7 Motivational Books for Employees That Managers Should Recommend

We cannot deny the power of reading. It is a fundamental step to gather knowledge, skills, and even motivation to keep moving on our path.

As a manager, besides improving yourself, helping your employees grow and engage is a crucial act. One quick way to do this is to recommend helpful and inspiring books to your staff.

Not sure what to recommend? Here are 7 great books you can introduce to your employees today.

1. “StrengthsFinder 2.0″ by Tom Rath

StrengthsFinder 2.0 is among the easiest-to-read motivational books for employees. It’s all about how to improve strengths and overcome weaknesses.

In this book, Tom Rath claimed that it’s important to identify what you’re good at, and put your effort into strengthening it. By nurturing our unique strengths and talents, we can accomplish more in our lives.

2. “Leading at a Higher Level“ by Ken Blanchard

“Leading at a Higher Level” discusses almost everything about leadership. Whether it’s finding visions and setting targets, or finding direction and values of leadership, the book has it all.

The book encourages readers to build various leadership skills, including how to find our own “leadership point of view”, a skill possessed by many great leaders. It’s an opportunity for you and your employees to make certain transformations in working styles, and improve different skills associated with leadership.

3. “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything” by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

With stories from famous names such as Paul McCartney, Meg Ryan, Arianna Huffington, and many more, “The Element” is a must-have motivational book for employees who are still confused about finding their passion at work.

Not only does it help readers to discover themselves, but also motivates them to work harder and better with a genuine love for their jobs. It also discusses the importance of creativity, fulfillment, and satisfaction at work.

4. “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us“ by Daniel H. Pink

Have you ever wondered what creates motivation? In this book, Daniel H. Pink identified the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that drive us at work.

In a provocative and unique way, the author utilized different scientific research on human motivation, as well as considering the current scenario to explore how motivation affects each and every one of us, through every aspect of our lives and work.

He also examines 3 elements of motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose, and how to put them into action. It’s a great book for your employees to understand the concept of motivation, how to acquire it, and adapt it into work.

5. “Moonwalking with Einstein” by Joshua Foer

In a world where we are constantly bombarded with information, it’s important to keep our memories intact for special and essential matters.

“Moonwalking with Einstein” is a fascinating book that tells the life story and the memory-athletics pursuit of Joshua Foer, from a newly-graduated journalist to the champion of the United States Memory Championship. 

This is an engaging book that explores what drives our memory, and includes entertaining anecdotes about memorizing information. It also provides important advice on dealing with overloads of data, especially when it comes to teamwork and meetings.

6. “Zen Your Work“ by Karlyn Borysenko

If your employees are dealing with stress or having a tough time in their lives, then Zen Your Work is a great read. It provides mindfulness techniques for those who seek peace in the workplace.

“Zen Your Work” gives your employees guidelines to take control of their responsibilities, expectations, and satisfaction in their work. This will also help them maintain their work ethics and styles, and strengthen their relationships with colleagues.

7. “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right” by Atul Gawande

Simple as it might seem, a checklist is an important method for employees to enhance their productivity and performance at work. Using a surgeon’s viewpoints, “The Checklist Manifesto” takes on the perceptions of delivering work consistently, correctly, and safely, and disregarding unnecessarily external factors.

This is a fascinating productivity book for your employees as it shows them how to create and utilize their own organizational tools. This way they can set long-term goals and stay focused on whatever they’re doing.

Conclusion

Managing your employees isn’t just about assigning tasks and supervising them. It’s also about motivating and inspiring them to grow with you and your business.

This is why you have to continually invest in supporting your employees’ development. We know that these 7 books will help you and your team do just that. Recommend the books to your staff and see how these resources can help.

Interested in boosting your employees’ morale? Check out our 6 tips here.