5 Must-Read Business Books for Every Working Professional

Continuing education is important if you want to stay relevant in your field. Whether you’re content in your current position, or looking to climb that corporate ladder, it’s always a good idea to expose yourself to new ideas, stay on top of current industry trends, and just generally continue to grow professionally.

One of the best ways to do this is through reading great books. By reading helpful books, you’re able to learn about what you want to learn about, at a pace that works for you.

Need some help getting your reading list started? Here are five of our favorite, must-read books that we think every working professional should read.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Often recommended not just for working professionals, but for anyone who wants to increase their productivity, this book is a must read. Covey’s bestselling book highlights seven habits that he has found to help people live more meaningful, effective lives. Having sold millions of copies over the past 25 years it’s been in print, this is definitely one book you should be familiar with.

Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute

This book is all about examining the way you interact with other people, often becoming your own worst enemy as you try to accomplish things with your team. Despite the title, this book isn’t just for management; it’s for anyone who wants to be able to work with others in an effective way. Learn how to overcome harmful thought processes and other obstacles, practice healthy conflict resolution, and get to a place of self-awareness that will benefit you throughout your professional and personal life.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Your habits dictate a lot about how your daily life goes. What time you wake up, what you eat, how you work, when you take breaks, and so on. Recognizing your habits—and learning how to form helpful ones and ditch the others—can make a huge difference in your professional development. Even small habit changes can change a lot, over time! Check this book out to learn more about how you can make your habits work for you.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Another long-loved classic, this book is designed to help with your personal and professional relationships. This book dives into ways to make people like you (definitely handy in the workplace), how to be happier with your job, and how to overcome difficult situations so you can come out on top. It’s maybe more along the lines of “self help” than “business,” but these are principles that can take you far as a working professional.

Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath

Do you really know what your biggest strengths are? Many people don’t, which means that they can’t leverage them for success at work. Purchase of this book comes with a unique link to an in-depth assessment, which will culminate in you learning your five biggest strengths, along with tips for using them to help yourself and those around you. This is a fantastic way to learn more about what it is specifically that you can bring to your position at your company.

These must-read books can help anyone in business take their professionalism, effectiveness, and value to the next level. If you are looking to add qualified talent to your team, contact EDI Staffing today to speak with one of our staffing experts to begin your talent search. Happy reading!