Nothing has the power to change your thoughts and your heart quite like a great book. A book that truly resonates with you will leave a lasting and permanent impact on your business and your life. I know it has in mine!
Sharing a reading list is like sharing pieces of your personality, and that’s why I’m so excited to share my reading list with you.
Mostly likely, you may not have heard of all of these 10 books. Not all of them have been on everyone’s ‘must read’ or bestsellers lists. But, these are the 10 that have truly changed my own life, and if you were to ask me face-to-face, these are the 10 books I believe every single network marketer needs to read.
I want to point out that while each of these books has had a major impact on me, they are also in no particular order.
“Nothing has the power to change your thoughts and your heart quite like a great book.”
Man's Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the greatest books that I have ever read in my life. The author of this book, Viktor Frankl, wrote this little book after his experience spending ten years in a Nazi concentration camp.
My biggest takeaway from this book is one of the core concepts that he shares. You have stimulus, which is what happens to us in life. You have response, which is the way we respond to the things that happened to us. What Viktor Frankl shares with us is that you create your life in the space that exists between those two things – what happens to you and how you respond.
From the stimulus side, Frankl was subjected to conditions that most men will never know in their lifetime. However, during those horrific years, he mastered his response and was able to stay alive and get through that terrible experience. Most other people, millions of people, were not able to do that.
This book will literally change your life!
A Return to Love
by Marianne Williamson
This book was one of the keys to shaping my philosophy that I teach today called Legacy Leadership.
Now, you might be thinking, “A Return to Love”? That doesn't sound like a traditional business book, Bob. What are you sharing with us here?”
Well, it isn't and that's why I love it.
What I have found in my business and my life is that there are very few things you will do in your lifetime that will transform your life more than putting love at the center of it. That includes your business.
The Leadership Challenge
by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
This one is a little bit of a challenging read. It's kind of thick, which sometimes scares me.
It is also one of the most comprehensive guides on leadership that I've ever read.
However, “The Leadership Challenge” talks a lot about servant leadership. And I truly believe that the secret to success in the network marketing industry is to be an authentic and genuine servant leader, not a self-serving leader like so many people.
This is a great guide to learn and explore the concept of servant leadership.
Boundaries for Leaders
by Henry Cloud
“Boundaries for Leaders” is one of my favorite books on leadership.
Are you someone who really struggles in your business with holding other people accountable?
This is a common struggle for network marketing professionals. This book will help you solve it.
It presents a psychological and biological argument that accountability and “tough love” not only are important, they are actually necessary for human beings to achieve.
If you are not providing boundaries and holding people accountable, you are failing people as a leader.
This book is one of the best books that a network marketing leader could ever read and will change how you work with members of your team.
Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself
by Dr. Joe Dispenza
I'm currently reading this book and I'm blown away! “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” talks about identity and the power of your thoughts.
What I learned from this book is a life changing concept.
Your current circumstances are actually evidence of your past thinking. The thoughts you thought yesterday, the beliefs you had yesterday about you and your business, are what created your reality today.
Here's the key: Change your thoughts. If you can learn how to change your thinking, you are already in the process of creating a new and a different future. If you geek out on mindset stuff, this book will alter the path of your life!
Never Lose a Customer Again
by Joey Coleman
Now, we're going to get into customer service. In my own personal business and the work that we do with our membership programs, this book was a game changer.
Onboarding, customer retention, and retention of the members on your team is important in your business as well. If you are looking to be better with retention, this is the best book ever written to help you in that area.
Reading “Never Lose a Customer Again” prove the value of not just having customers, but creating lifelong clients. Not just recruiting people and signing them up, but actually turning them into leaders and people that are lifers in your organization. This book is worth its weight in gold.
Virtual Freedom
by Chris Ducker
Looking back, if there's one piece of advice that I could give myself starting out, I would have said,“Bob, you should have outsourced way earlier in your business.”
It's not freedom if you're financially free but you don't have time freedom. Virtual freedom is the guide on how to start using virtual assistants, where to find them, how to hire them, and how to work with them. I highly recommend this book.
Dare to Dream and Work to Win
by Thomas Barret
I don't even know when this book was written, but it's an older book. Some of the concepts in here you've never heard about what it takes to build a successful network marketing business.
What I’ve learned over time is that when we look back at the past, we can pull wisdom from it. Reading a book like this, you may think, “These concepts don’t apply to me! This is outdated!”, but the truth is, there are a lot of core lessons here that will still apply.
I highly encourage you to read this book with the thought process of “What lessons can I pull from this? What fundamental wisdom is being shared, here?”
I think you’ll find that there are a lot of amazing concepts from the beginning of network marketing education that you can use in your business today.
Your First Year in Network Marketing
by Mark Yarnell and Rene Reid Yarnell
This is the first book I ever read when I joined network marketing! This is easily 30 years old, but I'm telling you, it is as relevant today as it has ever been.
There are things in here that you will just be shaking your head like, “It makes so much sense. I never thought about that.”
The tools have changed in our industry, but the underlying core principles have not!
So definitely check it out!
Network Marketing Straight Talk
by George Zalucki
I saved one of my favorites for last. This gentleman was in the first network marketing company that I ever joined, and he was one of my first mentors.
George Zalucki was the kind of guy that when he got on stage, he seemed like he was seven feet tall. He barely ever really talked about building a network marketing business. It was all about the psychology of success.
Every time I would hear him talk, I would be ready to run through a wall!
If you want a no-hype, tell-it-like-it-is guy to teach you the psychology of success in this profession, this book is pure gold.
Do you have favorite books that have changed your outlook on life and business that aren't on this list?
I'd love to hear from you. Leave me a comment with your top three!!
Join Us Next Week for the Revive Your Downline Challenge
So many of these concepts have helped me to shape my philosophy. They’ve empowered me to teach network marketers how to take action and build their business. In fact, I’m currently holding a free challenge called the “Revive Your Downline Challenge”. We kick off next week, but anyone can join starting now! If you come join and get to know us a little better, you’ll definitely recognize the impact these books have had on my coaching and my philosophy.
