December is a month in which annual business plans are put into place by those of us who work from home offices and kitchens–or corner offices and shops. Dreaming and hustling are the two legs of entrepreneurship. Our end-of-year planning sessions may include reviewing the detailed metrics of the previous year and auditing our website functionality and content, or boldly outlining broad strokes of our wildly important goals. Year 2019 seems as fresh as a new copper penny, gleaming with promise.
Who do you want to be? These ten books may help you decide.
1. Katty Kay & Claire Shipman, The Confidence Code: The Science & Art of Self-Assurance
There’s a lot to be said for confidence. Have you ever been in a room when a confident women walks in? She owns the space. She knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to go after it. In today’s world, where women are more educated and more well qualified than ever before there’s no reason they should still be making 20 percent less than men.
In The Confidence Code, Claire Shipman and Katty Kay argue that the key reason for this outrageous discrepancy is confidence. If you’re looking for the It factor and want to be the woman to watch, give it a read. Where will your confidence take you?
2. Amy Cuddy, Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges
Raise your hand if you’ve ever walked into a meeting with your boss looking for a raise only to walk out wondering, What just happened?
Raise your hand if you thought you were going to land a client only to walk out of your face-to-face “closing the sale meeting” feeling like a sad little puppy with its tail between its legs and no deal.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had to speak in front of an audience only to start sweating and shaking through the whole presentation you’ve prepared and feel like a phony by the end of it all.
There’s a reason you come out of these experiences feeling like a fake and a failure. It’s because you lack presence. When you have presence, you don’t care about what other think of you. Your main focus is what you think of yourself. Often times the work that needs to be done is internal and Harvard professor Amy Cuddy is here to take you on a spiritual journey to find the presence needed in order to approach your next challenge with your head held high.
3. Rania Anderson, Men, Women, and the Decisive Formula for Winning at Work
Full disclosure, I am Rania Anderson’s editor. And a proud one.
I can’t even begin to tell you how long I waited for a book like this to be written. We live in a day and age where stories of men acting inappropriately toward their female colleagues are on the rise. We hear about the backlash and consequences faced by those accused of this behavior, but we often don’t hear about the men who stand by the women being treated disrespectfully. Those “Good Guys,” as Rania Anderson calls them, understand that we succeed together.
This book focuses on the positive. It addresses what is working and how we can make things better. It’s an opportunity for men to be part of the change in the institutions and mindsets of the business world. Girl bosses and team leaders need to read it as much as men. But it is definitely a book to share with your colleagues.
4. Barbara Stanny, Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life
Do you make a six-figure salary? Do you want to make a six-figure salary? I can almost guarantee you answered yes to one of these two questions. Women are quickly outgrowing men in the six-figure category and Barbara Stanny wanted to know why.
In her book, Secrets of Six Figure Women she looks into the characteristics of successful women and sees that they have a lot in common. So if you’re making the big bucks or aspire to, this one is for you. You’ll find you’re in good company!
Women start and grow businesses for different reasons, and money is one of the compelling ones. Money brings us options.
5. Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Simon Sinek has the third most popular TED Talk with over 28 million views and there’s a reason WHY (see what I did there?) He’s an inspiration whose approach starts with asking simple questions, like: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some of us command greater loyalty from our customers and our employees? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success patterns over and over–as a serial entrepreneur would?
Sinek figured out that people aren’t motivated to buy from us because of what we’re selling, they want to know WHY we’re selling it. He realized that people won’t truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. Look at any successful entrepreneur you know–and your own responses to different pitches–and verify this assertion for yourself.
What’s the takeaway? If you’re looking to build a successful, long-lasting business and become a leader in your field and community, then implementing his powerful idea about the “Golden Circle” might just be the missing tool you need to succeed.
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6. Carmine Gallo, Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds
You’d have to be living under a rock not to know what a TED Talk is, but just in case, I’m here to help. Technology, Education, and Design (TED) Talks are the widely known public speaking events where the world’s leading thinkers and innovators take the stage to share their insights on education, business, science, tech, and creativity. And when you’re the speaker and millions are going to be watching, you need to be prepared to sell your ideas persuasively.
But don’t we need to do this all the time? Anywhere we speak? After all, speaking is one of the best ways to attract clients and customers. As founders and owners, we are the face of our businesses.
Carmine Gallo, a public speaking coach and bestselling author, gives us a step-by -step method to becoming an engaging, persuasive, and memorable presenter devised after interviewing some of the top TED Talk presenters. In this book, you’ll learn the nine secrets sure to make your next presentation dynamic.
7. Sally Helgesen & Marshall Goldsmith, How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back
Here’s a truth bomb. If you’re looking to make a change in your life, you need to do things differently. Easier said than done? Sometimes the hard part is figuring out what changes need to be made. Good thing leadership expert Sally Helgesen and leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith brought us How Women Rise.
In this book, Sally and Marshall identify 12 habits that hold many women back. If you resonate with any of these descriptions, you will gain a clear understanding of why some things that worked for you in the past can hinder your ability to move onward and upward.
Every level of business success has its own rules and requirements. Learn from this what you can do today to advance your career.
8. Brene Brown, Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts
It’s not easy being a leader. Some people think leadership is about having a title, status, and power. Brown found in her research that real leadership is about seeing the potential in others and helping them grow into the best versions of themselves. The women I have met who are most successful are generous in sharing knowledge and connections, and even their wealth under the right circumstances. It is refreshing to know, as Brene Brown understands, that power and influence become infinite when we share ourselves with others.
If you have high aspirations and want to improve your leadership skills and expand the roles you play, this is a must-read book.
9. Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance
GRIT may very well be my new favorite four letter word. There are times in life when we look at successful people and wonder, How did they do it? What do they have that I don’t? What does it take to succeed? Chances are it’s “grit.” Growing up, our society trains us to judge others by their talent, looks, and social status. But this book reports that it takes a lot more than talent to get ahead.
Grit is a combination of passion and persistence. It’s what keeps you going when the going gets tough and it’s what New York Times bestselling author Angela Duckworth talks about in my ninth pick this week.
So, do you have the persistence and determination it takes to success? If not, are you willing to learn and train yourself?
10. Alex Daly, The Crowdsourceress: Get Smart, Get Funded, and Kickstart Your Next Big Idea
It takes a village. Have you ever heard this saying? Changes are you have. Do you believe it? I do. Nowadays, practically anything is possible with the support of others. That includes financial support!
Alex Daly, a crowdfunding expert, is here to take you into her most successful campaigns in order to help you fund your next project. This book is a must read before you launch a Kickstarter Campaign to fund your next endeavor.
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