The Best Novels for Entrepreneurs: 16 Must-Read Classics (2022) (2023)

All of James Clavell's Asian saga is brilliant, and the most recent one is Noble Haus. (Miniseries starring Pierce Brosnan are also available.)

The most important lesson he taught me is“Neng che to lao – A capable man has many burdens. Since I am more capable than most, I have to sweat more than most.”

It means that:

1. The more skill you have, the more effort it takes to use it;
2. You need to believe in your own abilities and strengths;
3. you shouldn't be complainingwhen you have more on your plate than othersBecause this is for a reason.

It's a great quote about what the right attitude should be in life and business.

Eva Dimitrova,startup consultant

I found Steve Farber's The Radical Leap in an old box in an apartment I shared with my ex. I'm so grateful I stayed behind because the story and what I learned from it will stay with me forever.

It really is a short, easy read about this California surfer who meets a very serious businessman at the beach. His conversations are about surfing and the ocean, but in a beautiful way he taught me everything I know aboutbe a spectacular leader🇧🇷 The stories taught me that, ultimately, running a business must be planned. And that design must be free to change and go beyond the usual constraints and fueled by personal passion so that everyone who follows me can do the same in their own lives and careers.

Leadership is happiness. And whether we fail or win, we have to be bold enough to work with extreme happiness. That is the goal.

Cassady Dill, Director of Marketing to the Rich

In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes spent years rotting in jail for a crime he didn't commit. When he finally got the chance to escape, he meticulously planned his escape to give himself the best chance of success. Ultimately, he managed to escape and eventually live an opulent life.

Often when we find ourselves working hard at our business with little or no reward, we struggle to hold on to hope that things will get better. Dantes teaches us to make the most of every opportunity given to us and tonever lose hope.

James Major, Founder ofpanda safe

My favorite business book, among many that advise us on leadership skills, is a novel: The Big Five For Life. John P. Strelecky is able to make us see and feel the benefits of working in a company whose objectives are aligned with our personal Purpose. Everyone would stop fighting an internal battle between work and life.🇧🇷 And it is our role, as entrepreneurs, to create the conditions and environment for our teams to be remunerated for what satisfies them, obtaining less return.turnover rates,better productivityand more profit. It should be required reading for all leaders.

Giulio Zecca, Founder of innovAchievers

Dune is about Paul Atreides, the eldest son of a feudal lord in an age when manors travel and fight from planet to planet. Finding himself on a deserted planet, Paul allies himself with the planets' natives, the Fremen, who teach him their ways and eventually help them control the plane, thus controlling melange, also known as "spice", a valuable substance that is the key to space travel.

This novel teaches usthe importance of strategic alliancesand how they can propel us into new areas through their connections and industry knowledge. Every business leader needs to find Fremen who can help them break into critical companies and industries.

Drew Falkman, director ofcreate mode

I choose Bleak House by Charles Dickens, published in 1853. The book is about generations of a family trapped and plagued by endless court cases, Jarndyce v Jarndyce. People are born in the case, relatives die, but the endless case drags on.

Eventually, after 100 years or so, the case is closed. Because? As the estate paid so much in legal fees, all of the estate's money is gone.

Lesson learned: Legal procedures are time-consuming and prohibitive and should be a last resort. Try to resolve disputes in other ways if possible. It might even be cheaper to walk away and move on.

Sharon Geltner, president sincefroogle public relations

This is a much loved children's book where a little mouse gets a cookie. So, you quickly order a glass of milk, a straw to drink the milk, a napkin to wipe yourself with, and a bunch of additional requests related and unrelated to the original cookie order. The boy who gives the rat everything he needs is patient, kind and understanding.

This story is a great lesson in customer service. think about how you canmeet a customer's needs, no matter how many requests they have or how long it takes. Work on fulfilling them until they are like the mouse at the end of the book, completely satisfied with their experience.

Deborah Sweeney, CEO da MyCorporation

Siddhartha is a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse that taught me about the importance of developing a personal moral code. Owning a small business tested all my principles: how to deal with adversity, how to be present, how to appreciate success, how to treat others, how to overcome the temptation to cut corners and stay true to your vision. 🇧🇷

If you are going to be an entrepreneur, read this book. This will help you develop a moral compass and stay true to it no matter what.

