5 Books every business owners should read
A few years ago, Africa was being dubbed “the next Asia” and a fertile ground for business investments . Each year, 29 million SME businesses enter the labor force and more than half of these businesses crash. It is one thing to start a business, and it is another to develop practical knowledge. One sure way though, is by reading from those who have gone ahead of you.
The following are a list of books we recommend that every business owner should read.
The Lean Startup by Eric Reis
The central hypothesis of the book is that startup companies invest their time into iteratively building products or services. The aim is to meet the needs of early customers, reduce the market risks and sidestep the need for large amounts of initial project funding and expensive product launches. The book teaches about how to adopt innovative approach and reduce time spent on launching products and services.
Traction by Gino Wickman
Traction is a startup guide to get customers and getting a grip of your business. Gino Wickman teaches about how not to do too many things at a time. He also makes you understand how to focus 10 percent of time on strategic activities. Wickman illustrates why you need to hold three types of meetings, why every employee needs a big project and why all employees need to focus on a metric they can influence. Successful businesses are applying traction everyday to run profitable, frustration-free businesses.
Tribes by Seth Godin
Tribes is a book about community and leadership. The book will make you think about the opportunities for leading your employees, customers, investors, believers, etc. In addition, It will make you debunk the thinking that leadership is for selected people. Seth also teaches that leaders come in surprising packages, that if ignore an opportunity to lead, you risk turning into a “sheepwalker”—someone who fights to protect the status quo at all costs, never asking if obedience is doing you (or your organization) any good.
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Getting things done is book outlines a simple process for assessing what needs to happen and staying focused until the job is done with the application of stress-free productivity. Here is what Allen proposes, ‘our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creative potential.’ This book will teach you how to run businesses, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down.
The Right Kind of Crazy by Adam Steltzner
This book is for people who want to channel their craziness into creativity and turn their crazy ideas into reality. This book is part memoir, part leadership and career advice, and part introduction to landing a spacecraft on Mars and interestingly suitable for top business executives and managers. Adam did justice to challenging leaders to be more curious, more driven, more open to the fact that we can be wrong even as leaders, more open to the idea of letting ideas win rather than people, to be more open to ask questions and never giving in to fear. The Right Kind of Crazy emphasizes on curiosity, courage, team building and leadership.
Do you have any good read suggestions for us? Please let us know in the comment section.
