021: Technical, Spirit and Influence
There are a million and one business books out there.
You know the type. These are the kinds of books that will tell you to follow steps x, y and z to be able to run a successful business.
There are a few of these books that have been really influential for me. This is either because they have helped me to learn something new or, alternatively, because they have told me something that I ultimately disagreed with. Sometimes, listening to your gut and giving yourself permission to not agree with something, is more important than taking everything you read as gospel.
One of the things I’ve noticed about these types of books is that they tend to fit into one particular category. I think of this category as the ‘Technical’ aspect of running a business. In other words, these books offer the ‘how-to guide’ on topics such as:
Marketing
Sales
Operations
Strategy
Customer Relations
Finance
Cashflow
Leadership / Management
Human Resources
Organisational Hierarchy
Growth
Investment
Etc
I would say 95% of the books I have read about building businesses fits into the ‘Technical’ category. And the knowledge contained in these books is vitally important, because if you don’t have a solid grasp of this aspect of running a business - the business isn’t going to last very long.
However, I question whether this type of knowledge goes far enough to paint an entire picture of what makes a truly great business. Yes the ‘Technical’ aspect is important, but I believe there are two other areas which are also important - and are not often written about. This is probably because the topics I am talking about are a little bit more intangible.
The second category in my ‘Business Building Venn Diagram’ is what I refer to as ‘Influence’. In other words, this is to do with your reputation and the strength of the relationships you have with other people.
Relationships and status can often trump everything else. It is how someone who is supremely skilled and inventive may be overlooked when compared to someone who we already know and trust. It’s also how a new business with a very special idea can be left in the dark, with potential customers continuing to flock to the incumbent brand.
It makes sense that we need to always be building relationships. Improving our standing, network and position within the community we seek to serve can go a long, long way to supporting our growth. And without the backing of others, all of our knowledge gained in the ‘Technical’ category will only go so far.
The final category in my ‘Business Building Venn Diagram’ (which may continue to increase in importance - especially in a world of never-ending digital noise) is what I like to call ‘Spirit’. This is the soul or vibe of the business - its fundamental unique character, personality and creativity that leads to new ideas. This is the bit that is entirely driven by you, the people that you work with and what each of you, as a collective, believe in.
The challenge is, it’s pretty difficult to write a how-to business book on how to do this “well”. For example, how do you write a how-to guide on something that’s completely unique to you and your people? Going back to an earlier paragraph, this is probably why 95% of the books I have read about business are firmly rooted in the ‘Technical’ category.
However, a surprisingly large amount of business owners find the ‘Spirit’ aspect of their business hard to articulate. It’s the bit that we are often the most disconnected from and the bit that feels the most alien. But it’s also the bit about our business that can be the most interesting, and exciting, for ourselves (and for our customers) if we give ourselves permission to explore it fully.
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If you are looking for something new to read, these are the books that have been particularly valuable to me:
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
Creative Calling by Chase Jarvis
The Widest Net by Pamela Slim
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib
Traction by Gino Wickman
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Coaching for Performance by Sir John Whitmore
The Prosperous Coach by Rich Litvin and Steve Chandler
The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Drive by Daniel Pink
To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
No Rules, Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
Happy Money by Ken Honda
The Second Curve by Charles Handy
21 Letters on Life and It’s Challenges by Charles Handy
Influence by Robert Cialdini
80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall
Ikigai by Hector Garcia
The Visual MBA by Jason Barron
Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard
They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan
The Inside Out Revolution by Michael Neill
Change by Damon Centola
Note: Not all of these books have made the list because I agreed with what they said. Some are valuable because they helped me to see a different path from the path they proclaimed.
Are there any books that you’d add to the list?
James
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