Books are the gateway to knowledge and learning. Most of the CEOs and the game changers in the world read 4 to 5 books per month, says a brain fitness expert and speed reading coach, Jim Kwik.
Are you radiating this kind of CEO spirit in you?
CEOs are high achievers in business as well as keen on self-development. For the reason, you should never stop learning. If reading is your way of life or you’re just getting started. I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations from the top successful CEOs on the planet.
These books have not only transformed their lives but also has driven an impact on their professional life.
New to reading? Don’t know where to start? cheer up!
Here is a roll of CEOs on the Books That Changed Their Lives.
1. Satya Nadella
Read Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, By Carol Dweck
The Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella ended up changing his outlook forever after reading this psychologic book. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he shared his big takeaway as “The “learn-it-all” will always do better than the “know-it-all,”. And this how the context of the growth mindset overhauled his influential career and daily fabric.
2. Bill Gates
Read The Better Angels of Our Nature, by Steven Pinker
In May 2017, Bill gates tweeted about “the most inspiring book” he’d ever read, targeting the new graduates. Explains the book asserts on “how the world getting better and an amazing time to be alive”.
3. Jeff Bezos
Read The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro
“Bezos has said he learns more from novels than nonfiction,” writes an author Brad Stone. The Remains of the Day is the Bezos’s most favorite novel from his reading list.
4. Steve Jobs
Read Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda
Autobiography of a Yogi is popularly known as the last gift from Steve Jobs. After Jobs died in 2011, his closest friend Marc Benioff, Salesforce CEO and family were given a copy of the book at the memorial service. Which Steve Jobs himself have planned.
5. Marc Benioff
Read The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
Marc Benioff in return wrote the forward for his favorite book “The Art of War” to its reprint in 2008. He writes, “Since I first read The Art of War more than a dozen years ago, I have applied its concepts to many areas of my life.” and the impact on his company Salesforce.com
6. Mark Zuckerberg
Read The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander
After reading a book’s Michelle’s on mass incarceration, Mark Zuckerberg become a dedicated advocate for Criminal Justice reform. In the Facebook post on October 2015, he posted that this book highly inspired him to visit San Quentin State Prison.
7. Indra Nooyi
Read The Road to Character, by David Brooks
The CEO of Pepsi, Indra Nooyi has shared her a book. In an interview with New York Times columnist David brooks, an account of historical adversity and how this particular book have shaped their livelihoods.
8. Warren Buffett
Read The Intelligent Investor, by Benjamin Graham
This business book on value investing from 1949, ” The Intelligent investor” always leaps out for this big reader.
9. Jeff Weiner
Read The Art of Happiness, by Dalai Lama
Jeff Weiner has learned the true definition of compassion and to be aspiring from the Book, The Art of Happiness.
10. Jessica O Mathews
Read The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
The founder and CEO of Uncharted Power, Jessica O Matthews. Shares her favorite book and how this book has changed her point of views which actually reflected in building a successful startup. “The book teaches you everything you need to run a startup, which is not covered in business schools.”
11. Sylvia Vaquer
Read Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
Slyvia Vaquer is a Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of digital agency, SocioFabrica. She shares her top three takeaways from the book. “Show that you care, because people will listen and react differently to your feedback when they know it’s coming from a caring place; get into the habit of giving praise in public and candid, constructive criticism in private; and take care of yourself first so that you are in a healthy emotional and mental state to give.”
Final Thoughts
Whether you read by turning a few pages or take up your kindle. No matter it is a classic, fantasy, fiction, or nonfiction or whatever. Cultivating the habit of reading can improvise your leadership qualities and help you move forward in diverse aspects. Notably, it can strike your brain to lead an inspiring life.
One of these books might be a transforming key to your career as well as personal growth. I hope this reading list magnifies your thoughts and actions in becoming an outstanding CEO in your business stream.
Congratulations ! Agira wishes you the best on your future accomplishments!
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