Whether you\u2019re rushing to your next class, hidden under stacks of homework, or schmoozing at the latest networking function, being an MBA student is a significant time commitment. The only guarantee that comes with earning an MBA is that there will be a lot to learn and even more to do in order to successfully complete your program.<\/p>\n
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We get it. The last thing you need is an extensive list of voluntary MBA books to read while you\u2019re preparing to apply or smack dab in the middle of your degree. Well, get used to it. However, there are plenty of people who have been in your shoes and can provide the tips, tricks, and perspective you need to make it to graduation.<\/p>\n
But, bear in mind, we\u2019re not talking about the classics. Save your copy of Carnegie\u2019s \u201cHow to Win Friends and Influence People\u201d and disregard \u201cMBAs for Dummies.\u201d We enlisted the help of professors, business professionals, and MBA-holders to bring you a list of outside-the-box MBA books you can\u2019t afford to miss.<\/p>\n
Author: <\/b>Laszlo Bock, former senior vice president of people relations at Google<\/p>\n
Why it made the list:<\/b> \u201cOne of the biggest challenges companies undergoing transformations face relates to the hiring and retention of employees,\u201d says Carlos Castel\u00e1n, Harvard MBA grad and managing director of The Navio Group<\/a>. \u201cOne of the companies that has pioneered human capital management is Google and \u2018Work Rules!\u2019 provides fascinating insights from the former SVP of People Operations at Google that show how the company succeeded in building perhaps the world\u2019s greatest collection of talent.\u201d<\/p> Author: <\/b>Mark H. McCormack, attorney, sports agent, author, and founder of IMG<\/a><\/p>\n Why it made the list:<\/b> \u201cAlthough getting an MBA is a lot about the theory behind management and leadership, you rarely ever read or get trained in actual leadership situations,\u201d says Shruti Pangtey, founder of IndianGirling<\/a> and DigitalEmpires<\/a>. \u201cThis book takes you through the reality of being an actual leader from an experienced leader. The way negotiation and meetings are discussed in the book makes you reassess interpersonal communication.<\/p>\n Author:<\/b> Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike<\/a><\/p>\n Why it made the list: <\/b>The notoriously shy Nike co-founder shares a rare and revealing glimpse into a man who borrowed $50 from his father to launch a company that, today, is globally recognized and generates over $50 billion annually,\u201d says D\u2019vorah Graeser, MBA-holder and founder and CEO of KISSPatent<\/a>. \u201cBut, even more important than his tireless and hard-working attitude, one of the greatest takeaways is his unique management approach, completely abstaining from micromanaging and favoring his own personal style: Don\u2019t tell people how to do things; tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.\u201d<\/p>\n Author: <\/b>Simon Sinek, author, motivational speaker, and organizational consultant<\/p>\n Why it made the list:<\/b> \u201c[Sinek] shows how successful leaders throughout history have been able to inspire their organizations to achieve greatness by identifying the underlying motivation,\u201d says Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls<\/a>. \u201cIt is a compelling book to show how great leaders become influential when they can answer why they do what they do and connect with people on an emotional level.\u201d<\/p>\n Author: <\/b>Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia<\/a><\/p>\n Why it made the list: <\/b>\u201cThis book is everything. [It] provides a manual on how to build a company built on empathy for employees, customers, and the planet,\u201d says Sam White, MBA-holder and marketing manager at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club<\/a> \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful story of how a wildly successful company can be built on principles other than maximizing shareholder wealth\u2014a topic that will be drilled into the heads of MBA students.\u201d<\/p>\n Authors: <\/b>Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles F. Kiefer, and Paul B. Brown<\/p>\n Why it made our list: <\/b>\u201cBusiness school is more than just figuring out how to do financial statements and writing business plans,\u201d says Russ Nauta, owner of creditcardreviews.com<\/a>. \u201cTo succeed in business school and business in general, you need to be able to identify opportunities and quickly act to test viability.