Nine chief executives shared the books they\u2019ve used to educate themselves.<\/p>\n
Article by<\/strong> Beck Bamberger** | Fast Company<\/a><\/p>\n Leaders are readers. It\u2019s a mantra many of us heard growing up, and it turns out it\u2019s true. In particular, research suggests that leaders read to gain a competitive edge.\u00a0Author Steve Siebold dedicated 30 years to\u00a0studying<\/a>\u00a01,200 of the world\u2019s richest, most accomplished people and found that they all have an \u201cextensive library of books they\u2019ve used to educate themselves on how to become more successful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Anytime is the perfect time to curl up with a good read, so we asked nine CEOs for the books they\u2019re interested in giving to other\u2014and getting:<\/p>\n If you want your company to endure, Helmer contends that it must first create power. Helmer describes how in this book, which earns high marks from Jonathan Wasserstrum, cofounder and CEO of real estate technology company\u00a0SquareFoot<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cThis isn\u2019t your average coffee table business book. It\u2019s ten times better,\u201d he says. \u201cIt may scare some folks with the equations, but those can be skipped without worry.\u201d<\/p>\n This book sheds light on how AI could empower physicians to revolutionize patient care. That includes the emerging role of virtual medical assistants, which is of particular interest to Susan Bratton, founder and CEO of\u00a0Savor Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n The company uses an intelligent chatbot called Ina to give cancer patients personalized nutrition interventions.\u00a0\u201cIna can\u2019t be an un-emotive robot bot that only delivers facts and answers,\u201d she says. \u201cWe are dealing with very sick, frightened people. So, in addition to providing with the most clinically appropriate advice, we must also deliver it in a compassionate, empathetic, and understanding manner.\u201d<\/p>\n Raising capital for your company can be daunting. This book can help though, says Cody Barbo, founder and CEO of\u00a0Trust & Will<\/a>, an online service that simplifies estate planning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201c[This book] does an exceptional job of outlining the \u2018secrets\u2019 of fundraising from one of the best firms in Silicon Valley,\u201d he says. \u201cBeing able to look at fundraising through the lens of a VC allows you to be highly tactical in your approach.\u201d<\/p>\n He says that the insights have already proven successful in building two venture-backed startups over the past six years. \u201cI loved picking up a few new skills and insights for our next venture round,\u201d\u00a0says Barbo.<\/p>\n The nexus between physics and entrepreneurship may not be obvious, but it\u2019s there. At least according to Dmitry Shevelenko, cofounder and CEO of\u00a0Tortoise<\/a>, which delivers e-scooters to riders.<\/p>\n \u201cEntrepreneurship is an exercise in taming the unknown, and Deustch\u2019s work will leave you optimistic that, as long as the laws of physics allow it, any problem you encounter can be solved with sufficient knowledge,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n In fact, this book contends that excelling as a CEO is like many things: it takes ongoing training. Owning that is a good thing, Waxman says.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s exciting that we\u2019re recognizing how hard it is to be founder and that it\u2019s okay\u2014even necessary\u2014to get help,\u201d he says. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to read this book and bring back some lessons to my own coach.\u201d\u201cIn the past few years,\u00a0every founder I know has gotten an executive coach<\/a>\u2014myself included,\u201d says Michael Waxman, cofounder and CEO of dog food brand\u00a0Sundays<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What do some of the most successful CEOs have in common? And what can we learn from that? This book studies eight CEOs who drove their companies to outperform the market.<\/p>\n \u201cI first read this book as I was starting my company, and it helped me develop my own blueprint for [being] a CEO,\u201d says Jeff Cripe, founder and CEO of\u00a0Cargo<\/a>, which delivers in-car goods and services for the ride-share economy.\u00a0\u201cI read it again recently, and it was a good to do some self-evaluation and recalibrate that blueprint for our next few years of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a revolutionary book and a must-read for everyone,\u201d says\u00a0Eric Marcotulli, founder and CEO of\u00a0Elysium Health<\/a>, a supplement line based on emerging science in genomics and longevity.\u00a0 He says that he found the research on cognitive bias, or our patterns of deviating from rational judgement, especially useful. \u201cUnderstanding cognitive bias and its influence on our thought processes is central to critical thinking, which is an important skill for any founder.\u201d<\/p>\n Picking just one book was a challenge for Ashley Sumner, cofounder and CEO of\u00a0Quilt<\/a>, a community platform for women to open their homes to other women for coworking or group forums.\u00a0But ultimately, she says this one tops her list because it reminds her to double down when her gut tells her to go against the grain.<\/p>\n \u201cAs an entrepreneur and CEO with investors and shareholders, it can be very easy to get pushed into thinking like everyone else. But the whole reason I\u2019m where I\u2019m at today is because I don\u2019t,\u201d she says. \u201cThis book did a beautiful job of reinspiring the original in me, the unconventional thinker, while debunking some myths around what is necessary to become an original.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen Horowitz is a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and thought leader who I\u2019ve followed and respected for a long time,\u201d says Julie Roth Novack, cofounder and CEO of event-planning platform\u00a0Party Slate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n She especially enjoys the author\u2019s nontraditional approach to business advice and says his latest work is no exception.\u00a0\u201cIn his new book, Horowitz takes another unique perspective, this time using nonbusiness, historical figures and their experiences to suggest how to build a strong company culture,\u201d she says. \u201cAs a startup CEO of a fast-growing company, a strong culture is key to scaling and retaining top talent.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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