Read to Lead // 9 Must-Read Books to Kick-start the Year

Read to Lead // 9 Must-Read Books to Kick-start the Year

Leadership isn’t easy. It takes grit, courage, and perseverance that can be hard to come by on the toughest of days.

As an aspiring leader, when you seek advice, you are often told to try harder, dig deeper, look in the mirror, own your strengths, and fix any real or perceived success-limiting deficiencies.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin.

To be a strong leader, you must be adaptable, and ready to learn. One of the best ways to learn rapidly and grow as a leader is to cultivate the habit of reading every day. Reading has been found to activate a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain, which become stronger and more sophisticated over time. Take it from Warren Buffet who reads 500 pages a day, or Mark Cuban who reads for three hours every day.

By reading regularly you not only are strengthening your brain but also increasing your ability to broaden your vocabulary and reduce cognitive decline. All of which are valuable skillsets for a leader to maintain.

We have narrowed down to the 9 books you must read as a business innovation leader:

I. Powershift: Transform Any Situation, Close Any Deal, and Achieve Any Outcome by Daymond John

Whether it be in business or in your personal life, there is one contributing factor that often sets successful people apart: the relationships they build.

Powershift creates a scenario of the times we are living in and how you can survive the workplace of today. The book focuses on why it is important to have a solid network to collaborate and connect while looking for a job or building the life you want. The lessons within the pages of this book offer what every leader needs to adapt and to win.

In the book, Powershift, bestselling author, star of ABC’s Shark Tank Daymond John reveals how to make a good impression, hone in a win-win negotiation style, and build relationships that last.

This book is for you if you are not in control of your power, and you are not content with settling for where you currently are.

Key Takeaways: 

• There is an inner power you can tap into and use to pivot and surpass your goals.
• Step-by-step instructions on how to identify your power and put it to work to build influence and expand your relationships after walking away from a negotiation.
• Becoming adaptable and being a better leader comes down to visualizing the bigger picture. These books will help you do just that in their own unique way. Your success lies in your own hands, so fill them with a book from time to time.

The book currently retails for USD$ 9.67 on Amazon And if you are a fan of Audible then you can access the book for free.

II. Promised Land by President Barack Obama

A memoir by the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017  – Barack Obama. The book was highly anticipated and, two months before its release, The New York Times remarked that it was “virtually guaranteed” to be the year’s top seller, despite its mid-November release date.

The first of a planned two-volume series, the memoir documents President Obama’s life from his early years through the events surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011. While the book remains focused on politics, the first 200 pages of the book, approximately, are devoted to Obama’s life and career up through his time in Chicago.

The book is 768 pages long and available in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats and has been translated into two dozen languages. There is also a 28-hour audiobook edition that is read by Obama himself.

Key Takeaways:

• Be hopeful for the future: A Promised Land ends in 2011, however, towards the final moments of the book Obama takes a step back from the time frame and acknowledges the 2020 climate, revolving around the recent US election and the coronavirus pandemic. He writes about his hope for the future, stating he is “convinced that the pandemic we’re currently living through is both a manifestation of and a mere interruption in the relentless march toward an interconnected world, one in which peoples and cultures can’t help but collide.”
• Surround yourself with people you trust: Obama writes about his relationship with the current president-elect Joe Biden who served as his vice president, and over their eight years in office, the two formed an unbreakable bond and friendship. Obama goes ahead to write “I believed that he cared about ordinary people and that when things got tough, I could trust him. I wouldn’t be disappointed.”
• Everyone makes mistakes: In the memoir, Obama reflects on his time in office and openly admits to making several mistakes. He candidly acknowledges some of his shortcomings and regrets, particularly noting his failure to pass immigration reform, which he describes as “a bitter pill to swallow.”
• Not all problems have a clear solution: Obama notes that “no problem that landed on my desk, foreign or domestic, had a clean, 100% solution. If it had, someone else down the chain of command would have solved it already.”
• Some days will be good and others will be challenging, just try and find a balance

The book is currently available on Amazon for USD$ 23.96. It is also available across Text Book Centre outlets for KES 2,990.

III. Moneywise: Create, Grow & Preserve Wealth by Rina Hicks

In this book, you will discover the common mistakes investors make as they seek to create and grow wealth and a host of practical tips that will help you produce optimum results in your investments. The book also shows you how to protect your assets and excel in the art of giving.

Written by Rina Hicks, Money-Wise takes you on a journey of discovery as it welcomes you to the world of wealth creation and management by unlocking the secrets and prerequisites to investing.

It also explains the investment opportunities available to you while at the same time highlighting the advantages and risks of each investment option.

Earlier in the month, Rina hosted our #After the Office Hours session, where she also highlighted other areas of investment as an addition to the book. You can read more here.

Key Takeaways:

• Knowing your financial conditions at all times is vital. Take a reality check to assess the areas you need to improve and identify blind spots that hinder you from reaching your goals.
• Before investing, pay off your debt. Prepare a summary of assets and list liabilities while noting negative worth and inflations. Calculate future costs and keep learning

The book is currently available on Amazon and retails for USD 9.99.

IV. Big Money Energy: How to Rule at Work, Dominate at Life, and Make Millions by Ryan Serhant

In this book, the author approaches the money topic with confidence and ease.

Whether it’s school, a relationship, a job, or running your own business, everyone starts from the bottom and must eventually climb to the top. If you aren’t sure how to break through to that next level and reach that peak in the distance, Ryan shares precisely how to do that.

