Best Business, Strategy & Leadership Books
Choosing a business book can be surprisingly difficult.
There are thousands of books promising better leadership, stronger communication, smarter strategy, improved management and greater professional success. Some books concentrate heavily on theory, while others focus on practical frameworks, communication techniques, storytelling or interpersonal relationships.
The five books in this comparison take noticeably different approaches.
The list includes:
- How Business Storytelling Works: Increase Your Influence and Impact
- Why Your Strategy Sucks: Build Smarter Frameworks to Win at Work and in Life
- The Practical MBA: A Guide to What You Don’t Learn at B School
- Stories At Work: Unlock the Secret to Business Storytelling
- The Art Of Dealing With People
Rather than treating them as interchangeable, this guide looks at the type of knowledge each book is positioned around and the kind of reader who may find that subject useful.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, manager, student, freelancer, salesperson, marketer or professional, the right book depends heavily on what you are trying to improve.
How Business Storytelling Works: Increase Your Influence and Impact
How Business Storytelling Works: Increase Your Influence and Impact is centered on storytelling in a business context.
Storytelling isn’t limited to books, films or entertainment.
Businesses tell stories every day.
A founder tells the story behind a company.
A marketer tells a brand story.
A salesperson explains a customer’s problem.
A manager explains why a project matters.
A leader communicates a vision.
A consultant presents a recommendation.
In all of these situations, the ability to organize information into a meaningful narrative can influence how an audience understands an idea.
Business communication often contains a large amount of information.
Consider a typical presentation.
It may contain:
Statistics
Charts
Research
Market information
Financial numbers
Product specifications
Customer data
Business objectives
All of these can be useful.
However, information without context can sometimes be difficult to remember.
Storytelling provides a way to connect information with a situation.
A narrative may answer:
What happened?
Who was involved?
What problem existed?
Why did it matter?
What was done?
What changed?
Why Your Strategy Sucks: Build Smarter Frameworks to Win at Work and in Life
Why Your Strategy Sucks: Build Smarter Frameworks to Win at Work and in Life focuses on strategy and frameworks.
Strategy is about choices.
Businesses constantly decide:
What to prioritize
What to ignore
Where to compete
How to allocate resources
Which opportunities to pursue
Which risks to accept
How to respond to changing circumstances
A strategic framework can provide structure for these decisions.
Frameworks provide a structured method for thinking.
A framework might help someone evaluate:
Goals
Resources
Constraints
Competition
Opportunities
Risks
Alternatives
Expected outcomes
The Practical MBA: A Guide to What You Don't Learn at B School
The Practical MBA: A Guide to What You Don’t Learn at B School approaches business education from a practical perspective.
The title makes this book particularly relevant to readers interested in business fundamentals and real-world application.
Business is interdisciplinary.
A business owner may need to understand:
Marketing
Finance
Sales
Operations
Management
Strategy
Negotiation
Customers
Employees
These areas don’t exist independently.
A marketing decision can affect finances.
A hiring decision can affect operations.
A pricing decision can affect sales.
A strategy decision can affect every department.
Stories At Work: Unlock the Secret to Business Storytelling
Stories At Work: Unlock the Secret to Business Storytelling focuses on using storytelling within professional environments.
The workplace contains many communication situations where stories can provide context.
These include:
Meetings
Presentations
Sales conversations
Training
Leadership communication
Company culture
Team communication
Client discussions
The Art Of Dealing With People
The Art Of Dealing With People focuses on interpersonal relationships.
People skills are relevant across almost every profession.
Professionals communicate with:
Customers
Coworkers
Managers
Employees
Suppliers
Partners
Clients
Friends
Family
People skills can include:
Listening
Clear communication
Empathy
Respect
Conflict management
Relationship building
Asking questions
Giving feedback
Understanding perspectives
FAQ
What are the best business books for entrepreneurs?
The five books in this guide cover several entrepreneurial skill areas, including strategy, business knowledge, storytelling and people skills. The appropriate choice depends on the specific skill you want to develop.
Which book focuses on business storytelling?
How Business Storytelling Works and Stories At Work are the two titles most directly focused on business storytelling.
Which book focuses on strategy?
Why Your Strategy Sucks: Build Smarter Frameworks to Win at Work and in Life is the strategy-focused title in this collection.
What is The Practical MBA about?
The title positions the book as a guide to practical business knowledge and areas that may not be covered extensively in traditional business-school education.
Which book is about people skills?
The Art Of Dealing With People focuses on interpersonal relationships and communication.
Are these books useful for managers?
Their subjects cover several managerial needs, including strategy, communication, storytelling and interpersonal relationships.
Are these books suitable for students?
Yes. Students interested in business, management, entrepreneurship or professional development may find the topics relevant.