Nick Standlea, CEO datest prep gurus

The world is in total chaos and is dominated by large corporations, specifically advertising agencies. Despite its dystopian setting, this book tells the truth behind consumerism. Pohl and Kornbluth brilliantly emphasized the power of advertising and how people are strongly driven by materialism.

As an entrepreneur, this will remind you that the business industry is survival of the fittest. If you don't equip yourself with the best skills and knowledge, you're going to drown in the cutthroat competition. So don't allow yourself to be weak.You must be wise and strong to survive..

Karl Armstrong, Founder ofEpic Win App

One fiction book that taught me some powerful lessons about business leadership is Animal Farm by George Orwell. In the book, once the pig took the humans down, they pointed out all the bad things the humans had done. They even created a set of commandments that went against everything humans were. However, as the story progressed, the pigs themselves proved to be "above" the other animals, and eventually began to live like humans, becoming everything they hated.

In an organization, this situation is extremely common. Leadership intent always starts with treating everyone equally, but this can change as the company grows and revenue increases. Priorities change and leaders neglect the foundation of the company. Therefore, as a business leader, one should never lose sight of the company's vision. Lead by example and uphold the foundation on which the company was built.

Albert Lee, founder ofhome life lab

The Sialkot Saga by Ashwin Sanghi is definitely a unique business thriller and an interesting book. Arvin and Arbaaz, both bright and insightful businessmen, compete against each other. Being at each other's throats, their feud is deeply rooted in the story that must unfold.

My main takeaway from this book is thatcompetition in business is normal🇧🇷 However, as a leader and entrepreneur, you must look beyond the rivalry. Because those you are competing with can help you and lend a helping hand to success if you let them. Not only in business, but also in personal life.

James Pearson, CEO da eVenturing Enterprises

The biggest lesson to be learned from this, however, is that in business, you shouldn't completely trust anyone, even when they seem nice to you. There are people who have hidden agendas and just want to get close to you to take advantage of you. You have to be aware and always take care of yourself, because that's what everyone else is doing. Of course, this doesn't necessarily apply to personal life, just business, mostly.

Sonya Schwartz, founder of Her Norm

The Phoenix Project is the story of how a struggling auto company got back on track after a monumental turnaround on a major project for its technology department. In the central chapter, the main character was reminded of an important thought from The Theory of Constraints: any improvement made anywhere beyond the bottleneck is an illusion.

I have always applied this concept to my business whenever I am faced with challenges. I look for the bottleneck and focus all of our resources on resolving that problem before proceeding with any other improvements.

Fred Blair, Founder ofdazzling rims

Business growth is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to practice and practice and get things right to be successful. The business lesson he taught me was that slow and steady wins the race in the long run.

Yes, we could make 1,000 marketing videos a month, but we would collapse. I prefer to scale slowly, implement processes and delegate properly. It has made me a better business owner by realizing that I have to develop my team on a monthly basis and always monitor our written processes.

Trevor Rappleye, CEO de Corporate Filming

The book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. The Giving Tree tells the story of a boy and a tree. Whatever the boy wants from the tree, the tree gladly gives him, for shelter, apples to sell, branches to heat his house, and finally its trunk to build a boat.

As business owners, we often fail to set the necessary boundaries for recovery so that we can continue to serve our customers to the fullest. This will eventually lead to a tree with no more trees to give.

Melanie Fine, owner of Melanie Fine

A favorite fiction book that taught me great business lessons was God Is an Englishman (Swann Family Saga) by R.F. Delderfield (1912-1972). The main character, Adam Swann, starts a wagon business in 1860 during the growth of railroads in England.

Some lessons:

1. Trust your gut; Appreciate your ideas andbe careful not to let others influence you too much.
2. Treat your staff the way you would like to be treated.
3. Find a way (or a place) to work where you won't be interrupted and allow yourself to think.deeply about the challenges you face.

Laura Hart, CEO and founder ofrobofun