Helpful for: Entrepreneurs, MBA applicants

Read Time: 12 minutes Quick Facts:

  • Business owners often ask themselves whether they should go back to school for an MBA, despite having several years of practical work experience. The MBA degree seems to be held by many C-suite, or senior level executives which brings excellent networking opportunities for forming new relationships with influential and inspiring leaders.
  • An MBA, like other master degree programs, is both a timely and financial investment but it does not necessarily work for everyone, especially if you are fully devoted to running a business.
  • If you are still unsure about the possibility of applying for an MBA, you can still gain a lot of business knowledge by reading. John says:

Chosen Quote:

Fortunately, you can gain that same functional education through intensive readings of the best available sources. It’s about staying up to date about the most current thinking and new technological developments. If your goal is to level up your business game with books that are relevant and timely, start with the following books published in 2018.

Useful Information:

  • “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups” by Daniel Coyle explores the teamwork behind the United States Navy, Pixar among others, and reflects on the importance of having a common purpose, mission and a sense of shared risk. The lessons in the book are straightforward and can be applied to improving your company culture.
  • “Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too” by Gary Vaynerchuk is a helpful book for those who would like to discover new ways to make their brand stand out in an oversaturated market, as well as how to get the most out of social media.
  • “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup” by John Carreyrou sheds some light on the dangerous effects of taking ethical shortcuts in a business. Carreyrou is famous for being the investigative reporter who revealed the problems at Theranos, a blood test technology startup that has since shut down.
  • “Measure What Matters: OKRs: The Simple Idea that Drives 10X Growth” by John Doerr introduces readers to Objectives and Key Results and an achievement system which brings you closer to realizing your goals with confidence. Doerr has used these techniques when working with companies such as Intel and Google.
  • “Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work” by Alison Green helps readers understand the psychology of the different people you are required to work with on a daily basis. The author uses her own experience as a manager to illustrate the different challenges and how to overcome them, as well as gives guidance on how to manage 200 difficult conversations common to all industries.
  • “Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World” by Rand Fishkin, the founder of Moz, shares his journey of success, and doesn’t spare the many hurdles, failures and adjustments he faced along the way.

 

For more business book recommendations check out: MBA Students Choose Must-read Business Books

Source: Entrepreneur