By: Jim Roddy, VP of Marketing & VAR/ISV Business Advisor at the RSPA

For the past 10+ years, I’ve dedicated time most every week to leadership-based reading. I’ve kept track of the highest-quality books to compile “Roddy’s Recommended Reading,” a list I first shared publicly five years ago and have updated annually since then. The list has expanded to 192 books thanks to recommendations from many of my SMB executive friends.

Over the past 12 months, I’ve read 25 additional books, each new title identified on the list below with an asterisk (*). Roddy’s Recommended Reading is categorized by subject and then listed in alphabetical order. And since we’re closing in on a 200-title list, this year I’ve added a new feature to help make RRR more digestible. My 30 most highly recommended books are marked with a number sign (#), and they cover a range of topics and authors – from comedian David Nihill to Saint Mother Teresa. While every title on this list is at least very good, the highly recommended books are head of the class.

In another year, I’ll update this list again so you can see what else I’ve discovered. Best of luck on your journey to become a dedicated leader and reader!

* denotes new addition to this year’s list

# denotes highly recommended

Customer Service

1. Answering the Ultimate Question – Laura Brooks and Richard Owen
2. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose – Tony Hsieh
3. (The) Loyalty Effect – Fred Reichheld
4. Loyalty Rules: How Today’s Leaders Build Lasting Relationships – Fred Reichheld
5. #Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service – Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles

General Business & Strategy

6. (The) Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business – Patrick Lencioni
7. (The) Art of War – Sun Tzu
8. (The) Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry – John Warrillow
9. Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
10. Built To Last – Jim Collins and Jerry Porras
11. Built To Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You – John Warrillow
12. Creating Competitive Advantage – Jaynie Smith and William Flanagan
13. (The) Creation of Wealth: The Tatas from the 19^th to the 21^st Century – R.M. Lala
14. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence – and How You Can, Too – Gary Vaynerchuk
15. Double Digit Growth: How Great Companies Achieve It No Matter What – Michael Treacy
16. Double Your Profits in 6 Months or Less – Bob Fifer
17. (The) Driving Force: Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People – Peter W. Schutz
18. Dual Transformation: How to Reposition Today’s Business While Creating the Future – Scott D. Anthony, Clark G. Gilbert and Mark W. Johnson
19. #(The) E-Myth Revisited – Michael Gerber
20. #Escape Velocity: Free Your Company’s Future from the Pull of the Past – Geoffrey A. Moore
21. Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are – Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
22. From Impossible to Inevitable: How Hyper-Growth Companies Create Predictable Revenue – Aaron Ross and Jason Lemkin
23. #Getting To Plan B – John Mullins and Randy Komisar
24. (The) Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement – Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox
25. #Good To Great – Jim Collins
26. Great By Choice – Jim Collins and Moren Hansen
27. #(The) Great Game of Business – Jack Stack
28. Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies – Jim Stengel
29. #How The Mighty Fall – Jim Collins
30. In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies – Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman
31. Innovation Made Simple – Jeff Havens
32. Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die – Chip Heath and Dan Heath
33. Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace – Ricardo Semler
34. Maximize Business Value: Begin with the Exit in Mind – Tom Bronson
35. Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World – Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall
36. Nuts!: Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success – Kevin and Jackie Frieberg
37. On The Edge with Jim Roddy: Practical Advice for High-Initiative, Growth-Oriented VARs and ISVs – Jim Roddy
38. Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow – Chip Conley
39. Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time – Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang
40. #(The) Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact – Chip and Dan Heath
41. Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade – Robert Cialdini
42. *#Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable – Seth Godin
43. Restauranteur: Protect Your Profits! Discover Restaurant Scams and Technology Solutions – Don Potter
44. Roadside MBA: Back Road Lessons for Entrepreneurs, Executives, and Small Business Owners – Michael Mazzeo, Paul Oyer, and Scott Schaefer
45. Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make it … and Why the Rest Don’t – Verne Harnish
46. (The) Search: How Google and its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business – John Battelle
47. (The) SEI Way: Values and Practices of a Growing Company – Ron Alvesteffer, CEO, Service Express Inc.
48. Simplify – Richard Koch and Greg Lockwood
49. Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big – Bo Burlingham
50. Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard – Chip Heath and Dan Heath
51. Technology-as-a-Service Playbook: How to Grow a Profitable Subscription Business – Thomas Lah and J.B. Wood
52. *That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea – Marc Randolph
53. (The) Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future – Steve Case
54. (The) Toilet Paper Entrepreneur – Mike Michalowicz
55. #Turning the Flywheel: Why Some Companies Build Momentum … and Others Don’t (A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great) – Jim Collins
56. *#Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen – Dan Heath
57. Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?: Inside IBM’s Historic Turnaround – Lou Gerstner
58. *Your Stand Is Your Brand: How Deciding Who to Be (NOT What to Do) Will Revolutionize Your Business – Patrick Gentempo
59. *Zone to Win: Organizing to Compete in an Age of Disruption – Geoffrey A. Moore

