“It's not the will to win that matters...everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.” Bear Bryant
Preparation is everything. From the victorious team at the Super Bowl to a business owner building a profitable venture, preparation is the key to success. For those hungry for business growth, an essential component of preparation is the willingness to fuel one’s inner fire with self-empowering knowledge. A life-long pursuit of personal growth helps entrepreneurs to perform at peak levels not only in the workplace, but in their home life too.
Your ability to perform at optimal levels is significantly enhanced when you make the continual effort to increase your knowledge base. Implementing the strategies gleaned from motivational books can have far-reaching effects on your business success. If you are a performance-focused entrepreneur determined to achieve better results, the following five books should be on your reading list:
The Secret Collaborative Economy - Marsha Wright
Marsha Wright’s The Secret Collaborative Economy will have you rethinking your approach to business. Instead of the traditional competitive business mindset, this powerful book espouses the wisdom of business owners collaborating with each other. The adage ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ is applicable to the collaborative economy mindset. Entrepreneurs working with each other instead of in competition are capable of much greater achievement than those toiling alone. The Secret Collaborative Economy offers a goldmine of actionable tips on everything from cultivating relationships to strategic business partnerships.
Focus on Impact - Wendy Lipton-Dibner
Focus on Impact by Wendy Lipton-Dibner helps entrepreneurs and small business owners understand that true business success comes through a focus on making an impact in the lives of their customers. Rather than concentrating on closing the deal or making the sale, the most successful leaders focus on how their business can improves the lives of their customers. This ability to truly make an impact comes from understanding your own inner entrepreneurial drive and being fully aware of the ‘why’ that guides your business journey. Once you have read Focus on Impact you will understand how helping others to grow leads to profound personal growth at the same time.
Never Eat Alone - Keith Ferrazzi
Keith Ferrazzi’s book Never Eat Alone offers powerful insights on networking. It is through building a network of individuals you can help (with no concern for repayment of that help) that you facilitate your own growth as an entrepreneur or small business owner. Honing your ability to reach out to others and offer assistance grows your network as a by-product, not as a means to an end. While this book does contain some not so subtle #humblebrags, the author does get his point across that building a life as a successful business owner comes from focusing on the quality of those in your network not the number of social media followers you collect or the number of contacts in your smartphone.
The ONE Thing - Gary Keller with Jay Papasan
The ONE Thing from Gary Keller and Jay Papasan is a panacea for our crazy, busy, distracted lives. Instead of being consumed the myriad of items demanding our attention, The ONE Thing teaches you to narrow your focus on completing the one critical thing that will make the most difference. This ability to focus on doing a few select things well catapults you into accomplishing more than you imagined possible. If you are ready to put your multi-tasking ways behind you and accelerate your success, add this business guide book to your must-read list.
Grit to Great - Linda Kaplan Thaler & Robin Koval
If you are an entrepreneur who believes that success will just magically happen overnight, Grit to Great is not for you. If on the other hand you believe that true success comes to those who never say die and who find a way to make their dreams a reality regardless of the speed bumps along the way, then this essential read is for you. Grit to Great teaches you strategies to help strengthen your resiliency and power your tenacity. Warning: this is not a read for the weak-willed.
Just like a football player becomes an elite athlete by relentlessly practicing their sport and studying the winning plays of others, increasing your performance as an entrepreneur or small business owner comes from dedication and a willingness to apply growth-enabling information. These five must-read books will not only help hone your professional development, they will accelerate your personal growth too. Are you ready to supercharge your entrepreneurial spirit?