5 books that will help CEOs and business executives

Through a comprehensive approach toward development, CEOs can reach their potential and continually take steps forward in their careers.

Any career development program falls short if it does not include constant learning through reading. Good companies hire leaders who are well-rounded and fully equipped with a range of soft skills. Critical thinking, effective communication, active learning and listening are just some of the skills companies put a premium value on during the recruitment process.

Here are five books that speak to the big factors in business development and leadership. If you want to further develop and gain greater influence as you pursue new business milestones, these are for you.

The Infinite Game

Getting ahead can feel like a never-ending race. This book’s objective is to demystify the rules of engagement in an infinite game that can sometimes define the business world. Unlike chess, tennis or marathon racing, winning in business isn’t always clearly measurable or defined. Without a clear definition of business success, how is it possible to follow a winning playbook?

That’s where this book steps in. It will uncover the secrets of winning the infinite game, which is populated by known and unknown players and playing conditions. Winning at this game sometimes means bending conventional thinking and adopting a mindset that accounts for all possible outcomes. In this book, you’ll discover how to unlock an infinite mindset to expertly navigate the ever-changing business landscapes and demands.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals

Business leaders will gain greater insights into four indispensable core disciplines that promote business success. Together, these four disciplines can drive companies in a new, forward direction. Successful business leaders and teams rely on focus, leverage, engagement and accountability to guide decisions and set company direction.

Without a firm understanding on how to maximize these core disciplines, it can be difficult to build and implement an effective strategic plan.

This book is an under-the-hood examination of how these disciplines develop independently and how they interact with one another within winning organizations. These insights will help you shape your own business performance with the assistance of a proven system that’s elegant, simple and repeatable. These principles are based on practices by leading companies and CEOs who regularly achieve results and always stay competitive.

Book of Joy

Sometimes, leaders need to step away and observe the bigger picture. Book of Joy, written by two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, will help you get recentered by reflecting on what matters the most. The book takes an intimate and inspiring look into positive thinking through the lens of two spiritual giants. You will take a journey to explore the nature of joy and some of the obstacles that can get in the way.

Stress, fear, anger, illness and other complications can unexpectedly redirect life and work plans. Confronting these blockers of joy can drain individuals and deprive them of the fuel they need to thrive in work and life.

After a tumultuous period brought on by the pandemic, this cleanser of a book reminds readers of the bigger picture and how joy can provide the relief and perspective to march forward despite personal and professional setbacks.

The Hard Things About Hard Things

As you look for new opportunities and start new ventures, you’ll be faced with a set of unfamiliar challenges. A new business endeavor, for instance, leaves little room for error. Relying on personal experiences, the book is told by some of Silicon Valley’s most respected entrepreneurs. Packed with practical wisdom and honesty, this book lays out what it takes to develop, manage, sell and invest your way into success.

Whether you’re looking to reinvent your career or launch an exciting new product or service, this book provides invaluable insights into how to manage the ups and downs of business ventures so that you remain on course to achieve your goals.

The Maxwell Daily Reader

If you haven’t read this one by John Maxwell, then you are missing out on essential reading into the psyche of a successful leader. Painstakingly detailed on practical messages about how to develop leadership skills and qualities, The Maxwell Daily Reader gets to what’s at the heart of leadership.

What makes this volume stand out is the book’s digestible and organizational nature. Each day, you can examine thought-provoking actions that advance decision-making into a new and exciting direction. It will elevate your way of thinking and problem-solving in a manner that builds trust and garners full buy-in of the vision you set forth.

We hope you find these books valuable! If you have any questions about our recruitment services, contact us today!