My top three business books in 2020 and how reading helped me through the pandemic

You may still remember my article from last year where I highlighted two lessons I learned reading 30 business books.

How reading helped me through the pandemic

This year I continued reading and found it to be an important habit especially once the pandemic hit my family and me personally. Reading not only can be done from home, but it also helped me to find inner calm and some relaxation supporting my mental health during the crisis. Research has actually shown that reading lowers heart rate, relaxes muscles, decreases blood pressure and eases tension, which contributes to lowering stress levels by 68%.

I am also convinced reading helped me to better adapt to the crisis, to be more mentally flexible, to see different perspectives, and to find new solutions by connecting different dots.

In 2020 I read very diverse content from autobiographies (to learn from the journey of others), to books on meditation, and how to successfully work from home.

My top 3 books I read in 2020

(Disclaimer: reading is something very personal and the books might not resonate with you depending what answers you are looking for)

The Advice Trap, Michael Bungay Stanier (2020)

I was already impressed by his book “The Coaching Habit” I read last year but was even more thrilled reading his new book “The Advice Trap”. It is a very concise, yet practical book, and a lot of fun to read. It actually picks up where The Coaching Habit left off giving additional tools to say less in meetings, to ask more questions, and to empower others to find their own solutions. It has not turned me into a coach but helped me to tame my advice monster, to stay curious a bit longer, and solve the right problems.

How to have a good day, Caroline Webb (2016)

I know what you will be saying: “How can a book from 2016 be in my 2020 Top-3 list?”. Well, there are two reasons. First, I just read it this year, and second and more importantly the content is still very valid. I really don’t like the title, but the book is full of nuggets to transform your work life. It provides step-by-step guidance how to set better priorities, make your time go further, improve your relationships, be more resilient and more energetic. a very good summary – all backed up by science – of positive daily behaviors that you can easily implement in your daily life. A must read!

Leading without Authority, Keith Ferrazzi (2020)

This book really opened my eyes that everyone can be a leader. You don’t need a fancy title, rather the right mindset. Humility, curiosity, and candor serve as the glue to our mission, to one another, and to a sense of purpose larger than ourselves. Seize your opportunity, empower people, and transform your workplace. Keith Ferrazzi’s concept of co-elevation is the new essential workplace competency.

And the runners-up is: Personality isn’t permanent, Benjamin Hardy (2020)

Great book! If you feel you are stuck and put yourself in a box, Hardy shows that your personality is flexible, not fixed. The book will help you to unlock your potential and gives you a process to create a bigger, bolder future version of yourself.

My final advice

And let me just reiterate what I said in my 2019 article. Reading is a good start, but if you don’t action anything, then you won’t be any better at the end of the year, than you were at the beginning. Once you got an answer, stop reading and start doing!

And yes, good, well-written books that deliver a message that stands out and give you a new perspective are rare and difficult to find! I always hope that the books from my preferred authors or the book recommendations from my heroes I follow on Twitter and LinkedIn will be worth reading, but this is not always the case. If a book does not resonate with you after reading about 100 pages, just move to the next one. But be aware that this book may still have a lot of nuggets at a later stage. So, you may want to come back to it at one time.

I hope this inspires you to read more non-fiction books in 2021.

If you need more ideas to help you get more reading done, read this post from Gretchen Rubin or download her "Reading Better Than Before" worksheet.

Leave a comment of what you learned, any additional tips you have, and what great books you have read in 2020.

My 2020 book list below (in chronological order)

Volker Hack is an Executive Director at one of the largest Contract Research Organizations and dedicated to Improve Health. He is an advocate for incorporating mindfulness into the work life.