25 best business books: 1-5

So far on the list of best business books, we’ve looked at business strategies, understanding markets and tips on sales and marketing.

Do you see anything missing from those categories? I do. The most important aspect to being a successful advisor: You!

Today we’re looking at business books that focus on personal growth.

I welcome your thoughts on my selections and if you feel like I left any deserving books off the list, please leave a comment below or send me an email at [email protected]

5. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 2nd edition; January, 2007)

By Brian Tracy

Background: I’ve read many of Tracy’s books, but Eat That Frog! is the one that resonated with me. As a lifelong procrastinator, I needed a plan and Tracy provided me with exactly what I was looking for—the “21 most effective methods for conquering procrastination and accomplishing more.”

Takeaway: If you want to get an item marked off your to do list, do it first thing.

Quote: ”The first rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first.” 

Up next: Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds

4. Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds (St. Martin’s Press; March, 2014)

By Carmine Gallo

Background: As advisors, more than likely you are speaking to groups of people weekly if not daily. But is your message hitting its mark? TED and associated Tedx conferences are being viewed at a rate of 1.5 million times a day through live events and a variety of video and podcast outlets. There’s a reason for that—the TED formula.

Takeaway: Effective speakers keep their messages short, entertaining, emotional and to the point.

Quote: “Great communicators reach your head and touch your heart. Most people who deliver a presentation forget the “heart” part.” 

Up next: Thinking, Fast and Slow

3. Thinking, Fast and Slow (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1st edition; October, 2011)

By Daniel Kahneman

Background: I’m fascinated by what people think and even moreso by what causes them to think the way they do. Bookshelves are littered with pop psychology trash. That’s not what Kahneman’s book is about. A Nobel Prize winner in the field of behavioral economics, Kahneman’s research uncovers “both the surprising miracles and the equally surprising mistakes of our conscious and unconscious thinking.”

Takeaway: It takes both the rational and the intuitive mind to bring about the best decisions.