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Entrepreneurs

Top 12 Books Every Young Entrepreneur Should Read

The following books were conceptualized, written, and published by successful entrepreneurs who have walked down the road you intend to follow.

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If you’re a young entrepreneur, it’s easy to get lured by the drive to execute your ambitions as soon as possible. However, before jumping in, it’s crucial to amass the proper knowledge to ensure you have all the tools you need to succeed.

The following books were conceptualized, written, and published by successful entrepreneurs who have walked down the road you intend to follow. Their challenges, wisdom, and tips are exceptional tools that can help you pave your path to success with minimal risk, making these a fantastic read for anyone aspiring to become the next business powerhouse.

1. Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game – Walker Deibel

If you’re an entrepreneur building your business from scratch, you often have to come to terms with the very real possibility that your startup will succumb before reaching its true potential. In Buy Then Build, Deibel proposes you avoid the early death often found within the startup phase by skipping it altogether through acquisition entrepreneurship—buying existing small companies and improving upon them.

2. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action – Simon Sinek

Like many more before him, Sinek wondered what differentiates the world’s great leaders from the common folk.

His study of significant leadership figures across the decades led to his development of The Golden Circle, a principle he believes is the foundational stone of great organizations, movements, and projects. And it all starts with one question: why?

Why do organizations do what they do? Why do they exist? Why do customers prefer them? These and many other questions may be the key to success for young entrepreneurs like you.

3. The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs – Kevin D. Johnson

With not enough experience but eagerness for knowledge, you can easily be led astray by the plethora of advice found on the marketplace. At times, it’s quite hard to figure out the essentials.

Enter The Entrepreneur Mind, a guide that promises to help you develop a way of thinking similar to that of the world’s most outstanding entrepreneurs. Johnson’s approach is to simplify the complex by delivering 100 lessons covering the basics to build skills in all the fields required to succeed in your business.

4. The Fortune Cookie Principle: The 20 Keys to a Great Brand Story and Why Your Business Needs One – Bernadette Jiwa

While many books give you advice on finances, business, and the complexities of your specialty, few remember one of the most important aspects worth considering: presentation.

The Fortune Cookie Principle suggests that companies are like fortune cookies: they are valued for the story they have to tell. To help you build your brand story, Jiwa offers a system of 20 elements worth considering to create your brand, share it, and connect with customers in unforeseen ways.

5. She Means Business: Turn Your Ideas into Reality and Become a Wildly Successful Entrepreneur – Carrie Green

As a young 20-year-old woman, Carrie Green began her online business. Within a few years, it became a global brand, and she began to understand the importance of empowering women to do the same. She Means Business is yet another step in that direction.

Equal parts knowledgeable and motivational, She Means Business is a grounded yet hopeful look at the road ahead and a quintessential read for you, especially if you’re a young woman beginning your entrepreneurship journey.

6. The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life – Steven Bartlett

Even if you aren’t a podcast enthusiast but you’re a young entrepreneur, you might be familiar with Steven Bartlett and his famous business podcast, The Diary of a CEO. Considered one of the most listened-to worldwide, the show has featured numerous guests from many fields as Bartlett tries to decode the secrets inside the mind of a CEO.

In this book, Bartlett reflects on the knowledge he acquired throughout the podcast. At its heart, he concludes there are 33 laws that he and all his guests follow to the core. These laws are divided into four categories: self, business, money, and life. The book was a great success, and you may find it equally instructive and inspiring, so don’t ignore it.

7. Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy – Patrick Bet-David 

Published in 2020, Your Next Five Moves became an instant The Wall Street Journal bestseller, and with good reason. Rather than offering general advice for young entrepreneurs to begin their projects, the book focuses on strategic decision-making. And he’s right, don’t you agree?

In the pages, Bet-David proposes that, as an entrepreneur, you must think like a chess player—five moves ahead—and balance swift action and careful consideration to select the best course of action.

8. The Minimalist Entrepreneur: How Great Founders Do More with Less – Sahil Lavingia

Young entrepreneurs everywhere have grand ambitions and a desire to begin their journey at once. Does this sound familiar? However, you should decide your identity as a business owner first.

To that, Lavingia has a proposal: become a minimalist entrepreneur.

In The Minimalist Entrepreneur, Lavingia encourages you to change your growth mindset for a profitable one: a business that brings profits is better than one that grows, as it provides sustainability for long-term success.

9. The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, and Stand out From the Crowd – Allan Dib

Marketing your business is a pivotal step, yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood. If you do it incorrectly, this step can entirely make or break your project. Luckily, a marketing plan can be simple, fast, yet incredibly efficient—all within just one page.

The 1-Page Marketing Plan offers you an easy-to-follow explanation of the critical aspects of marketing, a few tips on understanding the perfect marketing strategy for your business, and the one-page template that can change your entrepreneurship forever.

10. The Introvert Entrepreneur: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms – Beth Buelow

A misconception in entrepreneurship circles can make you believe that introversion isn’t welcomed. Such beliefs tie success to stereotypical extroverted traits, such as loud and outspoken behavior or brash and bold attitudes.

Beth Buelow thinks otherwise. In The Introvert Entrepreneur, she argues that the average introvert has a skill set that lends itself wonderfully to entrepreneurship. For example, if you are an introvert, you may not excel at networking and self-promotion, but you definitely can make up for it with independence and curiosity, which this book encourages you to explore and hone.

11. Harvard Business Review Entrepreneur’s Handbook: Everything You Need to Launch and Grow Your New Business – Harvard Business Review

Newcomers to the world of entrepreneurship should always begin with reliable institutions, and fewer are more prominent than the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Business Review.

In that regard, the Harvard Business Review Entrepreneur’s resource is a quintessential guide to the fundamentals that every up-and-coming business should have. It covers most everyday issues you may face as a business owner and offers intricate theoretical knowledge alongside.

12. The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months – Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

What if you could fulfill your yearly goals within three months? That is the basic premise of The 12 Week Year, a guide that explains how continuous 12-week cycles are more efficient in achieving incredible results within a short timeframe.

According to the authors, instilling a sense of urgency forces you to focus on the most critical aspects of building your business without getting lost in the meaningless fluff. It also further improves your execution effectiveness and encourages growth.

Build Your Empire With The Right Tools

Entrepreneurship is always challenging, but if you have the proper knowledge, you can avoid common pitfalls and maximize opportunities for yourself and your business. 

The above books provide comprehensive skills, knowledge, and strategies worth reading. However, don’t limit yourself to just these; countless business books could hold the key to your success.

Barbara Hartman is a dedicated lifelong learner with a passion for all forms of literature. As an advocate for the BookScouter brand, she brings her enthusiasm and expertise to her role as Chief Marketing Officer. Barbara remains committed to her mission of connecting readers with their ideal literary experiences while promoting sustainable living and educating them on what to do with old books.

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs

Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

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how to build a business empire
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Back in July 2017, I attended a business seminar on entrepreneurship in India. With my appetite for learning and meeting new people, I wanted to explore the latest developments in the entrepreneurial world. (more…)

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Change Your Mindset

Why Ideas Are More Valuable Than Resources for Entrepreneurial Success

Discover why ideas, not resources, are the true driving force behind entrepreneurial success, innovation, and lasting growth.

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Power of ideas in entrepreneurship
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History shows us that the greatest minds, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Walt Disney, Stephen King, and countless others, faced failure early on. Yet, instead of seeing failure as the end, they treated it as a comma in their story, not a full stop. (more…)

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