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Leaders Are Readers: The Books That Inspired Six Entrepreneurs To Succeed

Published by Chloe Handley at October 2, 2019
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Leaders Are Readers: The Books That Inspired Six Entrepreneurs To Succeed

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Oct 2, 2019


Launching a company can be an isolated existence and when circumstances aren’t going great, businesspeople frequently turn to their bookshelf for motivation. Many leaders have a preferred publication that has helped them master a particular challenge and these six entrepreneurs share the leadership books that set their startups on track for prosperity.

The leap of faith

It was a kids' book that motivated Cara Holland founder and director of Graphic Change to launch her own company. ‘The Dot’ by Peter Reynolds is an inspirational tale about believing in yourself and inspiring and mentoring others. It resonated with Holland, who first encountered the title when she was a social worker working with adolescents and young people. She had ambitions to be a business owner but was plagued by self-doubt and concerns about not being suitable enough.

Thirteen years later, Holland has worked with some significant names, published her very own work, Draw a Better Business, and when she is teaching people, still carries her copy of The Dot to share her audiences.

Naming your brand

Several years ago Mike Peates, director of CBD startup Medivita, established a chocolate company Chocolat Chez Moi. As it started heading into a more corporate setting with printed, stamped chocolates, he recognized that the title of his brand had to be changed, and took some influence from ‘A Book About Innocent: Our Story and Some Things We've Learned’.

Feel the fear and do it anyway

Ruth Oldfield launched her boutique coffee business Coffee & Kin with her husband several years ago. A self-confessed procrastinator, Oldfield found ‘The 5 Second Rule’ by Mel Robbins extremely valuable in defeating her hesitation to do specific responsibilities.

Aligning your organization with your vision

One of the most important challenges for entrepreneurs is building a company that’s not only aligned with their vision but also experienced, inspired, and self-sufficient. When Lily Simpson, founder, and CEO of Detox Kitchen, had grown her organization over 30 people, she found it harder to bring out the best in each employee. Then she studied ‘One Minute Manager’ by Kenneth Blanchard.

Doing more with less

Christine Telyan, CEO and co-founder of the global tech company UENI, is a big fan of Michael Lewis’s book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The account is of the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane who disputes the commonly held understanding about what abilities an athlete requires to win baseball games. By recognizing a diverse set of talents that more affluent teams weren’t watching for he could hire great, underused athletes with a modest budget.

Strong leadership

‘Good to Great’ by Jim C. Collins is prominently featured amongst the listings of leadership writings that have motivated thriving entrepreneurs, including David Brudö, CEO and co-founder of mental health and personal improvement platform Remente. He was hit by the text’s focus on strength-based leadership instead of a more problem-oriented strategy and how this is connected to success.

The book also includes a developmental chart illustrating how leaders can accelerate the growth from level one to level five.

Read the source article at forbes.com



Starting a business can be a lonely experience and when things aren’t going to plan entrepreneurs often turn to their bookshelf for inspiration. Most have a favorite book that has helped them overcome a specific challenge and these six business owners share the titles that set their startups on course for success.

It was a children’s book that inspired Cara Holland founder and director of Graphic Change, to start her own business. ‘The Dot’ by Peter Reynolds is an inspiring story about believing in yourself and encouraging and nurturing others. It resonated with Holland, who first discovered the book when she was a social worker working with children and young people. She had aspirations to be an entrepreneur but was beset by insecurity and imposter syndrome, and worries about not being good enough.

Read the source article at forbes.com


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Launching a company can be an isolated existence and when circumstances aren’t going great, businesspeople frequently turn to their bookshelf for motivation.

  • Author
Chloe Handley
Chloe Handley Administrator
Chloe Handley has progressed to Global Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist since joining JMJ in 2011. Chloé’s experience spans both agency and in-house; working with brands such as Sodexo, Rics, Neopost, Harley Medical Group, Lancashire Constabulary, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Coca-Cola. Her experience spans lead generation through digital design and marketing, brand narrative and consistent business and client-focused targeted marketing communications. Chloé’s responsible for managing brand development and marketing and communication strategies across JMJ, helping to drive growth and maintain JMJ’s market lead position. She works with internal teams to develop tailored marketing plans across a range of communications channels – in line with JMJ’s business development objectives.
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