The author shows you how he tapped into his Big Money Energy to crush his goals and achieve huge success, earning his first million before he turned thirty.

Whether you’re a self-made entrepreneur, a corporate executive, or a barista, Serhant will teach you how to climb the ladder to success better and faster than anyone else.

If you want Big Money Energy, this is your blueprint. This book is an inspirational, lively guide for anyone who is ambitious enough to dream big and is committed to doing whatever it takes to conquer them.

This book is for you if you are tired of seeing others get exactly what they want while you’re sprinting on a hamster wheel going nowhere.

Key Takeaways:

• Attaining your dreams is possible, but you must be willing and committed to doing whatever it takes.
• While you can’t always change your initial circumstances or the balance of your bank account, there is one thing you can change – your energy.

The book retails for USD 25.94 on Amazon.

V. #YOUTHCAN by Lizz Ntonjira 

#YOUTHCAN is a book that will inspire, empower, and challenge you to become the best version of yourself. The book features a collection of powerful, inspiring, and challenging stories from youth breaking barriers across Africa.

It comprises 50 Empowering Stories from across 22 Sub Saharan Africa countries told by 29 Women and 21 Men.

The book is divided into 12 chapters capturing candid conversations of ordinary youth doing extraordinary things from Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea Conakry, Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The book also features industry experts who so graciously shared their stories, knowledge, and wisdom because indeed, every young person who succeeds stands on the shoulders of giants.

The book retails at KES 3,000 and is available at TextBook Centre.

VI. The Nuclear Effect: The 6 Pillars of Building a 7+ Figure Online Business

A nuclear chain reaction is one of the most powerful forces known to mankind. Its energy feeds other reactions, creating endless possibilities for self-sustaining growth. Imagine harnessing this kind of energy in business—what if you could create your own nuclear effect?

Written by Scott Oldford, The Nuclear Effect breaks down the different phases of creating, building, and scaling a truly effective business.

The author does more than share business tips, his words show you how to let go of financial fears and build a mindset to scale your business, improve your profits and create momentum that will take your business and career to new heights.

If you are starting a business but have become paralyzed about what to do next, feel stuck in the cycle of your career, or are ready to break into the next financial bracket of your business then this is a good read for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Your bank account is a direct reflection of your emotions and thoughts, and in order to earn more money, you must first fix your emotions.
• Business isn’t only about making money, it’s also about giving yourself the freedom to do what you want every day. So first and foremost, build a business that meshes with the life you want to live.

The book is available on Amazon and retails for USD$ 22.20.

VII. Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

This book highly focuses on the importance of collaboration and teamwork at the workplace.

We live in a highly individualistic culture and we’re trained in a public education system that focuses on competition. Each student is taught to do everything on their own and is graded against their peers. Who Not How provides a framework for being relational and collaborative, and for building more teamwork in all areas of your life.

This book is co-authored by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy who together break down Dan’s methodology on entrepreneurship in action. Rather than asking, “How can I do this?” when you have a goal or challenge, this book trains you to ask, “Who can do this for me?” or “Who can help me do this?” 

If you are a leader or team member looking for ways to optimize your execution, this book then gives you tips on how you can take action on visions you previously didn’t have time for and understand the value of building a team that truly works together.

Key Takeaways: 

• It is possible to build a successful business and life without killing yourself to do so.
• Societal norms, like assumptions about abilities declining with advanced age, can be bypassed in order to create a life that you want to live.
• The success you want is possible as long as you are willing to retrain your brain to stop basing your potential on what you alone can do and instead focus on the endless connections you can create.

The book is available on Amazon for USD$ 34.60.

VIII. Girl Decoded: A Scientist’s Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology 

In her memoir, Girl Decoded, artificial intelligence entrepreneur Rana el Kaliouby shares her story of transformation, showing how her experiences have inspired her to lead a technology revolution.

We are entering an empathy crisis. Most of our communication is conveyed through non-verbal cues – facial expressions, tone of voice, body language – nuances that are completely lost when we interact through our smartphones and other technology.

The result is a digital universe that’s emotion-blind – and a society lacking in empathy. To try and change this the author Kaliouby created a company Affectiva (the industry leader in this emerging field) that builds EI into our technology and develops systems that understand humans the way we understand one another.

In a captivating memoir, Girl Decoded chronicles el Kaliouby’s mission to humanize technology and what she learns about humanity along the way.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how to draw from their own experiences, make intentional changes in their lives, and infuse more humanity into their work.
• To lead others and pursue audacious change, we need to be self-aware and draw from our own lives.

The book retails for USD$ 21.99 on Amazon.

IX. Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You

Written by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss Unleashed offers a different worldview of leadership where a leader’s objective should be on building others up. Leadership isn’t about you.

The duo takes us through inspiring stories from ancient Rome to present-day Silicon Valley, and portray the origins of great leadership that are found, paradoxically, not in worrying about your own status and advancement, but in the unrelenting focus on other people’s potential.

The book provides radical advice for the practice of leadership today. Showing how the boldest, most effective leaders use a special combination of trust, love, and belonging to create an environment in which other people can excel.

Frei and Morriss offer practical, battle-tested tools—based on their work with companies such as Uber, Riot Games, WeWork, and others—along with interviews and stories from their own personal experience, to make these ideas come alive.

This book is your indispensable guide for unleashing greatness in other people and, ultimately, in yourself.

Do you have a book you’ve read that has inspired you in your entrepreneurial journey? Share with us in the comments section below.

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