The 27 Business Books I Couldn’t Leave Behind

During my final week as CEO of Walker Sands, I faced a seemingly trivial challenge: which books from my office shelf was I willing to carry home?

Over the years, I’d collected a mountain of business books. Some were quick reads, others deep reference materials. But only a handful had earned dog-eared pages, late-night re-reads, and a permanent spot in coaching conversations. These were the ones I turned to when helping others grow into leadership roles, the ones I often gifted, and the ones I'd consistently copied pages to share.

Since everyone else is sharing their list, what follows is my ruthlessly curated best business books list. These are the books I kept, the ones that made into the box I carried four blocks to my car, grouped by the areas of business where they’ve had the biggest impact on me.

Leadership & Management

Tools for leading through uncertainty, building trust, and making things happen — especially when it’s hard.

• The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz
  A brutally honest guide to surviving the toughest leadership moments — especially when there’s no playbook.
  

• Turn the Ship Around – L. David Marquet
  How a nuclear sub captain flipped the leadership model from command-and-control to empowerment.
  

• The Making of a Manager – Julie Zhuo
  A field guide for new managers navigating their first real leadership roles.

Radical Candor – Kim Scott

The case for leading with directness and empathy — and how to get both right.

Nine Lies About Work – Marcus Buckingham & Ashley Goodall

Challenges the "best practices" of management with data-backed truths about how people really thrive.

Managing the Professional Service Firm – David Maister

Still the definitive playbook for anyone leading a people-based, project-driven business.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni

A story-driven breakdown of the patterns that derail teams — and how to fix them.

The Advantage – Patrick Lencioni

Why organizational health is your most sustainable competitive edge — and how to build it intentionally.

Strategy & Growth

For scaling smart, staying focused, and building a business that endures.

Good to Great – Jim Collins

What separates the best from the rest — and how disciplined leadership fuels transformation.

Zero to One – Peter Thiel

A bold, contrarian take on creating truly original businesses in a sea of incrementalism.

Competitive Advantage – Jaynie Smith

How to position and communicate what really makes your company different — and valuable.

Traction – Gino Wickman

The EOS system: a simple, powerful framework to bring structure and clarity to a growing business.

People & Hiring

Hiring the right people is everything. These books helped me build teams that could scale.

Who – Geoff Smart & Randy Street

A repeatable hiring method that dramatically improves your odds of choosing the right candidate.

Innovation, Creativity & Decision Making

How to think better, decide smarter, and unlock creative solutions.

The Checklist Manifesto – Atul Gawande

Why even the most brilliant professionals need checklists to avoid simple, costly mistakes.

Getting to Yes – Roger Fisher, William Ury & Bruce Patton

The classic guide to principled negotiation — achieving agreement without giving in.

The Secret of the Highly Creative Thinker – Dorte Nielsen & Sarah Thurber

A hands-on approach to boosting creativity by spotting connections others miss.

Culture & Motivation

What motivates people, builds belonging, and shapes a great workplace.

The Culture Code – Daniel Coyle

A deep dive into the hidden patterns that create strong, high-performing cultures.

The Energy Bus – Jon Gordon

A fable about leading with positivity and getting your team aligned and energized.

The Dream Manager – Matthew Kelly

Reframes employee engagement by helping people achieve their personal dreams — not just career goals.

Marketing, Sales & Influence

How to capture attention, create demand, and build loyalty in a noisy world.

Contagious – Jonah Berger

Breaks down why some ideas spread — and how to engineer word-of-mouth marketing.

Why We Buy – Paco Underhill

Fascinating insights into the psychology of shopping and what influences buyer behavior.

Ogilvy on Advertising – David Ogilvy

Timeless advertising wisdom from one of the industry’s most legendary minds.

The Ultimate Question – Fred Reichheld

Introduces Net Promoter Score (NPS) and its role in driving customer-focused growth.

Real-Life Business Biographies

Because sometimes the best lessons come from real-world wins, losses, and near-death moments.

Shoe Dog – Phil Knight

An unvarnished look at the chaos and purpose behind Nike’s rise, written with grit and vulnerability.

First in Thirst – Darren Rovell

The story of Gatorade’s rise — a behind-the-scenes look at branding, sports marketing, and execution.

These are my books, the ones that made it home. I’d love to know: What are the ones you’ve marked up, re-read, and shared the most? What would you put into your box?

I’d love to share and compare notes.