As a business owner, one of the most important investments is in your personal growth. Leadership development is essential for success. Strong leadership skills help you steer your company toward success. They also enable you to inspire your team and foster a positive workplace culture. If you’re looking for the best books to read, this curated list is perfect. These leadership books will help business owners thrive in today’s competitive market.
Each of these books provides valuable insights into leadership, goal setting, team management, and business strategy. Applying the lessons from these books can help you build a stronger, more resilient business while improving your effectiveness as a leader. Ready to start learning and growing? Choose one of these books and begin your journey toward becoming the leader your business needs. Let the growth and transformation begin!
1) Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman
In Never Lose a Customer Again, Joey Coleman outlines a revolutionary approach to customer retention by focusing on the critical first 100 days of the customer experience. Research shows that businesses have a 60% to 70% chance of selling to an existing customer. New prospects, on the other hand, it’s just 5% to 20%. Coleman’s book offers a step-by-step guide on how to engage and delight customers from the moment they make a purchase, turning them into loyal, long-term advocates for your brand.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Focus on creating a memorable and positive experience for customers during their first 100 days with your company. By personalizing interactions, providing continuous support, and ensuring early satisfaction, you can drastically reduce churn and increase customer lifetime value. To help streamline this process, consider implementing the WolfPack Growth Roadmap, a comprehensive strategy designed to guide businesses through key stages of growth, optimize customer retention, and drive long-term success.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Personalized thank-you notes: If you run a home inspection business, send a personalized thank-you note after each inspection, including a few tips on home maintenance specific to the house you inspected.
- Onboarding tutorials: For a pest control business, send a welcome email after the first service with a video explaining what to expect during future visits and how to prevent infestations between services.
- Loyalty programs: A pet grooming business could offer customers a loyalty program where they receive a discount or free grooming after their first three visits in the first 100 days.
Key Insight:
“Customer retention is the new acquisition.”
- This quote reminds businesses that retaining existing customers is as important, if not more, than acquiring new ones. By focusing on creating a great experience, businesses can build lasting loyalty, reducing churn and increasing lifetime customer value.
2) Never Lose an Employee Again by Joey Coleman
Employee retention is just as critical as customer retention, and Never Lose an Employee Again helps business owners tackle this challenge head-on. Coleman emphasizes the importance of the employee experience, particularly in the first 100 days of employment. The book offers practical strategies to reduce turnover by improving onboarding processes, creating supportive work environments, and providing career growth opportunities.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Invest in creating a positive, engaging employee experience from day one. A well-structured onboarding program, ongoing mentorship, and a focus on personal development can increase employee satisfaction, leading to lower turnover and a stronger company culture.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Structured onboarding: Develop a 100-day onboarding plan that includes regular check-ins and mentorship. For instance, a retail company can assign each new hire a mentor to guide them through their role and the company culture.
- Career growth discussions: Within the first month, have a one-on-one meeting to discuss the employee’s career goals and how the company can help them achieve those. A marketing firm might offer specialized training or certification courses tailored to an employee’s interests.
- Employee recognition: Implement a recognition program that rewards employees for hitting early performance goals. A digital agency could celebrate an employee’s first successful project with a team lunch or public recognition during a meeting.
Key Insight:
“How you treat your employees is how they will treat your customers.”
- Happy and well-treated employees are more likely to deliver outstanding service. When businesses prioritize employee satisfaction, it creates a ripple effect that positively impacts customer satisfaction and overall success.
3) The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck offers a counterintuitive approach to personal growth, emphasizing the importance of focusing on what truly matters. Mark Manson argues that success comes from learning to say no to distractions and prioritizing what’s most important.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Business owners should focus their time, energy, and resources on what truly matters, ignoring the noise of non-essential tasks and distractions. Prioritizing meaningful goals leads to greater success and fulfillment.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Focus on high-value activities: In a Google Ads agency, focus on high-impact client campaigns rather than trying to micromanage every small project. Delegate minor tasks to team members.
- Say no to distractions: If you run a pet grooming business, say no to last-minute, low-reward requests that disrupt your core business operations, allowing you to focus on providing quality grooming services to loyal customers.
- Set boundaries: In a real estate business, set clear boundaries with clients about working hours and communication times to maintain work-life balance and avoid burnout.
Key Insight:
“You can’t be an important and life-changing presence for some people without also being a joke and an embarrassment to others.”
- In business and leadership, you cannot please everyone, and trying to do so can dilute your effectiveness. If you’re making bold decisions, taking risks, or leading with purpose, some people will disagree or criticize. However, to be truly impactful, it’s essential to focus on the people you’re helping and ignore detractors.