\u201d<\/p>\n Author:<\/b> Phillip L. Zweig, award-winning investigative reporter and author<\/p>\n Why it made the list: <\/b>\u201cAll MBA[-holder]s and their companies are affected either by bubbles in their industries or bubbles in the economy. Learning how to exercise independent judgment and spot bubbles is a skill that can’t be taught but should be mastered,\u201d says Donald E. Petersen, consumer protection attorney and MBA-holder. \u201cMarket exuberance, Penn Square’s loose underwriting standards, and four major banks bidding up the market for these loans created a bubble which \u2026 burst with a resounding crash when energy prices decreased in the early 1980s.\u201d<\/p>\n Author: <\/b>Peter Joseph, independent filmmaker and activist<\/p>\n Why it made the list:<\/b> \u201cThis book is the anti-MBA. That is, the essential and unquestioned foundation of every MBA program is capitalism. Any challenge of capitalism would be heretical,\u201d says Laura Snyder, international member of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel<\/a>. \u201cThis book challenges capitalism by explaining its role in perpetuating the biggest problems society faces today: inequality, social alienation and depression, environmental degradation, war \u2026\u201d If after reading this book you still want to do an MBA then you definitely should do one because you are clearly and staunchly committed to its underlying principles.\u201d<\/p>\n Author:<\/b> Norm Brodsky, author and veteran entrepreneur<\/p>\n Why it made the list:<\/b> \u201cYou’ll get plenty of theory in your MBA program and plenty of high-level, birds-eye analysis. This book isn’t that; instead, it focuses on building a business from the ground up, starting with the most essential part: knowing your numbers. If you don’t know your numbers well, you’re not really in business\u2014you’re playing at business,\u201d says Julia Kelly, co-founder of Rigits Bookkeeping & Accounting<\/a>.<\/p>\n Author: <\/b>Geoff Smart, author, and founder of leadership consulting firm ghSMART<\/a><\/p>\n Why it made the list:<\/b> \u201cThe book provides a valuable framework for building a team and defining roles and objectives,\u201d says Bethany Babcock, MBA-holder and founder and CEO of Foresite Commercial Real Estate<\/a>. \u201cBuilding a team is the most important part of starting or running a business as it is the only way to expand a person’s reach beyond their own individual capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Author: <\/b>Sun Tzu, military general, tactician, writer, and philosopher<\/p>\n Why it made the list: <\/b>\u201cThis book is helpful to get you thinking about strategy as well as how to use information when thinking about career moves in business,\u201d says Sandra Mohr, academic resources dean at New England College of Optometry<\/a>. \u201cA couple of key takeaways from this book are to know your strengths and weaknesses, understand and know yourself and the enemy, and know when to fight and not fight\u2014key lessons to use in business and in life in general.\u201d<\/p>\n Author: <\/b>Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author, speaker, and podcast host<\/p>\n Why it made the list: <\/b>\u201cLeaders have to communicate well to their followers,\u201d says Augsburg University MBA Program Director George Dierberger. \u201cIn his latest book, Gladwell’s premise is that humans \u2018default to truth\u2019\u2014that is, we tend to take on face value the things people tell us, even if we should know better. It is good to trust but better to validate and research the truth of complex issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Get personalized MBA book recommendations and prepare for your next career move. Explore <\/i>Augsburg University\u2019s MBA program<\/i><\/a> or contact <\/i>mbainfo@augsburg.edu<\/i><\/a> to talk with MBA experts today.<\/i><\/p>\n![\"Are](\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/mba\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/61\/2019\/12\/970x90-Artboard-9.png\")
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<\/div>\nWhat They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School<\/a><\/h3>\n
Shoe Dog<\/a><\/h3>\n
MBA Books That Inspire Action<\/h2>\n
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action<\/a><\/h3>\n
Let My People Go Surfing<\/a><\/h3>\n
Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future<\/a><\/h3>\n
MBA Books That Question Capitalism<\/h2>\n
Belly Up: The Collapse of the Penn Square Bank<\/a><\/h3>\n
The New Human Rights Movement: Reinventing the Economy to End Oppression<\/a><\/h3>\n
MBA Books That Teach Business Savvy<\/h2>\n
Street Smarts: An All-Purpose Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs<\/a><\/h3>\n
WHO: The A Method for Hiring<\/a><\/h3>\n
The Art of War<\/a><\/h3>\n
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don\u2019t Know<\/a><\/h3>\n
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