Taking the mantle of mentorship, these books are for every aspiring women entrepreneur
No matter where you hail from, being a woman entrepreneur is never easy. Earning your name and identity in an already cut-throat business world is exponentially tougher for women entrepreneur. To add to this, often women are tied up with responsibilities other than that of a professional nature, such as taking care of their children, managing the household, etc. Having to deal with such insurmountable odds, often women entrepreneurs are forced to bow out of the race.
But over the past few years, some phenomenal women entrepreneurs have shattered the glass-ceiling, and paved the way for many others to follow. Though the change is coming, women still struggle to find the right mentor to guide them in the lonely march to the heights of entrepreneurial glory. This is where books hold the power to teach, mentor, and guide aspiring women through the ropes of both entrepreneurship and life. Here are a few books which we believe will impart the requisite knowledge and even school you in the tact of being a complete entrepreneur. These books deal with building the right character and perception, gauging patterns to emerge on top, case studies of both success and failure, and most importantly, equipping you with the right mentality for venturing out.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Written by American psychologist Angela Duckworth, this book is a New York Times bestseller. Scientifically explaining the concept of grit, the book reveals how passion and perseverance are more important than IQ and talent. Speaking to the millions of women from across the board, the book heralds a call for women to stay strong and persevere, and summon their grit to conquer all odds. Angela’s work is extremely essential for women entrepreneurs so that they make it on their own and learn unexplored ways to remain true to their passion.
The Tipping Point
The debut novel of Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell, the book refers to the sociological changes that play a pivotal role in everyday lives. Researching about the sudden growth of ideas and behaviour patterns in terms of advertising and communication, the book speaks at length on the role of connectors, information specialists, and persuaders. Giving a very structured and logical reasoning behind every sudden emergence of a big idea or brand, Malcolm tries to learn its origin. This book focuses on the importance of having an unique idea in entrepreneurship and how the pattern to implement it matters as much as its very origin.
Switch: How 12 Indian Companies Managed Change Successfully
This compilation of landmark events by Sujaya Banerjee, is centred towards the challenges faced by companies in the Indian set-up. The award-winning and transformational stories of companies like PNB Housing Finance, Tata Motors, SAIL, Lafarge, and Mahindra & Mahindra are explained with fine details.
The book focuses on how communication and developing a feedback system worked for each of these companies in the long run. It explains the importance of institutionalizing change so that it sticks for a longer period of time, and why change in vision according to the time is also important. Sujaya, who herself is a CEO, knows how difficult it is for women to gain visibility in a male-dominated workforce, hence her words connect more with women entrepreneurs.
The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
Written by Guy Kawasaki, this has been hailed as one of the most important books for anyone who plans a shot at a startup. Offering useful and simple solutions for every problem faced in the startup culture, this book must be on every entrepreneur’s shelves.
Quoting first-hand examples, the book summarises different scenarios that can emerge in a startup. Such as marketing challenges, experimenting with business ideas, and even social media presence. A careful study of the startup world, it is a must-read for all women entrepreneurs looking for insights into what the ecosystem beholds.
The Accidental Entrepreneur: The 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business
Throwing light on her entrepreneurial journey, Susan Brown confesses it to have been a fluke. For someone who started out as an accidental entrepreneur, Susan talks about why passion and will to learn are the traits you need to stick it out in a field dominated by men.
Giving her two cents on entrepreneurship, she informs aspiring businesswomen of the eight questions everyone should ask up front, the top 10 traits of the successful entrepreneur, how to obtain a license and sellers permit, the best way to create a business plan, 10 simple ways to get referrals, the six secrets of marketing a business, smart tips for investing and finance, ways to avoid burnout, how to avoid the seven biggest pitfalls in business, and more. It’s a pretty exhaustive list of must-knows you can take note of before starting out on your own journey.
As learning never stops, it is essential to challenge your reality and keep recreating it. These books will give you the cerebral space to learn and unlearn simultaneously, and prove tremendously useful in your entrepreneurial journey.