4) Measure What Matters by John Doerr
John Doerr’s Measure What Matters introduces the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework, a powerful tool for aligning company goals and ensuring that every employee is working toward the most important objectives. Doerr’s OKR system has been used successfully by companies like Google, Intel, and the Gates Foundation to drive growth and innovation by providing clear direction, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Implement the OKR system to track and measure progress across your business. By setting ambitious goals (Objectives) and linking them to quantifiable results (Key Results), you can ensure that every team member is focused on the right priorities to drive company success.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Set quarterly OKRs: For example, a marketing company could set an Objective (O) to increase brand awareness, with Key Results (KR) like gaining 5,000 new social media followers and securing 10 media mentions in the next quarter.
- Communicate OKRs to the team: Hold a meeting to explain the OKRs to your staff. For a restaurant chain, this might involve explaining how each branch can contribute to increasing customer satisfaction through faster service (a KR).
- Track and adjust: At the end of the quarter, review progress and adjust OKRs. A software company might revise its KRs based on customer feedback, shifting focus to improving a specific feature that users have requested.
Key Insight:
“Ideas are easy. Execution is everything.”
- Success lies in executing well-defined goals, not just coming up with ideas. Businesses that implement clear, actionable plans through frameworks like OKRs can stay focused, improve productivity, and achieve significant growth.
5) Trillion Dollar Coach by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle
Trillion Dollar Coach tells the story of Bill Campbell, a legendary business coach who mentored some of the world’s most successful tech leaders, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt. This book provides a rare look into Campbell’s unique leadership style, which combines tough accountability with deep care and trust. His methods helped shape the cultures of companies like Apple and Google and are highly relevant for business owners looking to lead with both strength and compassion.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Great leaders don’t just manage; they coach. Building trust with your team, offering constructive feedback, and holding people accountable is key to fostering growth and success in your organization.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Create a culture of accountability: Implement systems where each employee is responsible for specific outcomes. A project manager at a tech startup might hold weekly check-ins to ensure milestones are being met.
- Build trust through transparency: Share the company’s challenges and successes with your team. For example, if your e-commerce business is facing supply chain issues, openly discuss it with your team and encourage suggestions on how to improve processes.
- Offer constructive feedback: Regularly give feedback to help employees grow. For instance, after a sales pitch, you might sit down with the team to discuss what worked well and where improvements can be made.
Key Insight:
“Your title makes you a manager, your people make you a leader.”
- True leadership isn’t about authority but about earning respect and trust. When business owners prioritize coaching and empowering their teams, they foster a culture of growth and collaboration, driving long-term success.
6) Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
In Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek emphasizes the importance of creating a “circle of safety” where employees feel protected and valued. Leaders who prioritize the well-being of their team create a culture of trust and collaboration.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
As a leader, create an environment where employees feel safe, supported, and able to collaborate. A positive work environment enables teams to perform at their best.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Encourage open communication: Implement regular town hall meetings where employees can voice concerns or suggestions. For example, a startup might hold monthly “Ask Me Anything” sessions with the CEO to foster transparency.
- Recognize team efforts: Publicly celebrate team successes, even for small wins. For instance, if your team met a critical deadline for a product launch, take a moment to acknowledge their hard work in front of the entire company.
- Offer support during challenges: If an employee is going through a difficult time, provide resources such as mental health support or flexible working hours. For example, an HR team could introduce a program offering counseling services for employees struggling with stress.
Key Insight:
“The leaders who get the most out of their people are the leaders who care most about their people.”
- Caring for employees’ well-being builds trust and loyalty. When leaders prioritize their team’s needs, employees feel valued, leading to higher engagement, productivity, and retention.
7) Multipliers by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown
In Multipliers, Wiseman and McKeown examine two types of leaders: diminishers and multipliers. Diminishers stifle growth and creativity by micromanaging and hoarding control, while multipliers amplify the talents and abilities of their team members by empowering them to take initiative. The book provides practical strategies for business owners to become multipliers, fostering an environment where innovation and performance can thrive.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
To build a more productive, innovative team, focus on empowering your employees rather than controlling them. Multipliers encourage others to do their best work, making the entire organization more effective.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Delegate responsibility: Give team members autonomy over projects. For instance, a retail store manager might delegate visual merchandising to an employee with a creative eye, allowing them to design store displays.
