There are hundreds of books out there claiming to guide you straight towards success. While this claim may very well be true, sifting through that mass of books is not an easy task, even for an avid reader such as myself. Not only is the list of available books endless, so are the benefits you can gain from reading books within this sector.

While there is a popular belief that literature is dying out, I would like to argue that it is richer than ever. There are so many different perspectives and insights available. You simply need to know where to look. To help set you in the right direction, I’ve compiled my top 7 books I believe everyone should read to help themselves grow both professionally and individually.

1. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

The first time I heard about this book was during a positive psychology lecture in college. The guest speaker raved that this book, originally published in 1990, would be a resource that would never go out of style and would never fail to be beneficial for its readers. As a testament to his words, this book has been continuously republished ever since and has even been a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Author Stephon Covey explains a process to improve both your personal and professional life. As he explains, both are necessary to be a successful and thoughtful leader.

2. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Habits not only affect our personal lives, but they can bleed over into our professional lives as well. However, habits are not set in stone. In this New York Times bestseller, Charles Duhigg explains how we can identify our bad habits and reform them.

You won’t only be able to identify your own bad habits, but you’ll also begin to notice the habits of others. After reading this book, you’ll see improvements in your own lifestyle and work habits, but you can also use this knowledge to your advantage in any aspect of business.

3. The Compound Effect

Written by prominent businessman Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine, this book is straight forward and direct in its instruction. It is based on the simple principle that our actions shape our future. We will either lead ourselves to prosperity or hardship. Ultimately, our fate lies in our own hands.

By focusing on our everyday actions and decisions, we can grow exponentially in business and more. Unlike many other “self-help” books that have grown in popularity today, this book doesn’t focus on exciting language or flashy ideas. It offers a simple, step-by-step approach to achieving the life you want of your own accord.

4. How to Win Friends & Influence People

We’ve expressed this notion on several occasions before: networking is important. With over 15 million copies of this book sold, we would consider author Dale Carnegie to be a pretty reliable source.

This book dives deep into how you can adjust your regular interactions to not only build more substantial relationships but to improve your persuasion skills and actually be able to influence others. In the world of business, these skills are crucial to have.

5. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management

Kevin Kruse is not only a New York Times bestselling author, but he’s also an experienced entrepreneur with an extensive background in executive-level leadership. In his book, he brings in survey research and interviews with over 200 entrepreneurs, billionaires, and even an Olympic athlete.

We’ve all fallen victim to procrastination before. Regardless of if you consider yourself to be a chronic procrastinator or not, Kruse offers an insightful breakdown of how to become your most productive self.

“Sometimes you have to take two steps back to take ten steps forward.” – Nipsey Hussle

6. HussleNomics: Money, Ownership & Business Lessons Inspired by Nipsey Hussle

While Nipsey Hussle may be more well-known for his music career, he was also a prominent entrepreneur. Author Ash Cash uses Hussle’s teachings to develop a step-by-step approach to managing your finances.

Cash’s book puts a unique spin on career development and finance management. His writing style is engaging and will be sure to give you the push you need to really take control of your future.

7. The Art of War

If you never had to read this book in school, you’ve probably at least heard of it. So why is it mentioned in this article about books to help with business? The Art of War, written by Sun Tzu around the 5th century B.C. (and yes, you ready that correctly), is probably one of the most influential books on strategy ever written.

While we don’t suspect that you’ll be declaring war on your boss in your next meeting, strategy is at the heart of any business. In modern-day, Tzu’s strategies have been applied to politics and business concepts. This book addresses the inevitability of conflict and competition while explaining how to come out on the other side victorious.

Books offer much more to us than we give them credit for. If you aren’t into reading, there’s also always audiobooks and podcasts to consider. If these books aren’t covering exactly what you’re looking for either, download BrandResumes’ FREE ebook here. Have any recommendations yourself? Be sure to leave a comment of your favorite book to read for career advancement!