Key to our Scale Manifesto, and something we implement every single day be it in our business or personal lives, is: “Always Look for Learning”. Our most successful clients are those who have a constant thirst (bordering obsession!) to learn more – whether it be learnings from past mistakes by themselves or by others, learning from external experts, or from books.

Taking the latter, reading is SO important; it helps us see the world, helps us understand others, helps us escape and helps us learn.  Here’s my top 10 books I recommend reading this Summer to help you relax and be inspired whether you’re on the beach, on a plane or simply chilling on a balcony.

It should be law that every human should read this book; I’m constantly referring to it, and re-reading it. Covey provides you with simple but practical self-awareness and self-improvement methods to implement in both your work and home life. Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

I’ve recently finished this book and I LOVED it. Syed uses powerful case studies that we can all relate to, and that can be applied across every field, on how to learn from failure.  Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed.

This book has had the single biggest impact on my life because it got me thinking very, very differently. It also got me really interested in personal development which I feel is an essential skill for all entrepreneurs – whatever business you’re in.  How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Anything by Jim is a good read – particularly these four great books. His series focus on sustainability and growth and his thorough research behind them throws up some inspiring questions and answers for business owners in any sector and of any size.  Jim Collins: Good to Great, Great by Choice, Built to Last, How the Mighty Fall.

This book was a huge revelation to me in the 1990’s.  It’s so much more than a measurement system and I would urge any entrepreneur serious about their business growth to read this to understand how to guide their current performance and to target future performance.  The Balanced Scorecard by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton

“The world is embarking on a new age. The age of the entrepreneur, the agile small business owner, the flexible innovator.” As an entrepreneur myself, Daniel’s book really excited me and taught me fresh ways to get an “entrepreneurial mind-set” in today’s fast-paced environment.  Entrepreneur Revolution by Daniel Priestley

We’re always reading this with our 5-year-old twins; they love the story, the pictures and most of all it teaches (and reminds) us ALL of the importance of budgeting, saving, investing and giving back.  Save Your Acorns by Robert Gardner

I loved the format and succinctness of Nigel’s best-selling book; a must read for entrepreneurs seeking practical marketing advice from a true business growth expert.  Botty’s Rules by Nigel Botterill

People don’t realise how many lessons in life and business there are in classic children’s books such as Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh. I urge you to download one onto your Kindle and see the meaning of Carroll’s words through your adult eyes.  Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I am biased (!), but this book as had not only a massive impact on my personal development and business, but also that of thousands of readers who have shared their learnings from this book. It’s based on my proven Scale Model™ and explains why the entrepreneur is the WRONG person to grow a business.  I don’t work Fridays by Martin Norbury