10 Best Business Books That Will Change the Way You Think About Success

As an entrepreneur or leader, you know that it is written on best practices in business. Here are ten business books you should read that will teach you about leadership, innovation, and strategic thinking. Not only are these picks informed from lists curated by top CEOs, founders and trusted sources.



Robert Cialdini, one of the pioneers in the field of behavioral psychology, discussed six driving principles behind human behavior — reciprocity, commitment/consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity. By learning these principles, you can improve your power to persuade people which are vital in business negotiations and marketing strategies. 


Carr David, New York times: How Big Companies Fail, Clayton Christensen introduced us to the idea of disruptive innovation, that established companies can be destroyed by focusing on their core business and ignoring new technologies. You learn this if you read this book.



Jim Collins is not a business adviser but a researcher who studied why certain companies make the leap from good to great and why others don't. It discusses key components like disciplined people, thought, and action that function as a guide to achieving greatness in any organizational setting.


While many people have the ability to think creatively, Eric Ries provides a systematic, scientific approach to organizing how those ideas get implemented, especially in a time when companies must innovate far more than they ever have before. It is a wake-up call that you must adapt and tweak before you commit lots of money or time. 


Peter Thiel shatters conventional wisdom and lays out his philosophy to developing new companies that build new things. He dares entrepreneurs to think for themselves and provides counterintuitive advice on how to add value to the world. 


A must-read, Dale Carnegie’s classic book teaches you practical techniques to help you handle people, get them to like you and influence them. These soft skills are useful for both business leaders and entrepreneurs.



Ben Horowitz on startup problems that only founders face. The book offers pragmatic advice for navigating the hardest problems you never learned in a business school.


Leaders who start with why inspire others to take action, a concept explored by Simon Sinek. Having a clearer purpose and vocalizing it leads to more impact in business.


Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman explores the two systems of thinking that psychologists have identified: the fast, intuitive, and emotional system, and the slower, more deliberate, and logical system. By understanding the psychology of decision-making, business leaders can make better decisions themselves, as well as understand the behavior of consumers. 



In this memoir, the Nike co-founder Phil Knight tells the inside story of the company’s early days as a plucky start-up and transformation into one of the world’s most iconic brands. It provides great unvarnished insight into the struggles and successes of entrepreneurship. 
As the highly competitive world of business continues to evolve, entrepreneurs and leaders need to constantly explore new pathways to success by delving into these top business books. So if you want to know more about psychology of influence, successful entrepreneurs stories, or strategic innovation, here are business books that you must read that will help you achieve success.

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