#5 Books By Inspiring Leaders To Motivate You There is no one definitive way or textbook rule to succeed.

By Agamoni Ghosh

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Leadership is never objective, which makes it hard for even the greatest leaders to pen down their journey. But as entrepreneurs strive to become great leaders someday, they often draw inspiration from success stories, especially their failure stories.

There is no one definitive way or textbook rule to succeed, but an amalgamation of qualities combined with perseverance and hard work that makes great leaders stand out from the rest. We tell you five books, that you should pick up, written by inspirational business leaders, all of whom have an interesting story to tell, each different from the other.

My Life and Work: Autobiography of Henry Ford

The original autobiography of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, originally published in 1922, details how Henry Ford started out, how he got into business, the strategies he used to become a successful and immensely wealthy businessman, and how he built a company to last. The book may have been written almost a decade back, but Ford's vision projected in the book as a pioneer and an inventive genius with managerial acumen still strikes a chord with entrepreneurs today.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

In this candid and riveting memoir, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days. The book talks about the initial struggle days of the company as a start-up in those days and its journey to the top, to become one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

Chasing Dayliight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed Me by Eugene O' Kelly

While most leaders have penned thoughts on how they build their careers and companies, Eugene O'Kelly, Chairman and CEO of KPMG, wrote this book at 53, after he was diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer and given three to six months to live. The book talks about his cherished last days, and how it changed him and the people around him in a such a short while.

Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella

This one is Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's debut book, where he combines elements of an autobiography, biography of the company. He constantly harps on two improtant topics throough the book — leadership and transformation, and makes a strong case for a new social contract that must guide the values of evolution. He talks about one of the great qualities a CEO should possess, and that is culture. C for him stands for culture in CEO and that he believes became the core of his leadership style over the years.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

There have already been a couple fo movies and docudramas made surrounding the iconic leader, but the hardbound copy of the book is what you should aim for, to get the blow by blow details of his journey. The book pierces into Jobs' professional decisions as it refelcts on the personal struggles he went through to make Apple stand where it is today.

Agamoni Ghosh

Former Staff, Entrepreneur India

She was generating stories out of Bengaluru for Entrepreneur India. She has worked with leading national and international business publications, including Newsweek, Business Standard, and CNBC in the past. 

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