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Many leaders recommended books about psychology, feminism, and mental health, in addition to traditional business strategy.
- Of all the great business books, the ones written by men tend to get a lot of attention, but many other important perspectives are out there.
- Business Insider asked female founders and business leaders for books - written by women - that they recommend on leadership, entrepreneurship, and running a company.
- In addition to books on traditional business strategy, many women pointed us to books about psychology, feminism, and mental health.
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The business books that land on must-read lists year after year, heavily recommended by CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs, usually have one thing in common: they're written by men. Of the 49 books on these lists from CNBC, Inc., and even Business Insider, you'll count just 10 books that have female authors.
So Business Insider asked female founders and business leaders what books they recommend on leadership, entrepreneurship, and running a company. There was only guideline: at least one woman must be an author of the book.
What we found is that these female entrepreneurs and executives have a broader understanding of what constitutes business advice than traditional topics such as funding, pitches, capital, scaling, business plans, and board meetings.
Traditional business strategy was still on the list, but many leaders also pointed us to books about psychology, feminism, and mental health. Best-sellers from leading ladies like Michelle Obama and Sheryl Sandberg made the list as well as books from authors Jessica Joines and Kim Scott. The resulting list reflects a step forward in the ever-evolving story of female entrepreneurialism, and how women have different experiences and insights to share, adding up to a different leadership style.
As Stephanie Nadi Olson, the founder of We Are Rosie, put it, "Women like me are much more drawn to books written by women leaders and founders simply because women lead from intuition and compassion," she told Business Insider. "It's less about competition for us, and more about how we can build and manifest our visions into a business that serves humanity."
Do you have a book recommendation to add? Please email this reporter at jortakales@businessinsider with your suggestion and tell us why it's an important read.
Here are 15 business and leadership books written by women.