In the ever-evolving world of entrepreneurship, wisdom from those who have paved the way is invaluable. Women entrepreneurs, in particular, have unique insights and experiences to share. This curated list of 18 must-read books written by successful women entrepreneurs offers a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and practical advice for anyone looking to start or grow their own business.
1. "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg
Key Insights:
- Encourages women to pursue their ambitions and take on leadership roles
- Addresses gender inequalities in the workplace
- Provides strategies for overcoming internal and external barriers
Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, draws on her own experiences to offer practical advice on building a successful career. She challenges women to "sit at the table," seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.
"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"
This book is essential reading for any woman entrepreneur looking to build confidence and navigate the complexities of leadership in a male-dominated business world.
2. "Girl, Stop Apologizing" by Rachel Hollis
Key Insights:
- Identifies common excuses and behaviors that hold women back
- Provides actionable steps to build confidence and achieve goals
- Emphasizes the importance of personal growth and self-belief
Rachel Hollis, founder of a multimillion-dollar media company, delivers a wake-up call to women who have been taught to define themselves in light of other people. She encourages readers to own their ambitions and create the futures they want.
"You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are."
This book is perfect for entrepreneurs who struggle with imposter syndrome or need a boost of motivation to pursue their dreams unapologetically.
3. "The Multi-Hyphen Life" by Emma Gannon
Key Insights:
- Explores the changing nature of work in the digital age
- Offers strategies for building a flexible career that aligns with personal values
- Provides tips for managing multiple income streams and projects
Emma Gannon, a bestselling author and podcaster, presents a blueprint for designing a flexible career that works for you. She argues that the future of work is about having multiple strings to your bow and designing a career that adapts to your life, not the other way around.
"The multi-hyphenate lifestyle is not about having it all – it's about having more of what you want."
This book is invaluable for entrepreneurs looking to build diverse, fulfilling careers that embrace their various passions and skills.
4. "Thrive" by Arianna Huffington
Key Insights:
- Redefines success beyond money and power
- Emphasizes the importance of well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving
- Provides practical tips for avoiding burnout and maintaining work-life balance
Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, shares her personal wake-up call and the journey that led her to redefine success. She argues that our relentless pursuit of the traditional measures of success has led to an epidemic of burnout and stress-related illnesses.
"We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in."
This book is crucial for entrepreneurs who want to build successful businesses without sacrificing their health and well-being.
5. "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear" by Elizabeth Gilbert
Key Insights:
- Explores the nature of inspiration and creativity
- Offers strategies for overcoming fear and self-doubt
- Encourages embracing curiosity and following one's passions
Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of "Eat, Pray, Love," shares her wisdom about the nature of inspiration and creativity. She argues that creativity is a force of enchantment, not a torturous struggle.
"The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them."
This book is essential for entrepreneurs who want to tap into their creativity and build businesses that align with their passions.
6. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth
Key Insights:
- Explores the concept of grit as a predictor of success
- Provides strategies for developing grit
- Emphasizes the importance of effort and perseverance over talent
Angela Duckworth, a pioneering psychologist, argues that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called "grit." She shows how grit can be learned and cultivated by anyone.
"Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare."
This book is crucial for entrepreneurs who need to develop resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges and setbacks.
7. "The Moment of Lift" by Melinda Gates
Key Insights:
- Explores global issues affecting women and girls
- Emphasizes the importance of empowering women for societal progress
- Shares personal stories and experiences from Gates' philanthropic work
Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, makes a compelling case for the link between women's empowerment and the health of societies. She shares lessons learned from her work around the world.
"When you lift up women, you lift up humanity."
This book is important for entrepreneurs who want to understand the global context of women's empowerment and how businesses can contribute to positive social change.
8. "The Confidence Code" by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
Key Insights:
- Explores the science behind confidence
- Provides strategies for building confidence
- Addresses the unique challenges women face in developing confidence
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, both successful journalists, combine cutting-edge research in genetics, gender, behavior, and cognition to explain the importance of confidence and how to achieve it.
"Confidence is the stuff that turns thoughts into action."
This book is essential for women entrepreneurs who want to develop the self-assurance needed to succeed in business.
9. "Shark Tales" by Barbara Corcoran
Key Insights:
- Shares personal stories of business success and failure
- Offers unconventional business wisdom
- Emphasizes the importance of resilience and creativity in entrepreneurship
Barbara Corcoran, real estate mogul and Shark Tank investor, shares her rags-to-riches story and the lessons she learned along the way. She offers straight-talking advice on how to start, grow, and run a business.
"You have the right to be in business for yourself. You have the right to be successful."
This book is valuable for entrepreneurs who want practical, no-nonsense advice from someone who's built a business empire from scratch.
