OBM Recommended Reading List from OBM School
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Our Recommended OBM Reads

Embark on an exciting literary journey customized just for Online Business Managers. Dive into our thoughtfully curated selection of books, meticulously chosen to empower and elevate your skills in the dynamic world of online business management. From strategies for efficient operations to mastering leadership in the digital realm, these books are your trusted companions on the path to OBM excellence. Explore these pages and unlock the knowledge to thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of online business. Happy reading!

And just a friendly note, you may come across affiliate links in our recommendations. Rest assured, we only partner with websites and platforms that we genuinely use and believe in. We’re here to provide you with valuable insights, not quick clicks for a fast buck at OBM School!

The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks

This book delves into the concept of the “upper limit problem,” which is a common challenge for both individuals and businesses. It helps OBMs understand how to overcome self-imposed limitations and achieve their true potential. It’s a must-read for OBMs looking to break through barriers and excel in their roles by embracing growth and transformation.

E-Myth Revisited, Michael E. Gerber

This classic explores the entrepreneurial myth and how it affects businesses. OBMs will gain insights into the importance of systematizing and delegating tasks effectively, allowing them to streamline operations and enhance their clients’ businesses. It’s a valuable resource for OBMs seeking to optimize business processes and foster growth.

The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanier

As OBMs often find themselves in leadership roles, this book offers a powerful framework for effective coaching conversations. It teaches OBMs how to ask the right questions and provide guidance that inspires action and growth. It’s an essential read for OBMs looking to elevate their coaching skills and drive positive change within their teams and clients’ businesses.

Dare To Lead, Brené Brown

Leadership is a central aspect of an OBM’s role, and Brené Brown’s book provides a powerful guide to courageous leadership. OBMs can learn how to build trust, embrace vulnerability, and lead with authenticity. It’s a transformative read for OBMs looking to create a culture of inclusivity, innovation, and meaningful change within their organizations and client businesses.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport

In the digital age, the ability to focus deeply on important tasks is a valuable skill. This book provides practical strategies for enhancing productivity and achieving more meaningful work, which is highly relevant for OBMs managing multiple tasks and responsibilities.

Leaders Eat Last, Simon

This book explores the concept of servant leadership and how it can create strong, thriving organizations. OBMs can learn about building a culture of trust, collaboration, and purpose, which is essential for successful leadership.

Start With Why, Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek explores the power of purpose and how it can inspire both individuals and organizations. OBMs can apply these principles to help their clients define and communicate their core purpose, which can drive growth and success.

Crucial Conversations, Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny, and Ron McMillan

Effective communication is critical in OBM roles. This book offers tools and techniques for handling crucial conversations and difficult situations, helping OBMs navigate complex interactions with clients and teams.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, Stephen R. Covey

a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity–principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini

In this highly acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini—the seminal expert in the field of influence and persuasion—explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these principles ethically in business and everyday situations.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, by Nir Eyal

Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us? He explains the Hook Model—a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, by Donald Miller

StoryBrand process is a proven solution to the struggle business leaders face when talking about their businesses. This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides listeners with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services.

Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age, by Jonah Berger

“Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age” offers a deep dive into the mechanics of virality. Jonah Berger’s STEPPS framework (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories) provides a clear roadmap for anyone looking to boost their product or idea’s word-of-mouth potential.

Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant, by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne

BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY presents a systematic approach to making the competition irrelevant and outlines principles and tools any organization can use to create and capture their own blue oceans. This expanded edition includes:

  • A new preface by the authors: Help! My Ocean Is Turning Red
  • Updates on all cases and examples in the book, bringing their stories up to the present time
  • Two new chapters and an expanded third one—Alignment, Renewal, and Red Ocean Traps—that address the most pressing questions readers have asked over the past 10 years

 

Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

What truly separates high achievers from everyone else? Keith Ferrazzi shows that real success comes down to the power of genuine, mutually beneficial relationships. Moving past self-serving “networking,” this guide outlines practical principles—from leading with generosity and maintaining consistent contact to building connections across the digital space—to help you build a lifelong network that opens doors and lifts everyone up.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We only partner with websites and platforms that we use on a daily basis and provide real value to our business and our team. No clicks for a quick buck at OBM School!

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