8 Business Books Entrepreneurs Must Read to Dominate Their Industry Whether you're a rising executive or someone just starting out, these great books can help you reach your goal.
By Adam Toren
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Every time you pick up a book -- or download one to a device -- opportunity knocks at your door. A good book represents a chance to expose yourself to groundbreaking, thought-provoking ideas that could blow your mind and enhance your vision.
The truth is that you can never know enough. There is always more to learn, and there are infinite ways you can grow. Whether you're an ambitious entrepreneur, a rising executive or someone just starting out, you can often find the keys to success in a good book.
If you're up for the challenge, start now with these eight must-read business books that will propel you toward your dreams and boost your opportunities for success.
1. Top of Mind by John Hall
Top of Mind is packed with actionable advice and relatable examples for anyone looking to grow his or her business and build solid relationships. John Hall's step-by-step guide walks you through how to break down your audience's trust barriers, gain their confidence naturally and get inside (or on "top of") their minds so opportunities flow your way.
The book explains how you can attract people (and business opportunities) if you are routinely helpful, likable and authentic. It also takes it a step further by detailing how you can use digital content to enrich your target audience. With Top of Mind, you'll learn how delivering value and serving others is key to staying relevant and keeping your brand in the minds of the stakeholders who matter most to you.
2. Self-Employed by Joel Comm and John Rampton
If you're contemplating heading out on your own to start a business and wondering whether you have the skills to succeed, this book is a must. Based on their own observations and experiences, as well as those of other business leaders, Joel Comm and John Rampton break down the top 50 qualities and mindsets that personify entrepreneurs.
Self-Employed provides real stories of successful entrepreneurs and gives a simple framework for evaluating your own characteristics to see how you measure up. One of the most important takeaways is that successful entrepreneurs tend to share one common trait: the propensity to take action and keep pushing forward.
Related: 5 Ways to Create Content That Breaks Down Trust Barriers
3. The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs by Hal Elrod and Cameron Herold
The principles and skills in this book will help you channel your passions, give yourself an edge, and start your day with purpose. The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs has helped transformed lives though six daily practices, or Life S.A.V.E.R.S. (silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading and scribing).
The Miracle Morning explains these principles to give you the essential skills you need to create a successful business and personal life, accelerate your influence, and develop your vision. Most importantly, Hal Elrod and Cameron Herold demonstrate why mornings are so important in managing your physical, mental and emotional energy. They give you the guidance to get focused and chart your own course for success.
4. Outside Insight by J?rn Lyseggen
Looking solely at your company's internal data won't give you all the necessary information you need to make the most informed decisions about your content, products or services. In J?rn Lyseggen's latest book, Outside Insight, the true power behind data -- and what it can tell you about your business practices -- is examined.
Lyseggen provides thorough case studies on how outside data has proven effective in transforming business decisions into ones that produce concrete results. Offering a detailed account of Meltwater's software, the most effective tool out there to monitor presence through various mediums, Lyseggen's book gives you the tools you need to strengthen your media presence.
5. Deep Work by Cal Newport
How many times in the past 15 or 20 minutes have you been distracted by emails, social media notifications or text messages? Deep Work explains how living in an age of technology with constant interruptions and distractions obstructs our ability to "go deep" and completely focus on the task at hand.
Learning to practice deep work -- when you don't let distractions interfere with your concentration -- will not only make you better at what you do, but also give you a sense of fulfillment. Cal Newport gives readers a rigorous training regimen and a series of four rules that will transform your mind and embrace the habits that allow deep work to take place.
Related: 5 Distractions That Are Productivity Poison (and How to Avoid Them)
6. Performance Partnerships by Robert Glazer
If you're looking for a deep dive into the world of affiliate marketing, Robert Glazer's new book, Performance Partnerships, is perfect. Consider it a crash course filled with insights, starting with the birth of affiliate marketing, its evolution in an ever-changing industry, and its progression into one of the most important forms of digital marketing out there. A customer acquisition expert, Glazer delivers the education you need on how to build the types of beneficial relationships you need to grow your business.
Related: 5 Customer Acquisition Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make
7. What If It Does Work Out? by Susie Moore
Do you have a hobby or a passion that you absolutely love? What If It Does Work Out? shows you how to turn your talent and passion into a successful side hustle -- and more. Susie Moore inspires readers to let go of animosity and frustration and walk "in the direction of their dreams."
This book will give you that boost of motivation you need to overcome your fears and transform your interests or side projects into lasting success. Moore includes the tools, tips, and strategies required to become a kickass entrepreneur. If your day job isn't fulfilling you and you have an inkling that maybe you're meant to do more, grab this book and start reading.
8. The Entrepreneur's Book of Actions by Rhett Powers
Entrepreneurs are constantly looking for ways to grow their businesses and themselves. In Rhett Powers' book, The Entrepreneur's Book of Actions, you'll learn tactics and exercises to help you do just that and make the journey of entrepreneurship much less intimidating.
Unlock your full potential and experience true personal growth that will help you in your business endeavors and beyond by reading Powers' book, and improve your entrepreneurial power by checking out the other works on this list.
