The Top Five Business Books All Decision-Makers Should Read

1. Antifragile – Nassim Taleb, who authored The Black Swan, is long-winded and, at times, sanctimonious in his writing. Work through the book anyway. The central tenet of antifragility is the notion that great organizations not only tolerate and survive stress but grow as a result. Taleb offers a massive insight by noting the key difference between mechanisms and organisms: Mechanisms deplete or depreciate with use and stress. Organisms become stronger and more robust. There is also nobody I know of who understands the nature of risk better.

2. Influence – Robert Cialdini. Read the Second Edition, which captures the impact of social media. It’s not enough to make a decision, but you often have to convince people to make the decisions that give your decision life. It’s a long book but worth the time. The second edition adds a 7th force of influence – unity, which contemplates the role of tribalism as a force of influence.

3. Start With Why – Simon Sinek. I thought I knew all about this after watching The Golden Circle video. I was wrong. Take the time to read it. This book is so much more about how awesome Apple is (or was in 1998). In fact, Apple isn’t even the strongest brand cited in the book. Consider how Harley Davidson is such a strong brand that people tattoo the logo on themselves. That’s dedication, and it goes beyond a motorcycle that people like. Knowing your why provides a clear framework for making almost every decision with which you are faced.

4. They Ask You Answer – Marcus Sheridan. One of the two best marketing books I have ever read. It applies to any business I can think of except pure commodity businesses. Your decision-making ought to be driven by the questions that your customers, investors, employees, and stakeholders ask. When people ask questions, they are telling you what they care about. The result is not only more effective decision-making but vastly reduced wasted motion and energy.

5. 4DX – The Four Disciplines of Execution – Chris McChesney. The keys to organizational health are transparency and (non-weaponized) accountability. If you feel like you need help ensuring that your decisions are operationally realized, this book will help. Decisions made without execution are simply aspirations and undermine leadership’s credibility and forcefulness once people in the organization realize that there’s little to no follow-through and no will to either convince or compel the organization to turn those decisions into reality.

My experience tells me that the best decision-makers are the most voracious learners, and books are the best deal around in terms of the return on financial investment. Not only will being well-read better inform your decisions, but I don’t care how you consume these books; read them, listen to them on Audible, or even use a summary on Blinkist. The best way to read a book is the way you’ll actually do it.