2021 Reading Challenge

Back in January of 2019 I realized that my reading had really fallen off. I honestly couldn’t remember the last book I read and as a business leader that’s not wise. Readers are leaders, right?

So, I decided to step it up and start my own reading challenge to read 52 books in a year. 52 books means one book a week and I felt that with my new audible membership this would be totally doable if I focused.

I can tell you with confidence that that simple challenge two years ago has completely revitalized my business and home life! So, as I roll into my third 52 book reading challenge I decided to share it here and get others, like you, on board as well.

You game to take the plunge with me? Let’s do it! I’ll have to say that as much as I love physical books this would not be possible without my Audible Premium Plus Annual membership. If your don’t have a membership it’s totally worth it because you’ll get 12 or 24 credits right away which means you can curate almost half of your 2021 reading challenge immediately.

The one book a month plans don’t work for readers looking to crush a book a week so the annual plan is the only way to go. If you wanna sign up you can find those plans here.

Now that you have a plan in place and you’re ready for your 2021 reading challenge check out a few of my favorite books from my 2020 reading challenge and you might find some good title for you this year.

1. Tribal Leadership

This incredible book about building leaders in your organization was a total game changer for me. It helps you understand where everyone is on their 5 stages of development and how that affects your organization. If you’re looking to build a company with a healthy culture this is a must read.

2. Why We Sleep

This book completely changed the way I view sleep. I better understand how much sleep I actually need, how to get better sleep, and opened my eyes to the serious issues that lack of sleep can cause. That last part was tough to learn as a father of 3 little kids! There is no one that should not read this book.

3. Range

I’ve always battled between being a generalist or specialist and this book really dives into what it means to be either one and what the benefits of both are. The thesis of the book is about the underrated benefits of generalists and the how the variety of their experiences help them see things and solve problems from different angles.

4. The Secrets of Closing the Sale

Zig Ziglar is the man! If you want to know about how to sell something his work is legendary and this amazing book from the 1990s is a classic that should be read by anyone in business because there is so much meat that reading it just once is not enough.

5. Atlas Shrugged

I strayed from the self help and business book genre with this classic from Ayn Rand that has been on my list for years and I’m so glad I did. Not only do I love the ideas expressed in this book about radical responsibility and business ownership, but the characters and story were so enticing I couldn’t stop listening to the book.

6. Leadership Strategy and Tactics

Jocko Willink of Extreme Ownership fame wrote an incredible new book about the nuts and bolts of applying the principles of extreme ownership and Navy Seals style leadership in this very easy read. There is so much meat on this bone you will want the book to be longer.

7. Shoe Dog

To read all about the early days of Nike and how Phil Knight and his team built an incredible company that started so humbly and completely changed the landscape of American business and athletic wear was enlightening. I loved the peek behind the curtain to see how someone built something as cool as Nike.

8. Team of Teams

This book was the catalyst for a radical restructuring of my company a couple years ago and I read it once a year to further understand these great principles. The idea that your company is a team of teams working toward the same goals is something that a lot of companies don’t understand and once they do there is nothing they can’t accomplish.

9. Never Split the Difference

We all have to negotiate things whether it is a business contract or a car purchase and this book really delivers the goods on how to do it at a new level. Chris Voss will completely revamp your thinking about negotiating. For me this enabled me to negotiate a $96,000 debt down to $19,000 using the principles in this book. So, yes, it’s worth the price!

10. Economic Facts and Fallacies

Thomas Sowell is a brilliant thinker and economist and this book really dispels a lot of myths that the public have fallen for. It reads like a dry episode of Myth Busters, but this extremely well researched book gives little wiggle room for falsehoods to spread since it has evidence to support every claim it makes.

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