Top Books of 2021

“We Need Hope Like We Need Air.” – Brene Brown

Life is better when there is hope. When we encourage others we breathe hope into existence.

One way to be a better leader and encourage hope is to learn through reading.

We know that reading is good. Good for you and good for those around you as well.

Anyone who says otherwise has an agenda…

Science and just actually observing other people in real life (the wild) proves that:

Reading helps reduce stress (we could just stop here…)
Reading helps you focus
Reading helps you imagine
Reading helps you write better
Reading helps you have deeper and more connected conversations
Reading helps improve self-discipline
Reading helps build out the skill of practicing empathy
Reading helps you understand history and cultural context
Reading helps inspire you

(FYI: Audiobooks count!)

Additionally, the best leaders I know are also readers.

I love reading fiction. Reading fiction has more long-term mental and social benefits. Reading non-fiction though helps us more in the here and now, especially when we are focused on achieving specific objectives and use reading has a tool to help us bridge the knowledge gap. I love reading for the fact that I can borrow the expertise of others to build up my own knowledge, with experiences that I will never have the time to learn all on my own.

Every year I say I am going to slow down. I say that I am not going to read 100 books. Every year my addiction takes over and I read over 100 books.

The best part though is at the end. Each year I reflect on what I have read and then think about the people I know and the people I am close to. Then I put together a list of the books I think everyone should read. These might not be the most popular, or even new, but they are always new to me. These are the books that impacted me and caused me to think in new ways. They helped me overcome problems, helped me help others, or helped me do things better. These books have given me valuable insights, support, and ideas. Hopefully, they will help you too.

Last year’s list was pretty powerful. 2021’s might be just as good…

Here are the TOP 10 Non-Fiction Books everyone should read in 2022, listed in the order you should read them:

1. Really Care For Them by me, Mareo McCracken – if I didn’t think it was the best book of year, I shouldn’t have written it.

2. Atlas of The Heart by Brene Brown – powerful and meaningful for anyone who wants to understand themselves and others better.

3. The Disruption Mindset by Charlene Li – Innovation is mindset powered by action, this book helps you start and then execute.

4. Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson – the more we understand truth, the more we can help others, this book helps us step into our full potential.

5. The Wentworth Prospect by John Smibert, Wayne Moloney, Jeff Clulow – might be one of the best B2B sales books ever, easily the easiest to understand and apply.

6. The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy – once you understand the principles and truth found in this book, your life will never be the same.

7. Virtual Training by Jeb Blount – in the current and post COVID world, virtual training is more important than ever, and this is the best guidebook available.

8. Whatever It Takes by Brandon Bornancin -taking action, the right action, is what will set you apart from others, this book helps ignite that spark.

9. Sell Different! by Lee Salz – everybody sells, if you want to sell better, you need to sell different.

10. Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio, Jeremy Bobb – the research performed for this book is unparalleled, learn from someone who makes an incredible living (founder of the largest hedge fund in the world) from understanding these trends and ideas.

Honorable Mention (wishing 10 was bigger and could hold more books…)

11. What Happens in Tomorrow World by Jordan Gross

12. Level Five Coaching System by Hoskins, Richard Ruff

13. Continuous Sales Improvement by Eric Lofholm

14. Revenue Harvest by Nigel Green

15. Move by Sangram Vajre, Bryan Brown

16. Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday

17. The Substance of Leadership by David Robinson

18. The Hype Handbook by Michael F. Schein

19. Breath by James Nestor

20. Play Bigger by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, Kevin Maney

21. Tech-Powered Sales by Tony J. Hughes, Justin Michael