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Considering we live in times where we live in the fear of technology taking away our jobs, constantly updating our skills and resume for career growth can get a bit tedious and overwhelming. If it’s inspiration that you’re looking for, or a little nudge to guide you towards the path that can help you unlock your potential, then these non-fiction books can help you get into the right mindset at any stage of your life. Written by professionals and experts, think of these gems as resources that offer new ways to get to the top of your career.
8 books you must read for career growth
Published in 2013, the New York Times Bestseller author's David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants is a collection of essays that explore the relationship between power and prestige and weakness and struggle. If you are one rooting for the underdogs, then this book draws on stories and examples from the world of business, sports, culture, science and psychology that overturns conventional thinking about power dynamics.
As a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Jeffrey Pfeffer shares practical tips on how to accomplish change in your workplace, your life, and the world, in just 8 to 10 weeks. His “7 rules,” which include networking relentlessly and breaking the rules, promise to give you the skills to increase your salaries, find satisfaction at your workplace, advance your career and bring about a change in your organisation.
If you think that money is the best motivator at work, then Daniel H.Pink is here to change your mind. The bestselling author believes that the secret to high performance and satisfaction is the need to have control of our lives, while learning and creating to do new things. True motivation, according to Pink, is autonomy, mastery and purpose, all of which he dissects with the help of theories and instances that are backed by science.
If you’ve admired the outstanding performances of your favourite athletes, whether it’s Messi or Ronald, and think that it is all “God’s given talent,” then psychologist Angela Duckworth debunks the notion of talent. According to Duckworth, the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a mix of passion and persistence that she likes to call “grit.” The book also goes into great detail to explain how you can learn “grit,” regardless of your intelligence or circumstances to become the best version of yourself.
In this book, Facebook’s COO talks about the disparities between the two genders in the workplace. Sandberg draws from her own life experiences to provide practical advice for women who face problems in the workplace, and how learning to “lean in” can help deal with preconceived stereotypes and anxieties for women to grow and thrive at work.
If you’re looking for a handbook on developing your entrepreneurial skills, then this is the book for you. In this step-by-step guide, the HBR Entrepreneur’s Handbook gives the tried-and-tested fundamentals you need to set up any business and organisation from scratch. Think of this book as a hand holding you through the ups and downs of start-up life.
Published in 2022, Becoming a Changemaker is a 300-page guide on how to lead change, no matter who you are. In this book, Budak–whose widely popular class (that goes by the same name as the title of the book) at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, shares an inspiring and research-backed guide to developing leadership skills and making an impact. Pick this one up if you want a dose of inspiration and want the motivation to take action for your life and career.
Popular for her TED Talk on “power poses” which currently has millions of views on YouTube, Amy Cuddy wrote a book that presents the science behind how you can liberate yourself in a nerve-wracking, high-pressure situation to be present and be the best version of yourself, whether it’s during an interview or your investor’s meeting. The Harvard professor believes that by tapping into your own pool of power, you can achieve presence–a state in which you stop worrying about making an impression and instead perform at your best level, while making a connection with people.
