Leadership isn’t easy. Otherwise, everyone would be doing it. Entrepreneurs face a number of challenges in growing their businesses and achieving success. One of the best ways for leaders to recharge and stay fresh is to seek an outsider’s perspective. Of course, when you’re at the top, it’s hard to know who to trust. An effective, well-written book on leadership can give entrepreneurs the perspective they need to stay at the top of their game and ahead of the pack.
There are several ways that writers approach the topic of leadership. Some look at the structures of a business. Others look at the motivations for starting a business. One way is to look at entrepreneurship is to consider the things that motivate successful people. Daniel Pink’s book Drive is a great example of this. His experience and research uncovers some interesting facts about leadership. The drive for motivation and morale goes beyond the promise-a-reward and threaten-with-consequences model that has dominated American business for generations.
Another great book for business leaders is Start With Why by Simon Sinek. This book examines what keeps some businesses fresh and innovative, while others get bloated and sluggish. Simon Sinek believes that the answer is in having a sense of purpose. When executives know what they’re driven by, they can communicate it to their workers and to the marketplace. Sinek shows that understanding why a company exists and what it seeks to do is really at the core of any successful business. When a leader knows “why,” it makes the business come alive. They’re not just there for a paycheck, they have a real purpose.
Finally, a great book for anyone in the creative world is Creativity Inc. Written by Ed Catmull, a co-founder of Pixar, this book is a great roadmap for anyone hoping to foster a culture where everyone can offer an honest contribution. Catmull’s “Braintrust” sessions at Pixar have become legendary. They allowed creatives to provide their valuable insights to the whole team. This open culture has helped Pixar to prosper in a crowded and highly competitive marketplace in the world of animation. It also keeps the company fresh, because there’s such a free exchange of creative ideas.