5 Books I’m Glad I Read in 2019

“What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain

Each year I read approximately 30 books for the pure pleasure of creating in my imagination the sights and sounds and smells of the world that the author has created in the pages of his book. I enjoy fiction and non-fiction alike.

I also read around the same number of “educational” books each year. I read these to challenge myself out of complacency and to spur growth, to resist stagnation and to broaden my horizons.

In 2019 I was fortunate to have read many compelling and thought-provoking books. Here are five that I found particularly noteworthy. In fact, I’ll likely revisit each of these again in the future – they are that good.

1. Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree

Owning and running a small business can be rewarding, fulfilling, and even energizing if it is aligned with your passions and personality. But it can also be nerve-racking and anxiety-producing, often requiring you to make important decisions based on imperfect and incomplete information. When should you hire your next team member? Should you reinvest your profits? Are you even profitable to begin with? How can you be sure?

In Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential, Greg Crabtree offers succinct and clear guidance for running your small business. As an accountant and Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS) implementor, this book is concise and well-written. Not a word is wasted. There’s no fluff.

Some of the gems of this book include:

• Use a forecast, not a budget
• Know your salary cap for your labor force
• Monitor your Labor Efficiency Ratio
• Pay yourself a competitive wage or your financials are misleading.

If you own/run a small business, this should be required reading.

2. Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

As a young entrepreneur, I was confident in my abilities and astute in my observations. I could quickly recognize a potential client’s primary challenge and chart a path to overcome it. I could see where others could not. In short, I could be the hero I thought they needed.

Now, some twenty-plus years later, I realize that I was fortunate to have survived that period. That approach didn’t help me to connect with my potential customers. It placed me in the limelight and ignored their real needs. I slowly learned this the hard way by trial and error. Well, it was mostly by error.

I wish Donald Miller had written Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen sooner. It could have saved me from many of those errors.

Miller draws parallels between marketing and storytelling and shares how everyone, from a giant corporation to a small solepreneur can create a meaningful brand that connects with customers.

3. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

“Never talk about money, politics, or religion.” Many of us were taught this principle as a kid. Talking about these, especially money now feels wrong and uncomfortable. But, when you run a small business, you must learn to talk about money early and often.

In Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, former FBI Hostage Negotiator Chris Voss shares principles he and his team learned while negotiating some of the most extreme and contentious scenarios imaginable. The book is replete with concepts and tactics, including:

• Negotiation is not an active battle; it’s a process of discovery. The goal is to uncover as much information as possible.
• “No” is the start of a negotiation, not the end of it.  It seldom means, “I have considered all the facts and made a rational choice.”
• You are not going to logically convince someone that they are safe, secure, or in control.
• The more a person feels understood, and positively affirmed in that understanding, the more likely they are for agreement and change.

Whether you’re an accomplished and skilled negotiator or someone who actively avoids negotiations because it creates stress and conflict, you’ll likely find this book helpful.

4. Spy the Lie by Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, and Susan Carnicero

You’re sitting across the table from some who keeps touching his face and covering his mouth as he speaks. He doesn’t make consistent eye contact with you. He’s obviously lying to you, right?

Conventional wisdom holds that he is being deceitful. The facts are not his friend. But, wouldn’t someone who is lying also know the conventional wisdom and make a gallant effort to overcome the traditional indicators? So maybe it’s the person who keeps his hands on the table and stares unrelentingly into your eyes that is lying?

Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception tackles this question head-on. The three former CIA officers share their experiences in detecting deception and spotting lies. They offer proven techniques for asking questions and observing responses that will help to uncover when a person is being forthright and when she is avoiding an uncomfortable truth.

In my 27-year career, I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve worked closely with trustworthy colleagues and clients who earnestly seek to do the right thing. Nevertheless, I found this book insightful and engaging. It’s a good read.

5. The Only Sales Guide You Will Ever Need by Anthony Iannarino

Much has been written in the technical world about the “Accidental DBA,” that unfortunate IT Professional who is deeply skilled in one area such as System Administration or Application Development yet finds herself also responsible for keeping the SQL Server databases running. (In fact, our business is predicated on helping companies with Accidental DBAs.)

I am not an Accidental DBA. I’ve doing DBA work professionally for over 20 years. But I am an Accidental Sales Professional. I’m not particularly skilled in sales, yet it’s an integral part of any business, including The SERO Group.

Anthony Iannarino’s book The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need was written for people like me. It’s for honest people who truly want to help other businesses succeed. There are no manipulative tactics or unscrupulous presentations described. Rather his approach is one of learning to listen to your potential customer to determine if your product or service may help them reach their goals.

I’m not a connoisseur of sales books. I’ve only read a few. But this one has proven helpful to me.

A Few Honorable Mentions

There were many other books I read in 2019 that I’d recommend adding to your list. In most any other year, these would have made my Top 5 List.

• The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
• Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella
• The Go-Giver by Bob Burg
• Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull
• Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle

I’m always looking for suggestions for books to read. Let me know if you’ve found a book particularly compelling.