The best business books that changed how I think about leadership, business, and life

This book made me laugh out loud more than once. I relate to Brooks’ story completely—like him, I built a career not by being the absolute best at anything but through sheer effort, stubborn grit, and the simple fact that I was the last man standing. But then age enters the equation. Suddenly, I couldn’t outwork or outrun people anymore—at least not as many. My old strategy no longer worked.

Brooks tells this same story with humor and insight, then takes you on a journey to discover how to compete differently in the second half—or last third—of your career (depending on when you pick up this book!). He makes a compelling case that life is, in fact, kind of fair: when you lose one thing, you gain something else. And in this case, you gain wisdom.

What struck me most is how undervalued wisdom is in the workplace. Anyone who has spent 20 or 30 years in an industry has pattern recognition that is worth its weight in gold. You can tell when a new trend is real or just hot air. You learn to distinguish between noise and signal in ways your younger self never could. Brooks lays out a roadmap for shifting from a career built on sheer effort to one built on insight—replacing brute force with knowing well, trading being the last man standing for being the first one to see what really matters.

This book is not only packed with actionable ideas, but it’s also just a great, fun read. If you’re at a point in your career where your old strategies aren’t working the way they used to, it will show you how to pivot and thrive. I love this book.

Full disclosure: I work with Luke Burgis at the university. But it was him—and this book—that introduced me to René Girard, and my world has never been the same. It unpacks Girard’s concept of mimetic desire in a way that is both deeply insightful and immediately practical. It explains so much about human behavior—my own included—both inside and outside of business.

What struck me most is the weight of responsibility this places on business leaders. Desire is not neutral; it can be cultivated in ways that either elevate human dignity or exploit it. Burgis makes a compelling case that when leaders engage with the desires of their employees and customers responsibly, the result isn’t just business success—it’s human excellence and lasting happiness.

Beyond the ideas, it is simply a beautifully written book. I’ve had the privilege of seeing Luke’s storytelling ability in the classroom and as a friend, but he exceeds even my high expectations here. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to understand why we want what we want—and how to shape a business and a life around desires that truly matter. Well done, Luke!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a better book on management than this one. Charles Koch is, of course, no ordinary business leader—his results speak for themselves. Building one of the largest private companies in the world requires not just strategic brilliance but a deep understanding of human nature, incentives, and organizational design.

What sets Koch’s approach apart is his profound respect for human excellence. His Market-Based Management (MBM) system is one of the most person-centered frameworks I’ve encountered. Unlike the rigid structures of traditional corporate hierarchies, Koch embraces dynamic, self-organizing teams. There are no job descriptions or top-down mandates—teams select their own members and redefine roles based on each individual’s strengths, experiences, and comparative advantages. It’s simple, obvious in hindsight, yet uncommon and revolutionary in practice.

His philosophy aligns closely with my own conviction that true value creation is rooted in empowering individuals to operate at their highest potential. If you want to build an organization that is both principled and relentlessly effective, This is an indispensable read.

Few leadership books genuinely challenge you to rethink not just how you lead but why. This is one of them. It’s not a book of trendy management techniques or quick-fix strategies—it’s a guide to becoming a leader who truly serves others with intentionality, wisdom, and, yes, love.

I’ve known Randy for over a decade and have personally benefited from his insights on leadership. His writing is as practical as it is profound, offering ideas that aren’t just meant to be read but lived. Leadership, as he sees it, is not a career-award but a continuous journey of growth, reflection, and service. His book invites leaders to pause—to be deliberate about their impact and to lead with a mindset that values human excellence over mere efficiency.

What resonates deeply with me is his emphasis on why we lead. The best leaders don’t just pursue financial or operational success; they seek the ultimate good of those they serve. This echoes the lessons I learned from Saint John Paul II, who demonstrated that the most transformative leadership is rooted in wanting the best for others—not just in their careers but in their lives.

I highly recommend not just reading this but keeping it close for reference, revisiting its wisdom, and applying its lessons over time. True leadership is a lifelong practice, and this book is an invaluable companion for that journey.

Prolonged planning has killed more startups than actual failure ever could. Planning allows us to pre-judge our own ideas in a vacuum, fuels our fear of failure, and delays action until it’s too late. That’s why I love the ideas in this book—it removes those barriers and gives aspiring entrepreneurs a simple, actionable framework for moving from idea to execution quickly.

I teach entrepreneurship, and one of the biggest challenges I see isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s the lack of action. Some hesitate because they don’t know where to start, others because they fear stepping into the real world, and still others because there’s no pressure pushing them forward. Guillebeau’s book tackles all of these challenges head-on. He offers a straightforward, effective blueprint for turning an idea into a business through an ideate-launch-iterate process. It’s practical, fast, and most importantly, it gets you in front of real, paying customers—something that countless business plan competitions fail to do.

I use this book in my classroom because it teaches students the most important lesson in entrepreneurship: an idea is only as good as the first paying customer willing to validate it. Whether you’re starting a business from scratch or acting as an entrepreneurial force within an existing company, this book is one of the best guides to launching and testing ideas without wasting your time.