40+ Books Any Consultant Should Read

by anniehp

Below is the list of books every consultant should read.

The books are not necessary focused on consulting – it is about marketing, customer service, leadership, personal effectiveness, writing, and more.

I have added posts inspired by each book for the reference.

Consultant or not, many of these books are great resource to help anyone to grow. It helped me, it will help you.

#	Book	My Posts
1	The IT Consultant : A Commonsense Framework for Managing the Client Relationship	<<in work in progress>>
2	The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding	Grow Quality – Not Quantity
3	The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You	Action and Timing Plan Ahead Or Plan Your Back Up Plan You Have Built A Team, Now What?
4	The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich	Apply 80/20 Principle – Focus On Stuff That Matters Team Of Top Performers Do Not Join Them. Beat Them. You Have Built A Team, Now What? Are You Achieving Your Business Goal? Grow Quality – Not Quantity Focus On Results, Avoid Workaholism – My 4 Simple Rules Want To Achieve Results? Push Yourself Out Of Comfort Zone
5	Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service	3 Things Customers Really Want The Power Of Saying “No” Experience Is The Most Valuable Product 3 Easy Steps To Become A Superhero Duck Or Eagle
6	Married to the Brand: Why Consumers Bond with Some Brands for Life	Ask Your Customers’ Friends – Your Growth Hides There 3 Simple Rules To Become The World’s Greatest Brand [Plus Self Check] Experience Is The Most Valuable Product
7	The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today	One, Two , Three – Is This Manager For Me?
8	The Handbook of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: Inspiring Others to Achieve Results	Emotional Intelligence – Core Skills Emotional Intelligence – Higher Order Skills
9	The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal	4 Dimensions Of Personal Power Consultant Substitutes Leisure For Labour Do Not Join Them. Beat Them.
10	45 EFFECTIVE WAYS FOR HIRING SMART: How to Predict Winners and Losers in the Incredibly Expensive People-Reading Game	Basic Skills For Effective Public Speaking
11	The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking	Dale Carnegie’s Recipe For Effective Public Speaking
12	The Dream Manager	Time Management – Do You Control Your Life Or Life Controls You?
13	Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate, and Outnegotiate Your Competition	Is Consultant Career For Me? The Power Of Saying “No” Prioritize What You Do – Steven Covey Way [The Way That Works]
14	Becoming a Technical Leader: An Organic Problem-Solving Approach	Leaders’ Work Is Becoming A Leader Actionable And Attainable For All?
15	Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method	On Writing – John Lennon, Gerald M. Weinberg, Me, You, And Outlook 2007
16	First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently	Do You Have The Dream Job? Consultant Arrives To Base Camp Consulting School Is Over, Time For Consulting Education
17	Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-Cost Approach to Management	Kaizen – Continuous Improvement The Japanese Way Gemba Kaizen – Three Step Approach For Kick 5 S’s Management
18	The One Minute Manager	Seven Characteristics Of High Performing Consultant
19	Kaizen: The Key To Japan’s Competitive Success	Kaizen – Think Process, Get Results. Personal Improvement – Kaizen Focus On Process
20	Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully	A Different One Million Dollar Mindset Basic Instincts And Marketing 3 Things Customers Really Want Consulting – What’s The Deal? Consultant Writes Proposals That Sell Powerful Consulting #5 Beat The Competition – Offer Services On Demand This Is How Consultant Loses Trust
21	The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)	The Courage To Quit
22	Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain	Build Credibility By Training Your Mind To Remember More
23	Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty: The Only Networking Book You’ll Ever Need	<<in work in progress>>
24	Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts	Consultant Writes Proposals That Sell
25	Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion	Want To Win? – Argue, Do Not Fight! What Aristotle Could Teach You About Consulting Effective Techniques To Handle Your Kid’s Temper Tantrum
26	The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be	Adopt 18/40/60 Rule And Stop Worrying About What They Think About You Improve Your Outcomes By Changing Your Responses Personal Development Books: The Structure Distilled
27	The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best	Apply 80/20 Principle – Focus On Stuff That Matters Stress Test Your New Idea For Success – The Checklist
28	Hollywood Secrets of Project Management Success	Hollywood’s Project Management System
29	The Magic of Thinking Big	Successful Consultant Puts Positive Spin On Everything
30	What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful	You Are 95 And You Are Dying
31	Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life	Realize The Difference Between Activity And Productivity
32	The 48 Laws of Power	Powerful Consulting – #1 Powerful Consulting – #2 Powerful Consulting – #3 Powerful Consulting – #4 Powerful Consulting – #5
33	Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t	Powerful Consulting – #5
34	Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used	3 Basic Conditions For Successful Consulting Gig 5 Stages of Successful Consulting Gig
35	The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything	4 Things Mentors Do
36	Influencer: The Power to Change Anything	Secret Revealed: The Power to Change Anything
37	The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses	Blogger, Improve Your Eyesight!
38	Reaching The Goal: How Managers Improve a Services Business Using Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints	Consultant Overcomes Constraints and Reaches the Goal in 5 Steps Beat The Competition – Offer Services On Demand
39	Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants: Breakthrough Tactics for Winning Profitable Clients	<<in work in progress>>
40	TRUE PROFESSIONALISM : The Courage to Care About Your People, Your Clients, and Your Career	<<in work in progress>>
41	The Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life	Follow The Three Laws of Performance
42	The Consultant’s Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What You Do, New and Revised	This Is How Consultant Loses Trust This Is How Consultant Fails
43	First Things First	Prioritize What You Do – Steven Covey Way [The Way That Works]