Small Business How-to Seminars, Careers, Jobs, Small Business Seminars
Favorite Business Books Series - Part B
by Helena Escalante, Business Outreach, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFLOctober 11, 2017
PART B: SECOND & THIRD MOST POPULAR BUSINESS BOOKS
Hi again, welcome back! We hope you enjoyed reading Part A. Ready to know which were the second and third most popular business books from our query? I won’t keep you guessing, here you go:
“It's given me faith that doing good and doing well go together, not only in small or local businesses but in any size organization. That knowledge has given me the freedom to be generous and hopeful in business. Two of my favorite quotes from Good to Great: ‘Great vision without great people is irrelevant’, and ‘While you can buy your way to growth, you absolutely cannot buy your way to greatness.’ ”
“I enjoy reading business books built upon research and data, which is why I enjoy Good to Great by Jim Collins. He and his team do an excellent job of identifying the similarities and strengths amongst 11 companies that grew their stock at least three times in 15 years. His insights about great leadership and their interest in leaving a legacy is much the way I see top leaders – they care about what comes next – not about themselves. Most of the leaders he studied were intrigued with others – and improving the business community and social communities around them. What he learned about great leaders is quite intuitive in the role that I see leaders needing to play in their organizations.”
- Kimberly Rath, Co-Founder and Chairwoman, Talent Plus
“Another classic that makes you think and ask the right questions every day to build a sustainable business for the long term.”
“Collins identifies and evaluates the factors and variables that allow a small fraction of companies to make the transition from merely good to truly great. This book’s advice on management, operational practices, behaviors, and attitudes has helped shape our path to greatness. With a focus on core competency, we are able to craft and recognize our strengths as a company.”
“When my business partner and I first began Finder, we had a strong vision and clear roadmap, but being young and inexperienced we didn’t have the connections to get where we wanted to go, at the pace we were building the backend. This book gave me the first introduction to the power of networking and influence, and I still use many of those strategies today both in my professional and personal life.”
“How to Win Friends and Influence People - Simply put discussion controls every conversation and every conversation fosters a relationship which then brings about business. Business is all about relationship and Dale Carnegie encourages the reader through his wisdom on how to treat people correctly so that relationship and business develop synergistically.”
“I learned to care about others and the importance of building relationships. Those guiding principles helped me achieve both my personal and professional goals, achieve great success and build LightSpeed VT. I’ve trained and motivated thousands worldwide.”
As you can see, these two books have been instrumental to either create or shape the path that some businesses take. Jim Collins’ book, published in 2001 is the result of years of study of the nature of what makes companies great, and the principles can be applied to all businesses, no matter their size. Dale Carnegie’s book is a timeless classic: published originally on October 1936, it has stood the test of time, as the principles of human interaction remain unchanged.
Have you read either or both of these books? How did they help you and your business? Let me know in the comments below!
And please come back tomorrow, as we will start Part C, which will focus on the tie among three books that vied for the 4th-most-popular-business-book category on our query. Stay tuned!
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P.S. - As a quick reference for you to know what to expect and find in this series of posts, here’s a guide (the links will be live on the day the post is uploaded):
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With your library card, it's easier than ever to choose from more than 300,000 e-books on SimplyE, The New York Public Library's free e-reader app. Gain access to digital resources for all ages, including e-books, audiobooks, databases, and more.