Hiring

60. #Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer – Jim Roddy :)
61. Hire With Your Head – Lou Adler
62. Hiring The Best: A Manager’s Guide to Effective Interviewing and Recruiting – Martin Yate
63. Who: The “A” Method for Hiring – Geoff Smart and Randy Street

Leadership

64. (The) 5 Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni
65. *(The) 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You – John C. Maxwell
66. Authentic Leadership – Bill George
67. *(The) CEO Next Door: The Four Behaviors that Transform Ordinary People into World-Class Leaders – Elena L. Botelho and Kim R. Powell
68. *Great Leaders Ask Questions: A Fortune 100 List – Bob Tiede
69. Influence – Robert Cialdini, Ph.D.
70. Jack: Straight From The Gut – Jack Welch with John Byrne
71. Jack Welch and the 4Es of Leadership – Jeffrey Krames
72. Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t – Simon Sinek
73. Leadership And The One Minute Manager – Ken Blanchard, Patricia Zigami and Drea Zigami
74. (The) Leadership Handbook: 26 Critical Lessons Every Leader Needs – John Maxwell
75. #Leadership in Turbulent Times – Doris Kearns Goodwin
76. *Leading From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams – David Burkus
77. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead – Sheryl Sandberg
78. Many Parts, One Body: Healthier Leaders, Healthier Teams, A Healthier You – Rubi Ho
79. *(The) Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities – Patrick Lencioni
80. #Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter – Liz Wiseman
81. (The) Power of Thanks – Eric Mosley and Derek Irvine
82. (The) Power of Your Leadership: Making a Difference with Others – John C. Maxwell
83. (The) Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership – James C. Hunter
84. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power & Greatness – Robert K. Greenleaf
85. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action – Simon Sinek
86. #Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent – Sydney Finkelstein
87. #Then Darkness Fled: The Liberating Wisdom of Booker T. Washington – Stephen Mansfield
88. Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
89. Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders – L. David Marquet

Management

90. 2-Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Lean Culture – Paul A. Akers
91. 30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers – Bruce Katcher
92. Building Trust: How to Get it! How to Keep it! – Hyler Bracey
93. (The) Carrot Principle – Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
94. (The) Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right – Atul Gawande
95. *Culture By Design: Eight Simple Steps to Drive Better Individual and Organizational Performance – David J. Friedman
96. *(The) Daily Drucker: 365 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done – Peter Drucker with Joseph Maciariello
97. Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise – Horst Schulze
98. #Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done – Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
99. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win – Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
100. First Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently – Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
101. How Did That Happen? Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way – Roger Connors and Tom Smith
102. How To Be A Great Boss – Gino Wickman and Rene Boer
103. #(The) Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues – Patrick Lencioni
104. I Quit But Forgot To Tell You – Terri Kabachnick
105. It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy – Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
106. Manager Of Choice – Nancy Ahlrichs
107. #(The) One Minute Manager – Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
108. Ownership Thinking – Brad Hams
109. (The) Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability – Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman
110. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking – Susan Cain
111. *ROE Powers ROI – R. Michael Rose
112. Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else – Geoff Colvin
113. Telling Ain’t Training: How You and Your Learners Can Achieve Astonishing Results – Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps
114. Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business – Gino Wickman
115. What People Want: A Manager’s Guide to Building Relationships That Work – Terry Bacon
116. *What the Heck is EOS?: A Complete Guide for Employees and Companies Running EOS – Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer
117. Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul – Karin Hurt and David Dye

Personal Development

118. *(The) 5AM Miracle: Dominate Your Day Before Breakfast – Jeff Sanders
119. 5 Laws That Determine Life’s Outcomes – Brett Harward
120. (The) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change – Stephen Covey
121. (The) Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict – The Arbinger Institute
122. Barking Up The Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong – Eric Barker
123. *Chief Maker: The 5-Step Blueprint to Rising Above the Pack and Getting a Seat on the Executive Team – Greg Layton
124. Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About a (Really) Big Problem – Kevin DeYoung
125. #Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High – Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
126. #Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work – Chip Heath and Dan Heath
127. Difficult Conversations – Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Shelia Heen
128. Disrupt You! Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation – Jay Samit
129. #Do You Talk Funny? 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker by David Nihill
130. *Ego is the Enemy – Ryan Holiday
131. (The) Energy Bus – Jon Gordon
132. How To Get Control Of Your Time And Your Life – Alan Lakein
133. How To Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
134. Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life … and Maybe Change the World – Admiral William H. McRaven
135. Mastering Executive Presence: Career-Advancing Communication and Presentation Skills – Jennifer Vautier and John J. Vautier
136. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
137. Nice Bike: Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life – Mark Scharenbroich
138. #(The) Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph – Ryan Holiday
139. *Read To Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career – Jeff Brown and Jesse Wisnewski
140. #Speak As Well As You Think: An Executive’s Guide to Excellence in Public Speaking – John M. Vautier and John J. Vautier
141. StrengthsFinder 2.0 – Tom Rath
142. Twelve Pillars – Jim Rohn and Chris Widener
143. (The) Wisdom and Teachings of Stephen R. Covey
144. You²: A High Velocity Formula for Multiplying Your Personal Effectiveness in Quantum Leaps – Price Pritchett, Ph.D.
145. *You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life – Jen Sincero

