Three Books That Have Had a Profound Impact on My Approach to Business, Leadership and Life

As a business leader, gaining inspiration and perspectives from others is beneficial for shaping your worldview.

More than just accumulating knowledge, it's about understanding different viewpoints and approaches that can inform your decision-making and leadership style. This process of continuous learning helps us adapt to new challenges, challenge our own perspectives and seize opportunities with a more well-rounded perspective.

I recently had it brought to my attention that August 9th is “National Book Lover’s Day” (it’s a thing – I swear!). I thought this would be the perfect occasion to reflect on a few books that have had a profound impact on my approach to business and leadership.

1. Die with Zero by Bill Perkins

Die with Zero challenges the traditional mindset of saving for the future and instead advocates for investing in experiences throughout your life. This book changed the way I look at both personal and professional decisions. Perkins argues that life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and delaying gratification can lead to missed opportunities.

My Key Lesson: Invest in the Experience: The core idea is to spend your money on experiences while you are physically and mentally capable of enjoying them. This resonates deeply in the business context as well. As leaders, we should focus on creating meaningful experiences for our employees and ourselves. This can lead to a more engaged and motivated workforce, and foster a culture that values experience every bit as much as the bottom line. For instance, I’ve started to put more emphasis on organizing unique family experiences and investing in team-building activities that are designed to create lasting memories and strengthen bonds at home and at work.

2. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

The Infinite Game emphasizes the importance of viewing business as an ongoing journey rather than a finite competition. Sinek argues that adopting an infinite mindset helps leaders focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term victories.

My Key Lesson: Embrace an Infinite Mindset It's easy to get caught up in achieving specific targets or milestones. However, Sinek’s book taught me to look beyond finite goals and adopt a broader perspective by shifting my mindset from short-term achievements to continuous improvement and innovation. Instead of setting a goal to merely increase quarterly profits, for example, I now focus mu more heavily on long-term growth and the overall health of the organization. I think this approach fosters much greater resilience and adaptability - crucial traits for navigating the complexities of today’s business environment.

3. Good to Great by Jim Collins

I thought that Good to Great was a fascinating look at why some companies succeed in moving from respectable to remarkable, while others do not. Through a wealth of data accumulated over a five-year project, Collins (and the research team that supported him) identifies key principles that can transform an organization, including disciplined people, disciplined thought and disciplined action.

My Key Lesson: Empower People One of the most impactful takeaways from Good to Great is the importance of having the right people in the right roles. Collins emphasizes the need for leaders to trust their teams and avoid micromanagement – a principle that I believe has been instrumental in my leadership approach.

By empowering my team members and providing them with the autonomy to excel in their roles, I’ve seen first-hand increased productivity and innovation and built significant trust between them and myself. Trusting people to set their own ceilings and supporting them in breaking down barriers has led to what I believe is both a much more dynamic and motivated Sunco and a happier and more dedicated team.

As business leaders, we need to remember to remain open to new ideas and be not just willing but excited to adapt our strategies in light of new knowledge. These books (along with many others!) have been instrumental in helping to shape and reshape my perspectives and approaches and making sure I never lose sight of (to quote Simon Sinek) striving to be better, not best.

If you’re heading to the cabin or cottage or just relaxing around the house on this beautiful summer weekend, pick up one of these books or countless others and spend a little time skimming through them. You might just pick up a tip or two that can help your business (or yourself) grow this fall.

And if you have suggestions on other books that have shaped your approach to business, leadership or the world at large, I’d love to hear about them – there can never be enough options on my “to read” list!