6 must-read Books for Budding Managers

The life of budding managers of B-School is quite intriguing. The environment they are nurtured in is competitive. This leads them to indulge themselves in sharpening their business acumen with a combination of smart work and hard work. With cut-throat competition, starting right from getting into the business school of their dreams to being the best in college and getting a bounteous paycheque on passing out, the race to be the best amongst the lot does not cease to end. Moreover, the pile of books they have to master is another story altogether.

But, the first question that pops into our minds is if mastering the books that the curriculum so demands are sufficient to stand out from many of our peers?

What are those tricks or knowledge resources that can help you gain that extra edge over the other budding managers of B-School? Well, worry not! As you read on, you will discover the 6 must-read books that can help you add an extra star to your list of expertise. These well-acknowledged knowledge resources can deepen your understanding of business management and adrenalize your corporate skills and managerial expertise to great lengths.

1. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C. K. Prahalad

K. Prahalad in his book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, shows the flip side of various economies, unravelling business models that facilitate the reach of goods and services to the poorest segment of the societies in the world. He talks about the fastest-growing new markets and entrepreneurial opportunities found in the lowest reaches of these economies i.e., at the bottom of the financial pyramid. Bill Gates reviewed this book as a masterpiece offering an intriguing blueprint of how to fight poverty with profitability. The book gives vivid glimpses of the possible business models which have not been explored intensively. This is thus, a must-read book for the managers of B-School to broaden their horizons and explore different perspectives.

2. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a best-selling help book of all times. People skills is one of the most important skills of business management. This book will introduce the 12 must-have corporate skills that can do wonders for a budding manager of B-School.

• Innovation starts from within. The book will help you leave behind mental baggage and introduce you to new thoughts, visions, and ambitions

• Master socializing skills

• Boost popularity

• Influence people to your way of thinking

• Boost your influence, prestige, and ability to get things done

• Expand business opportunities by getting new clients and customers

• Increase earning power

• Improve sales expertise and negotiation skills

• Improvise problem-solving and people skills

• Make you a communication leader, an entertaining conversationalist

• Provide in-depth knowledge of psychological principles and their applicability in real life

• Boost motivation and leadership skills.

3. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter

The book revolving around financial literacy and independence sheds light on the various aspects of finance and methods of building wealth through making investments in assets and real-estate, venturing into new businesses and improving financial intelligence or IQ to expand business and financial acumen. Finance is one of the most important domains and needs deep practical understanding and outlook. The book is a must-read to develop rational thinking skills and to understand Finance and its components extensively.

4. Corporate Chanakya

Chanakya who lived in the 4th Century BC is considered a leadership guru of all times. He had intriguing ideas on identifying and training leaders for governing a country. He is well known for his book Kautilya’s Arthashastra. In addition, the book containing 6000 aphorisms or sutras. It reflects upon the ancient formula of success of corporate leaders and develops a deep understanding of corporate skills and rational thinking skills. Based on three main pillars of Leadership, Business Management and Corporate Training, it talks of tricks for being a better problem-solver, decision-maker and a powerful leader. The book gives a deeper insight into ancient managerial practices. It also shows how their application yields great results in today’s time. The book speaks about various corporate skills and above all, managerial practices that can be very effective and result-driven.

5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

This business and self-help book uncovers the golden approach for being effective in the attainment of organizational goals by aligning oneself to what the author calls, "The True North". Covey defines effectiveness as the path for achieving desired results. This can be attained by caring for those who help in the facilitation of such results.

Business Management as an area of expertise, calls for effectiveness in all aspects and practices, that cater to the attainment of desired results in all the functions of management. Therefore, learning these 7 habits will definitely help you excel in all walks of life.

6. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

The best-seller book scrutinizes the various factors that contribute to gigantic successes. In his book, the author examines why Beatles is considered the best musical acts of all times, how Bill Gates became the richest man in the world, how Joseph Flom built Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom into the most sought-after law firms in the world, and how perceived intelligence, rational thinking and decision-making may vary in individuals because of cultural differences. He mostly reiterates the “10,000-Hour Rule”. The rule states that practising any skill correctly for 10,000 hours can help in gaining extreme expertise and make one a trendsetter.

This book by Malcolm Gladwell throws insight into the power of observation. It also talks about how it can help in analyzing remarkable trends. The business managers of B-School ought to be great observers and knowledge leaders. The book throws light on the success stories of well-known personalities reflecting the skills that helped them reach such heights.

Conclusion – Are you convinced to change your outlook towards your career?

The above-mentioned books cover mostly all areas that a good business leader shall explore. Being management graduates of the 21st century calls for thorough dynamism and practical knowledge that helps in the real-world application of managerial principles and skills. As they say, the CEO of a company on an average reads more than 60 books a year. Thus, mastering a few of these books will do wonders for your career too.