Eve O'Rourke from the website Improve Her Health has compiled a list of recommended reading for women bosses and "Leaders, Lions and the Hunt for Team Excellence" made the cut. Check out this valuable resource list for women professionals.
This article showcases our top picks for the Best Books Women Bosses Should Read. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below). We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article. This list is in no particular order.
Table of Contents The Checklist Book by Alexandra Franzen
Extreme Productivity by Bob Pozen
Unbought and Unbossed By Shirley Chisholm
Leaders, Lions and the Hunt for Team Excellence by Christopher Novak
Brain-Powered Weight Loss by Eliza Kingsford
Grace + Oak by Kristin Helms
Idea Stormers by Wiley Jossey-Bass
From Dust To Discipline by Nastassia Ponomarenko
The 7 Key Principles to Tap into the Wealth Inside You by Dr. Cali Estes
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber
Secrets of Six-Figure Women by Barbara Stanny
Business Boutique by Christy Wright
Small Mistakes, Big Consequences by Anne Corley Baum
Staying Power by Cara Silletto
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
Back to Work After Baby by Lori Mihalich-Levin JD
Girly Code by Cara Alwill Leyba
The Magic of Tiny Business by Sharon Rowe
From Nothing by Ian Pribyl
Untamed by Glenen Doyal
This product was recommended by Alexandra Franzen from AlexandraFranzen
The checklist is one of the world’s oldest―and most effective―productivity systems. If anything, author and entrepreneur Alexandra Franzen shares, it is just as valuable now as it was during the days of the Roman Empire. Writing out a simple checklist allows us to tangibly plan our day and set in stone what we want to accomplish.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Renee Fry from Gentreo Inc.
Time is precious. Using time wisely is a skill every woman boss needs so as to be successful in her career and at home too. Bob Pozen’s book on Extreme Productivity gives you the practical tools you need to make instant changes to your life. Whether is it is running effective meetings, or finding ways not to have them at all, Mr. Pozen’s book gives you the tips you need to save time today and tomorrow.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Kat Courtney from The AfterLife Coach
Ms. Chisholm literally wrote the book on how to be courageous and blaze a trial where no woman has gone before. She was the first African-American female elected to the U.S. Congress, and the first to vie for the Presidential nomination too. She tackled racism and sexism with grace, fire, and unparalleled bravery, and she’s a full-fledged inspiration for anyone facing resistance to their own rightful voice and power. This is a must-read for any boss-lady.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Christopher Novak from LeadershipAuthor
Professional development doesn’t have to be boring. Some books on leadership are simply more fun than others. Leaders at all levels will find this book on leadership development and teamwork to be unlike anything they’ve read before and particularly appealing to women who value a balanced approach. Lions have taught humans about teamwork for thousands of years. Our ancestors watched and learned how big cats planned, adapted and executed the hunt while maintaining strong unit bonds. These well-honed instincts allow lions to dominate their environment and provide a blueprint for applying them to ours. Leaders look for creative ways to improve teamwork and achieve more. This book fuses the lion’s secrets of success with real-world leadership challenges that organizations face every day. The result is a fast-paced storyline offering practical insights into developing a more effective, productive and cohesive team. It is an ideal resource for professionals and organizations wanting to sharpen leadership skills and promote high performance. BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Katherine Harwood from ElizaKingsford
The brain-powered path to your happiest and healthiest adult weight. Tailored for every adult who’s struggled with weight gain and weight loss — from young adults and college students to men and women of all ages. Losing weight and successfully maintaining it over the long term less about what you put in your stomach; it’s more about what’s happening in the brain. In Brain-Powered Weight Loss, psychotherapist and weight management expert Eliza Kingsford shows that more than 90 percent of people who go on diet programs (even healthy ones) fail or eventually regain because they have a dysfunctional relationship with food. Changing this relationship by changing the way you think about and behave around food is what it takes to permanently achieve weight-loss success. This 11-step program enlists dozens of mind-altering and behavior-changing exercises and techniques.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Kristin Helms from KristinHelms
Meg Stone and I created this book for women who are following their dreams and pursuing their passions. Including over 130 inspirational poems about discovering your strengths and achieving your goals paired with beautiful images, this book is perfect for every woman’s coffee table or night stand.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Bryan Mattimore from Growth Engine Innovation Agency
Every business leader, but increasingly female executives, are being asked to create an environment where employees are encouraged to generate new and original ideas to help the organization grow. Unfortunately, traditional “brainstorming†is often ineffective. Ideation techniques, on the other hand, which use a rich palette of proven stimuli-rich, creative problem-solving methodologies, can generate a wide range of implementable options — not to mention true breakthroughs — for virtually any creative problem or business challenge. Drawing on his work leading high-stakes ideation sessions at over 300 organizations, the author explains the how, what, and why of successful ideation processes and provides a framework for when and how leaders can use them. The featured creative problem-solving techniques include triggered brainwalking, the worst idea technique, question assumptions, problem redefinition, directed wishing, and many more. As importantly, Idea Stormers includes real world stories that demonstrate how the creative problem-solving techniques have been used to address a wide range of business challenges: from strategy to sales, marketing to culture change… and the creation of new products and services valued at over $3 billion.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Nastassia Ponomarenko from Nasty Fit
From Dust to Discipline will help you learn how to… * Attain self-love, worth, and happiness * Overcome fears, laziness, and the little mind mentality * Become dedicated, determined, and disciplined * Incorporate faith, forgiveness, and gratitude * Chase fulfilling happiness vs. temporary happiness * Conquer the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical bodies Nastassia Ponomarenko is by nature and by reputation, a visionary. She is a young entrepreneur, being the founder of her successful fitness apparel company, Nasty Fit. Currently, she is in the process of creating a business for young women who want to become successful leaders and future game-changers. Being just 20 years old, Nastassia is unstoppable. She came to a point of realizing that there was a deeper calling, a mission to be a leader to others who did not have the knowledge, influences, or awareness to guide themselves to success in all areas of their lives.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Cali Estes from The Addictions Coach
