Published December 20, 2018

12 Days of Holiday Reading to Get You Motivated and Inspired

It’s the season of giving, and while a partridge in a pear tree would be nice, we thought sharing a list of our 12 favorite books would be a tad more practical. After all, someone’s gonna have to feed that bird, right?

So we asked the team here at FBR to name the most inspiring and motivating books they’ve read this year so we could share them with you. It’s non-returnable, so we hope you enjoy our list of favorite reads this holiday season.

FBR Staff Picks

1. Amaze Every Customer Every Time by Shep Hyken

Customer experience expert Shep Hyken explains why delivering amazing customer service requires everyone in an organization to be a leader – and how to empower employees to step up and take your company from good to great.

2. Quiet by Susan Cain

Quiet explores how today’s society dramatically undervalues introverts, diving into the dominant values of American business culture, where the innovation and leadership potential of introverts can be overlooked – and how much we lose in doing so.

“A good book for any business owner (or person) to read to better understand their employees. Many traditional leaders are not “quiet” so it may be especially beneficial for them to understand the other half.”
-Sarah Brady, Editorial Director

3. Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross and MaryLou Tyler

Learn the outbound sales process that added $100 million in recurring revenue to Salesforce.com without any cold calling or marketing budget – and how you can replicate it.

4. Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business by Luke Williams

Think about the companies that are disruptors – Apple, Uber, AirBnB, 23andMe…there’s so many more. We’re in an age of disruption. In order to thrive you need to innovate, but how do you develop a mindset needed to revolutionize your business? Disrupt explores how to think the unthinkable.

5. The One Thing (audio book) by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

The perfect holiday read. If you need less on your plate and more out of work and life (and who doesn’t), this book is for you. Learn how to cut through the clutter and master what matters to you.

“Driving growth can be the enemy of staying focused. The One Thing helps you stay on target.”
– Eric Stites, CEO

6. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Do you make New Year’s resolutions and break them before the month (or week) is out? Or do you skip the resolutions, knowing you’re bound to fail anyway? Maybe it’s your mindset. This book explores the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and how embracing a growth mindset can motivate and guide you to success.

7. Radical Candor, by Kim Scott

Can you be a kick-ass boss and still be a compassionate human in the eyes of your staff? Yes…but how? Radical Candor presents a simple framework for building a culture of feedback, cohesiveness, and achieving results within your team.

“One of my favorite books this year. For any leader looking to create a positive culture in which staff and leadership truly care about mutual success, this is a must-read.”
-Michelle Rowan, President and COO

8. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Whether you are an actual startup company, a Fortune 500 brand, or somewhere in between, The Lean Startup is a great “ready, fire, aim” reminder that getting a minimum viable product (MVP) in the hands of your potential customers ASAP is so much better than aiming for perfection (or even great).

9. How I Built This (podcast) with Guy Raz

NPR’s Guy Raz talks with some of the greatest entrepreneurs our time from some of the world’s most innovative companies – like Dollar Shave Club, Stitch Fix, AirBnB, Burton Snowboards, Lyft, Whole Foods, and more.

10. Drive by Daniel Pink

What truly motivates people? If you said money, you’d be wrong. Drive dives into what truly motivates people and shatters the myth that rewards (like money) drive performance and satisfaction. Rather, he asserts that motivation is driven by our human need to learn and be better – and how to harness this into action.

11. Traction by Gino Wickman

No FBR list would be complete without Traction. Passionate entrepreneur and author Gino Wickman has written two fabulous books on the topic of successfully executing a vision plan: Traction and Get a Grip. These are two of the most practical, results-driven business books ever written. Wickman’s simple approach with his Entrepreneurial Operating System® system will help any franchisor and franchisee bring accountability to their personal and business vision.

12. The CEO’s Guide to Creating and Maintaining a Positive Culture in Franchising (eBook) by Michelle Rowan and Roger McCoy

Business culture exists in every company, whether it’s managed effectively by the leadership team, or is the result of neglect. Despite its critical importance, culture is frequently overlooked by leadership. This eBook examines the three foundational components of a positive culture – and provide practical advice for franchise leadership teams for creating and maintaining a culture that leads to greater productivity and profitability.

We hope you enjoy these books as much as we did. In fact, we want to share them so much that we’ll be giving away a package of our faves at the IFA Convention in February. Come see us at Booth #636 to enter to win free books – and a FREE registration for the IFA’s 2019 Operations Seminar!

About the Author: Ali Forman

As the Marketing Director, Ali’s role is to educate franchise companies about and inspire them to participate in FBR’s research in order to grow and improve their brands. Ali's previous experience includes senior marketing communications roles in the employee benefits, data privacy, and publishing sectors. She lives in Maine with her husband and two sons.
Want more like this? Connect with us...