- Recognize unique talents: Identify employees’ strengths and assign them tasks that align with their skills. A marketing director could assign an analytics-savvy team member the role of optimizing digital campaigns based on performance data.
- Encourage ownership of ideas: Create an open forum for employees to pitch ideas. For example, in a tech company, developers could be given the freedom to propose new features or improvements during weekly innovation sessions.
Key Insight:
“Leaders are not the most important assets in an organization. The most important assets are the people who work for them.”
- Empowering employees to contribute their best work drives innovation and growth. Businesses that foster a culture of empowerment unlock the full potential of their teams, leading to superior performance.
8) Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee
Primal Leadership emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in leadership. Goleman and his co-authors argue that leaders who develop their emotional intelligence can create resonance within their teams, leading to higher performance and better relationships. The book also outlines six distinct leadership styles—visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and commanding—and explains how to use each style effectively depending on the situation.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill. By understanding and managing your own emotions—and those of your team—you can create a positive, motivating work environment that drives business success.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Practice self-awareness: Reflect on how your emotions impact your leadership style. For example, if you find yourself stressed before a big client meeting, take time to calm down and approach the meeting with confidence and clarity.
- Adapt your leadership style: Use different leadership styles based on the situation. For instance, a visionary style might be appropriate when presenting a new company strategy, while a coaching style could be used when working closely with an employee on career development.
- Empathy in the workplace: If an employee seems disengaged, ask open-ended questions to understand the cause and offer support. For example, a manager might find that a staff member is struggling with a heavy workload and adjust their tasks accordingly.
Key Insight:
“Great leaders move us. They ignite our passion and inspire the best in us.”
- Emotionally intelligent leaders create a work environment that inspires and motivates employees. This, in turn, leads to higher job satisfaction, better performance, and a more harmonious workplace.
9) The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
In The Dichotomy of Leadership, former Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin discuss the balancing act required to lead effectively. Leaders must strike a balance between taking charge and allowing their teams to take ownership. They must also be confident but humble, and aggressive yet not reckless. The book offers practical guidance on how business owners can navigate these opposing forces to lead more effectively.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Leadership requires balance. Whether it’s between discipline and flexibility or confidence and humility, understanding how to navigate these extremes is essential for successful leadership.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Practice leading from the front but also stepping back: For example, a restaurant owner might step in during busy service times to help out but trust the team to run smoothly during regular operations.
- Develop both confidence and humility: After presenting a new business strategy, ask your team for honest feedback. A retail business owner might adjust their approach to inventory management after receiving insights from store managers.
- Encourage a balance of discipline and creativity: For instance, in a tech startup, leaders might emphasize strict deadlines (discipline) while allowing flexibility in how developers approach problem-solving (creativity).
Key Insight:
“Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.”
- Taking full responsibility for successes and failures builds accountability within the team. Business leaders who “own everything” create a culture of trust, responsibility, and high performance.
10) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is a comprehensive guide to leadership principles that every business owner should know. The book covers key topics such as influence, connection, and personal growth, offering a framework for developing stronger leadership skills. Each “law” is backed by real-world examples, making the principles practical and easy to apply in any business.
Key Takeaway for Business Owners:
Effective leadership is built on a set of universal principles. Focusing on these principles will help you become a more well-rounded leader capable of guiding your team through challenges.
Actionable Tips & Examples:
- Build influence, not just authority: Demonstrate competence and build trust by showing consistency in your decision-making. For example, a business owner who regularly delivers on promises will naturally gain influence within their company.
- Focus on personal growth: Allocate time for self-development and encourage your team to do the same. For instance, a small business owner might hold regular “growth sessions.” In these sessions, employees share what they’re learning in their professional development.
- Make meaningful connections: Take the time to get to know your employees personally. A real estate agency owner might hold quarterly one-on-ones with each agent to discuss their career goals and personal challenges.
Key Insight:
“A leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
- Leading by example is critical in business. When leaders demonstrate strong ethics, vision, and action, they inspire their teams to follow. This fosters a culture of trust and leadership at all levels.
Conclusion
Incorporating lessons from these books will empower business owners to lead with purpose. They will also help retain loyal customers and create a positive workplace culture. By focusing on employee satisfaction and strong leadership principles, you can build trust. This approach fosters innovation and drives long-term success in any industry. Whether you’re improving customer retention strategies or becoming a more emotionally intelligent leader, these books provide essential tools. They will help elevate your business and team to new heights.
Ready to transform your business? Start your growth journey today with these powerful reads! Wolfpack Advising is here to help business owners like you succeed. Schedule a consultation with us today!
