Entrepreneurial life can be extremely challenging. More than 90% of startups fail within the first five years of their inception. Every founder will encounter situations where he wouldn’t know if he is headed in the right direction. It is during such times when one needs to not only introspect for character building  but also seek inspiration to stay optimistic.

There are hundreds of great books out there that offer advice & insights about the business world. However, there is only so much time that one can spare from his busy work life and we want you to make the most of it by recommending eight books that will refine your personality and make you a better thinker and leader.

books

So let’s get started.

1. How to Win Friends & Influence People
One of the first best-selling self help books that was ever published, this book can be read by anyone but is a must for entrepreneurs. After reading this book, you will be able to make friends quickly, get your employees to start thinking the way you do, avoid conflicts at workplace and become a better visionary.

2. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Successful people always have some qualities that set them apart from the    rest of the crowd. To develop those qualities, you need to tread a carefully crafted path. Stephen Covey outlines this path for you in his book.  

This book  presents a holistic, principle-centered approach to solve personal and professional problems and was listed as one of ”The 25 Most Influential Business Management Books” by Times in 2011.

3. The Lean Startup
Today, entrepreneurs have innovative ideas but often lack the tools   necessary to build an enduring business. The book offers advice from someone who himself saw his startup fail, learnt from his mistakes and then went on to build a multi-million dollar enterprise.

The book will enlighten your mind about the 5 principles that are critical to the success of a startup and what makes a startup a ‘lean’ one.

4. Rich Dad Poor Dad
Everyone would like to become an entrepreneur after reading this book.  It is about a person who has two fathers- one rich & the other poor. Both fathers teach their kid on how to achieve success  but differ vastly in their approach.

The theme revolves around two things: a can-do-attitude and fearless entrepreneurship. The lesson is simple: if you desire to be an entrepreneur, you must take charge of your life by overcoming fear, laziness, cynicism and arrogance.

5. 80/20 Sales & Marketing
The business landscape has changed considerably over the last decade.   Instead of reaching out to everyone, a highly refined targeting of potential customers is the way forward. To bolster sales and run targeted marketing campaigns effectively,  you need to focus only on those customers who are genuinely interested in your product. The secret lies in saving 80 percent of your time by zeroing in on the 20 percent of your customers who have the highest probability of buying from you.

6. The $100 Startup
Without direction, purpose and strategy, any startup stands very little chance of succeeding. From the initial stages of starting a business to managing the growing  operations, this book will assist you at every stage. The book was written after conducting interviews and surveys with founders of real startups and hence is a must read for entrepreneurs who are thinking of starting their own business.

7. Start With Why
Great leaders inspire others by putting the Why(the purpose) before the How(the process) or the What (the product). In the book, the author uses real-world examples of great leaders to show you how they communicate and how you can adopt their mindset to inspire others.

Once you are finished reading this book, you will be equipped with the tools which will help you to lead and inspire.

8. The 4-Hour Workweek
I can’t recommend this book enough. After reading this book, your life will never be the same again. People often complain about struggling to balance their work life and not finding enough time for leisure.So if you are an entrepreneur and feel like you have been trapped in the vicious circle of life, this book will serve as a useful guide for a new and revolutionary world. It is bound to shake things up and make you do things differently.