6 Most Impactful reads of 2020
Like most people, I have found making time to read a real challenge and regularly start books and don't finish them. So last year I did something different and joined a Book Club to bring some accountability into the equation - and it worked!
I read 15 books in one year which is not only satisfying but has contributed so much to my mindset and growth in a challenging year.
The other week I was discussing with Kristina Pereckaite, who runs the Book Club, the impact the books we've read have had and we decided to share our top books of 2020 and what we got from them.
In no particular order
1. Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg
Why it had an impact: Provides you with a new ‘language’ to express yourself and communicate with others.
Biggest takeaway: As a society, we don’t have the tools to describe what’s going on for us and we are focused on the top level. The impact of that is that many arguments and frustrations are really misunderstandings that could be resolved if we were simply taught how to express ourselves properly.
You should read this book if: You find you go round in circles a lot with people or feel frustrated with your ability to communicate with others.
2. Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Why it had an impact: Shows you the potential negative impact you can have by being ‘too nice’ to people. This book provides you with a really interesting take on how to lead, give feedback, and have difficult conversations as a manager alongside clear tools on how to implement these ideas.
Biggest takeaway: Give praise in public and criticism in private. Being obnoxiously aggressive is not a good leadership approach, but being ruinously empathetic is even more damaging.
You should read this book if: You work with or lead people and want to learn how to help people enjoy their work, and get the best results for the company.
3. Clockwork by Mike Michalowicz
Why it had an impact: Helps you take the first steps to scaling your business. Helps you get clarity of what to focus on, and when, which can shape your growth strategy and mindset.
Biggest takeaway: The thing that stops small businesses from growing is the founder trying to do everything. Focus on what you’re good at, handover everything else. Getting paid £5 for an hour of doing nothing is better than being paid £20 working hard
You should read this book if: You’re a small business owner, you’re overwhelmed and still doing most things in the business and you actually would like to work a little less and get paid a little more.
4. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Why it had an impact: Helps you to develop your negotiation skills (via body language, tone of voice, choice of words etc.) which will undoubtedly help you unlock new opportunities.
Biggest takeaway: Negotiation isn’t conflict, it’s a conversation. It shouldn’t be about winning, but about finding value for both sides and you can make it fun.
You should read this book if: You hate talking about money or find negotiation awkward.
5. That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph
Why it had an impact: The raw story of building a company from pre-idea to post-investment that gives you the insight of what really happens in the usually untold part of the story between idea to early success.
Biggest takeaway: Startup is like climbing a long endless ladder, a problem at every rung and each time you solve one you’re one step close to your goal, you’re moving up and it’s thrilling to think of how high you can go. Trust your gut, but also test it. Before you do anything concrete, the data also has to agree. Build a culture in your team of ‘Freedom and responsibility’.
You should read this book if: You want to understand (to the minute details) how a company goes from coming up with the idea to having customers and getting funded. (Disclaimer: getting 3M in funding before you’ve even started is not the norm.)
6. Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestly
Why it had an impact: A great template to follow that keeps you focused. Great to see how all the pieces of the puzzle work together and to reinforce some thinking.
Biggest takeaway: Get your ideas out there - the more people know, the more they will want. There’s no easy money or quick wins. Building your personal brand takes time and hard work but it pays off. Follow your passions, not opportunities. It might look like it was easy for others, but know that they have done the hard work to get there - and so can you. Ready, fire, aim - When have you ever arrived at the perfect moment when you’ve had all the time and money in place to make something happen? It’s a fairy tale.
You should read this book if: You feel you’re working hard but not getting the results you want for you or your business. You’re frustrated that others are getting amazing results and opportunities when things feel hard for you.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post and that it has inspired you to read some of these books too! You can listen to our full discussion in the video above and find all the books in our BookShop.org list.
And if you want to read more books in 2021 and think accountability would help you, as it did for us, we’d like to invite you to join the Book Club we’re in.
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