Dr. Cali Estes has paved the way for women entrepreneurs. She covers everything from how to find your purpose in life, your passion, defeat your limiting belief systems, build a roadmap to success and jump. I followed her lead and it helped me to build my coaching business to help college girls overcome anxiety and excel in the college arena.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Natalie Ruiz from AnswerConnect
Invisible Women Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez discusses the big problem that exists in our data-driven world: there is a huge data gap where women should be represented. The lack of gender equality in data impacts virtually every aspect of life. This book is built on hundreds of studies and extensive research. I recommend it to everyone.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by MK Andersen from First Hundred Days
I recommend this book because we so often find ourselves so emotionally invested in our businesses. That’s not a bad thing by any means, but it makes it harder to think pragmatically and release ourselves from the interworkings of our business. This book talks about the importance of systems and removing ourself from the everyday working of a business.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Julianne Buonocore from Jules Buono
With the number of women earning six figures a year increasing, this book takes an unprecedented look inside what makes these particular women succeed in the workplace, and it shares certain characteristics these women, of all backgrounds and careers, have in common. It serves as a guide for women in leadership desiring to do and earn more.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Lynell Ross from Zivadream
Business Boutique is written by a woman who has the business background to give you all the information you need to run a successful business, in addition to balancing your life with your work. Wright is a Certified Business Coach working for the Dave Ramsey company, Ramsey solutions. This book is a step by step guide teaching business foundations in addition to helping you through the mindfields of dealing with your relationship to money, guilt, marketing without being pushed and how to tell your story to the right people to make an impact. Whether you own your own business or are the boss in a corporation, this book walks you through the balancing act of doing your job while having a life. Wright is upbeat, yet direct and deals with real life issues.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Jennifer Bright from Momosa Publishing LLC
Small Mistakes, Big Consequences is a lighthearted look at the top 16 business mistakes that people make without realizing the potential consequences. Learn how to identify these common character mistakes that can make or break your relationships.. Avoid making these mistakes yourself and learn how to work with and manage these personality types. Discover how to: – Be perceived as sincere and trustworthy – Empower your team for greater success – Help team members take accountability for their actions – Encourage others to listen to your perspective – Present your best, most professional self Small Mistakes, Big Consequences is filled with simple, actionable business tips to help you succeed. It’s your guide to navigating the speed bumps on the road to the corner office.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Cara Silletto from Crescendo Strategies
This insightful new book is designed to help executives, leaders, and managers discover exactly how our workforce has changed in the past 10 years, why employers are struggling to keep talent today, and how to gain better staffing stability moving forward.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Laura Malin from LauraMalin
This book is essential (pun-intended!) for women who deal with a lot of demand. The distinction the author makes between essence and and nonessential is so easy to apply in our daily lives that I really recommend it. Current society gives us way too many choices, and bosses deal with decision fatigue all the time. Women – on top of it – have to manage a level of pressure that can be inhumane. We end up losing our filters about what are the important things. This book helps us reconnect with this capability and turn the perception back on again. It instructs on how to put time aside to analyze, determine and plan what is really important. Here is a list of some lessons I learned. – Less but better (more time does not produce more quality) – Uncommit (and avoid sunk-cost bias) – Say no (a clear no is more graceful than a vague yes) – Set boundaries (if we don’t, people will do it for us) – Don’t multitask (it is a lie) – Turn your phone off (you also need to recharge) – Be your own boss (in order to manage other people)BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Irene Rojas Stanbury from LEMONKIND
It is the real life story of Virginia Hall, one of the most important American spies during the WWII. I loved it because she was the embodiment of courage at a time when women were clearly dismissed and/or not taken seriously. It was because of this “dismissal of women’s capabilities†in fact, that she was able to go about building one, if not, the most important resistance networks in all of France.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Lori Mihalich-Levin from Mindful Return LLC
Working Mother Magazine said it’s a battle cry for mothers that aspire to lead in their fields, and that it is every ambitious new mother’s bible.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Leia Kalani from Tropical Topics
If you’re a female boss then this is the book for you. Girl Code is the roadmap for success for female entrepreneurs who are looking to show the world exactly what they’re made of. It’s about more than just being the best boss you can be, but about how to do so while embracing your femininity and showing up for other women in the same boat as you.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Kara Duffy from KaraDuffy
I’m a big believer in creating businesses for the size you need or want, not what external forces say you need. We should be shifting the conversation from building empires to building what’s sustainable for you and your business. Everyone doesn’t need to be the next millionaire to be a successful entrepreneur or business owner. I picked this one up to learn to see what Sharon says on this topic and if there’s something within her point of view that would add value to my own perspective and tools I can provide my clients.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Kara Duffy from KaraDuffy
Being someone who regularly makes things from nothing – new businesses, products, strategies, fun, etc. I picked up this book to see another leader’s perspective in how they create from nothing. It’s a skill that is often missing but critical for both individuals and people – especially in today’s constantly evolving and changing marketplace. Seeing possibilities and knowing where to start and how to make them happen is a competitive advantage that I’m able to offer as a Business Coach & Consultant and am passing on to my clients.BUY OR LEARN MORE
This product was recommended by Kara Duffy from KaraDuffy
I love memoires and I love stories of possibilities and leaning in on who you are meant to be. It’s why I created Powerful Ladies and why I’m a business coach. There’s so much power in being you as an individual and there’s so much opportunity for your business when you lean in on what makes you unique.BUY OR LEARN MORE
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