Sales & Marketing

146. (The) 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing – Al Ries and Jack Trout
147. (The) Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results – Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner, and Nick Toman
148. #(The) Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation – Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
149. Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers – Geoffrey A. Moore
150. Let’s Get Real Or Let’s Not Play: Transforming the Buyer/Seller Relationship – Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig
151. Marketing Your Dreams: Lessons in Business and Life from Bill Veeck, Baseball’s Marketing Genius – Pat Williams and Michael Weinreb
152. New Sales. Simplified.: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development – Mike Weinberg
153. #Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers – Seth Godin
154. *(The) Serving Mindset: Stop Selling and Grow Your Business – Farnoosh Brock
155. Smart Prospecting That Works Every Time! – Michael Krause
156. #(The) Trusted Advisor – David Maister

Sports-Themed

157. (The) Carolina Way – Dean Smith, Gerald Bell, and John Kligo
158. Coach K’s Little Blue Book: Lessons from College Basketball’s Best Coach – Barry Jacobs
159. Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success – John Wooden and Jay Carty
160. (The) Essential Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership – John Wooden and Steve Jamison
161. Everyone’s A Coach – Ken Blanchard and Don Shula
162. Great Teams: 16 Things High-Performing Organizations Do Differently – Don Yeager
163. Hard Work – Roy Williams and Tim Crothers
164. How Lucky You Can Be: The Story of Coach Don Meyer – Buster Olney
165. How To Be Like Coach Wooden: Life Lessons from Basketball’s Greatest Leader – Pat Williams
166. (The) Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball – John Feinstein
167. (The) Road to 138: The Inside Story of the Insanely Fast, Record-Breaking Grinnell Pioneers – Ross Preston
168. Run To The Roar: Coaching to Overcome Fear – Paul Assaiante and James Zug
169. Russell Rules: 11 Leadership Lessons from the 20^th Century’s Greatest Winner – Bill Russell with David Falkner
170. *Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary – Ernie Johnson Jr.
171. Walk-On: Life From the End of the Bench – Alan Williams
172. #(The) Walk-On Method To Career & Business Success: 31 Underdogs Who Became Extraordinary (And So Can You!) – Jim Roddy :)
173. (The) Wisdom of Walk-Ons: 7 Winning Strategies for College, Business, and Life – Dr. Paul Corona
174. *Wooden: A Coach’s Life – Seth Davis

Miscellaneous

175. (The) Audacity of Hope – Barack Obama
176. Before You Join a Board – John Balkom
177. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcom Gladwell
178. Dead On Arrival: How to Avoid the Legal Mistakes that Could Kill Your Startup – Roger Royse
179. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance – Barack Obama
180. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – Daniel Pink
181. Inspire Action: The Definitive Guide to Audience Management – David Wible
182. (The) Last Lecture – Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
183. *Little Book of Big “Leading with Questions” Quotes – Bob Tiede
184. (The) Millionaire Next Door – Thomas Stanley and William Danko
185. #Mother Teresa: Her Essential Wisdom – Carol Kelly-Gangi
186. *Now That’s a Great Question – Bob Tiede
187. *Powerful Panels: A step-by-step guide to moderating lively and informative panel discussions at meetings, conferences, and conventions – Kristin Arnold
188. Professor Wellstone Goes To Washington: The Inside Story of a Grassroots U.S. Senate Campaign – Dennis McGrath and Dane Smith
189. Race For Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations – Harrison Coerver and Mary Byers
190. #Tao Te Ching: The Book of the Way and How it Manifests Itself in the World – new English version by Stephen Mitchell
191. (The) Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference – Malcom Gladwell
192. Wherever Men Trade: The Romance of the Cash Register – Isaac Marcosson

Jim Roddy is the Vice President of Marketing and a Business Advisor for the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA). He has been active in the POS channel since 1998, including 11 years as the President of Business Solutions Magazine, six years as an RSPA board member, one term as RSPA Chairman of the Board, and several years as a business coach for VARs, ISVs, and MSPs. Jim has been recognized as one of the world’s Top 100 Retail Influencers by RETHINK Retail, a Leading CannaTech Influencer by 420MSP, and is regularly requested to speak at industry conferences on SMB best practices. He is author of two books – The Walk-On Method To Career & Business Success and Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer – and is host of the award-winning RSPA Trusted Advisor podcast. For more information, contact JRoddy@GoRSPA.org.