10. "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Key Insights:
- Shares personal stories of growth and transformation
- Explores themes of identity, ambition, and public service
- Offers insights into balancing personal and professional life
While not strictly a business book, Michelle Obama's memoir offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs. She shares her journey from a working-class background to becoming a successful lawyer and ultimately, the First Lady of the United States.
"For me, becoming isn't about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self."
This book is inspiring for entrepreneurs who want to understand how personal growth and public service can intertwine with professional success.
11. "In the Company of Women" by Grace Bonney
Key Insights:
- Features interviews with over 100 influential women creators
- Offers diverse perspectives on creativity, business, and success
- Provides inspiration and practical advice for women entrepreneurs
Grace Bonney, founder of Design*Sponge, brings together the voices of makers, artists, and entrepreneurs in this beautifully illustrated book. It's a celebration of female creativity and entrepreneurship.
"You can't be what you can't see."
This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs seeking diverse role models and a range of perspectives on building a successful creative business.
12. "The Myth of the Nice Girl" by Fran Hauser
Key Insights:
- Challenges the idea that women must choose between being nice and being strong
- Offers strategies for being both kind and powerful in the workplace
- Provides practical advice for navigating complex work relationships
Fran Hauser, a startup investor and former digital media executive, argues that women can be both kind and strong. She provides strategies for women to lead with authenticity, confidence, and warmth.
"Nice is not a four-letter word. It's a strength, not a weakness."
This book is crucial for women entrepreneurs who want to lead effectively without compromising their values or personalities.
13. "#GIRLBOSS" by Sophia Amoruso
Key Insights:
- Shares the unconventional success story of Nasty Gal
- Offers irreverent advice on building a business and career
- Emphasizes the importance of hard work and trusting your instincts
Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal, shares her journey from dumpster diving to building a multimillion-dollar fashion retailer. She offers a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship and success.
"The only way to support a revolution is to make your own."
This book is perfect for young entrepreneurs who want a raw, honest look at what it takes to build a successful business from scratch.
14. "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott
Key Insights:
- Introduces the concept of "radical candor" in management
- Offers strategies for giving and receiving feedback effectively
- Provides a framework for building strong team relationships
Kim Scott, a former executive at Google and Apple, presents a new approach to effective management that combines caring personally with challenging directly.
"Radical Candor is about caring personally and challenging directly, about soliciting criticism to improve your leadership and also providing guidance that helps others grow."
This book is essential for entrepreneurs who want to build strong, effective teams and become better leaders.
15. "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain
Key Insights:
- Explores the strengths of introverted personalities
- Challenges the extrovert ideal in Western culture
- Offers strategies for introverts to thrive in business and leadership roles
While not exclusively about entrepreneurship, Susan Cain's groundbreaking book offers valuable insights for introverted entrepreneurs. She argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so.
"There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas."
This book is crucial for introverted entrepreneurs who want to leverage their strengths and for extroverted entrepreneurs who want to better understand and work with introverted team members.
16. "The Execution Factor" by Kim Perell
Key Insights:
- Identifies five traits crucial for turning ideas into reality
- Offers practical strategies for developing execution skills
- Shares personal stories of success and failure in entrepreneurship
Kim Perell, an award-winning entrepreneur and angel investor, argues that execution is the single greatest factor in achieving success. She provides a clear roadmap to turn vision into reality.
"Success isn't about having the best ideas; it's about executing them."
This book is invaluable for entrepreneurs who struggle with turning their ideas into action or who want to improve their execution skills.
17. "Brave, Not Perfect" by Reshma Saujani
Key Insights:
- Challenges the perfectionism that holds many women back
- Encourages embracing failure as a learning opportunity
- Offers strategies for building courage and resilience
Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, argues that we're raising our girls to be perfect, and we're raising our boys to be brave. She offers a powerful new mindset for dealing with fear and failure.
"Bravery isn't about not feeling afraid—it's about feeling afraid and doing it anyway."
This book is essential for women entrepreneurs who struggle with perfectionism or fear of failure.
18. "Daring Greatly" by Brené Brown
Key Insights:
- Explores the power of vulnerability in leadership and innovation
- Challenges common misconceptions about vulnerability
- Offers strategies for embracing vulnerability and building courage
Brené Brown, a research professor and bestselling author, argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our most accurate measure of courage. She explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, and creativity.
"Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change."
This book is crucial for entrepreneurs who want to build authentic connections, foster innovation, and lead with courage.
These 18 books offer a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and practical advice for entrepreneurs. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, these women authors provide valuable insights drawn from their own experiences and research. By diving into these pages, you'll gain new perspectives, strategies, and the motivation to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams with confidence and determination.
Remember, the journey of entrepreneurship is ongoing, and continuous learning is key to success. Happy reading, and may these books inspire and guide you on your path to business success!
