The following five books aren’t about job hopping, but they do offer practical research and advice to help you discover what you’re meant to do. Whether you’re a woman who isn’t treated equally in the workplace or an entrepreneur trying to figure out how to make your idea take off, these books will help you gain the skills and insight you need to succeed.
Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office by Dr. Lois Frankel
I loved this book. It’s basically a bulleted how-to list for women who are overtly or inadvertently sabotaging their own careers. I found the chapter on women being women’s biggest obstacle particularly intriguing and have implemented many of the tips she offers in my own work life. The results have been overwhelmingly positive and while I was confident in my abilities before reading it, the book helped me learn how to project that confidence to others in a less-than-obnoxious way.
The Confidence Code by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay
Speaking of confidence, why is it that some people have it and others don’t? This is the questions the authors set out to answer and they results are surprising. It turns out there are a lot of factors that go into confidence and your actual abilities can have little to do with it. Instead, there may actually be a genetic component, which the book explores at length. It’s a fascinating book that will change the way you think about your own self-confidence.
The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk
If you own a business or run social media for one, this is definitely the book for you. It’s a throwback to the old days when customer service mattered and reminds us that, even in the digital age, it still does. Vaynerchuk offers practical advice for how to leverage social media to promote your brand without alienating your customers, as well as the benefits you can recoup as a result.
Originals: How Nonconformists Move the World by Adam M. Grant
Why is it that some innovators become huge hits while others toil away in their basements for years and get nowhere? Part of it has to do with the ideas themselves, but part of it has to do with the way these inventors approach their ideas. In Originals, Grant highlights both successful and failed inventions and follows it up with explanations for these outcomes. There’s a lot of research-based advice to help startups navigate the waters, but it’s also a fun read for anyone who is interested in the power of ideas.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
Say you have a great idea and catch the eyes of investors – you still need the public to buy your product. This is where Contagious comes in handy. Drawing on research and his own experience, Berger outlines the components that go into making a product go viral – from the influencers to promote it to the people who consume it. It’s a quick read that will help anyone pushing a product or promoting a brand alter their approach.