When you hire someone for the first time, you become someone's boss. Their manager. Their leader.
So it should only be fair that as you have your virtual assistant train and upgrade their skills, you upgrade yours as well.
In this article we'll cover the top books we recommend at 2xYou to upgrade yourself as an employer:
- The One Minute Manager
A classic book we have all our clients read, The One Minute Manager is basically a “How to effectively give feedback 101” book.
You learn how to effectively give praise, redirect your employees, and how to set goals with them that they can actually follow through.
- How To Win Friends And Influence People
This book is an essential one that talks about basic concepts everyone should know, but most don’t – such as small acts like smiling and remembering people’s names.
They’re simple concepts, but when you start learning them by heart and the examples in the book make it easier for you to be more likable to your employees.
- Leader’s Eat Last
Simon Sinek’s TED Talk is one of the highest viewed TED Talks on Youtube for a reason – he has done the research on what works in the world of being leaders in bigger companies.
This is why Leader’s Eat Last is such a good read, as he breaks down what makes a good leader, and how you can apply it to your company.
- Dare To Lead
Another book from a famous TED Talk speaker, Brene Brown talks about being vulnerable as a leader and how that helps motivate employees like no other.
It talks about values, empathy, and how to lead with courage for those who have been leading and managing people for a while.
- Mindset
A book that we recommend everyone should read, it dives into the differences between having a fixed and a growth mindset, one that as a leader, you should learn to cultivate and develop further.
It’s also an amazing read for your Virtual Assistant to read as well that will help them with how they can think about working with you.
- Extreme Ownership
Written by Navy Seals, they break down what makes soldiers want to run into danger, other than love for the country – leaders who can own what to do and know that they can get the results they need by knowing their people the best.
The book further dives deeper into how to also train employees how to take responsibility, and how to get them to motivate themselves without a lot of outside influence.
- The Obstacle Is The Way
A book that can be read in either the beginnings of being a manager or later on, it dives deep on how to find ways through bottlenecks in a business.
The Obstacle Is The Way touches a bit on Stoicism, and how to apply it as a leader in a business.
- Emyth
This book has been dubbed “The Bible For Entrepreneurs” as it teaches you the basics of business and how to take advantage of it.
As a leader it will help give you a long-term mindset, that will help your employees along as they continue working with you.
All in all, being a leader doesn’t really have a straightforward manual you can follow – but it won’t hurt to learn from a few experts who researched how to be a great one.
Comment below any other books you recommend others read!
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