From recent bestsellers to old-school business parables, these are the best business books to read in 2017. What would you add to this list? Leave me a comment.

by Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer

Researchers Galinsky and Schweitzer say that success isn't a one-sided path of collaboration or competition; we're wired to do both, and the magic happens when we learn to strike the right balance between these two forces to improve our relationships. A smart, practical book to help you become "a better friend and more formidable foe."

by Tom Rath

A powerhouse of a book, Rath's latest bestseller gives us a truckload of science to explain the importance of the three key conditions that differentiate fully charged days from ordinary days:

  • Meaning: doing something that benefits another person.
  • Interactions: creating far more positive than negative moments.
  • Energy: making choices that improve your mental and physical health.

by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

Think leaders like Steve Jobs and Colin Powell were born gifted or had extraordinary childhoods? Nope. They were utterly ordinary, like most of us. The difference? Grit. It's one of the elements that will turn any ordinary Joe into a behemoth of success--along with things like resilience, perseverance, tenacity. In Grit to Great, Kaplan and Koval show the research behind how people get ahead by working incredibly hard, putting in the hours, and making their own luck.

by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz

These Google Ventures partners give us a practical guide to answering critical business questions, whether you're a small startup, part of the Fortune 100, a solopreneur, or a nonprofit. It's for anyone with a big opportunity, problem, or idea who needs to get answers today.

by John C. Maxwell

I know what you're thinking: "No, not another 'XX principles' leadership book!" Yeah, I'm getting tired of that genre myself, but if you're going to own one, it may as well be this classic gem--the updated and expanded version. Internationally recognized leadership expert Maxwell treats us to a plethora of highly useful and easy-to-understand business and leadership advice through compelling anecdotes.

By Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Get your testosterone on. In Extreme Ownership, SEALs Willink and Babin detail the mindset and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat, and show you how to apply them to a team, family, or organization.

by Sydney Finkelstein

A fascinating exploration of the world's most effective bosses--and how they motivate, inspire, and enable others to advance their companies and shape entire industries. Finkelstein--an acclaimed professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business--reveals his findings from more than 200 interviews of top leaders.

by George Orwell

If you haven't picked this one up since ninth grade, it's truly worth another read. A dramatic takeover; disengaged, top-down management; besieged, underappreciated workers--this Orwell parable on totalitarianism serves as a great lesson in organizational behavior.

Published on: Feb 22, 2017