7 Must-Read Business Books for Entrepreneurs in 2021

No matter how you slice it, 2020 was a challenging year for business owners and entrepreneurs. It’s proven that things can change in the blink of and eye and that it’s never possible to be 100% prepared for what life throws our way. But 2020 has also inspired some amazing innovations and proven the resiliency of entrepreneurs across the globe. As we start 2021, here are 7 business books to help you grow, adapt, innovate, and adopt a winning mindset in the new year.

• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Originally published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich has sold over 15 million copies—and with good reason. This timeless classic breaks down the 13 steps to success and teaches business owners how to develop a clear and definite purpose, achieve happiness and fulfillment, build a positive mental attitude, and deal with adversity and criticism.

• Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson

After the year we’ve all had, Who Moved My Cheese? is a must-read book for 2021. This short tale is perfect for teaching entrepreneurs how to adapt to change. Author Dr. Spencer Johnson gives readers the tools they need to handle and accept changes that are beyond their control.

• Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Based on author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek’s famous Ted Talk, Start with Why explains his concept of “The Golden Circle”. According to Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

This book gives you actionable items to put to use in both your professional life and your personal life. Covey goes through 7 habits that help you evaluate your priorities, create and work towards a vision for the future, and continuously improve yourself and your business.

• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

In his book, Eric Ries applies the same principles behind lean manufacturing towards creating a startup. He offers guidance for entrepreneurs on how to remain agile and innovate, and how to evolve from customer feedback. The book’s subtitle sums it up perfectly: “How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses”.

• The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

While stay-at-home orders were in place during the height of the pandemic, many families got a break from the rat-race and were able to spend quality time with each other. If you’re one of the people who long for a better work-life balance and want to learn how to work smarter, not harder, pick up a copy of Ferriss’s book. You’ll learn how to maximize your time and how to start living your life to the fullest now, instead of waiting until you retire.

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

If you tend to be resistant to change or just want to improve your growth mindset, add this one to your list of books to read in 2021. Dweck uses her extensive research to illustrate the difference between a growth and a fixed mindset and gives insight into how to take on challenges and learn from your failures and successes. 

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