leadership read.

For me, it was about engaging another perspective on strategy and understanding environment. I've come to learn that certain unspoken principles and rules of engagement govern in business and corporate. A case of 'if you know, you know'. The advice the book offers can help structure the moves you make, but it should be applied with much thought because context can change a lot of things.

Author and entrepreneur, James Clear, beautifully summarises The Art of War in three sentences:

“Know when to fight and when not to fight: avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak. Know how to deceive the enemy: appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. Know your strengths and weaknesses: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”

Books can take you to places you've never been, teach you things you didn't know you needed and they're an accessible way to invest in and empower yourself. I hope you find the above recommendations useful on your path to building a successful career.

#Binspired