Fa la la la la! It’s that time of year! Our Founder and CEO, Kim, has a podcast called Building Birmingham Together, where she talks to business leaders about building and growing their businesses in Birmingham and beyond. One of the hidden gems of each interview is the book suggestions each person gives! We wanted to create a list of all the books that have been suggested, so we did just that!

Enjoy this compilation of books that have been recommended in Building Birmingham Together interviews, including two recommendations from Kim herself!

Use this gift guide to purchase a book for yourself or for the business-person in your life!

Books 1 and 2: Recommended by: Cindy Martin, Founder and President of Bham Now and The Bama Buzz

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster By Jon Krakauer

“A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down. He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more–including Krakauer’s–in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer’s epic account of the May 1996 disaster.”

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By Stephen R. Covey

“One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for thirty years. It has transformed the lives of millions of people worldwide.”

Book 3: Recommended by Pamella Phipps, Executive Director of Grace House Ministries and Jacqui Jones, CEO of One Degree MMM

Dare to Lead By Brené Brown

“I’ve spent twenty years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and I recently completed a seven-year study on brave leadership. The goal of Dare to Lead is to share everything we’ve learned about taking off the armor and showing up as leaders in a skills-based and actionable playbook.”

Book 4: Recommended by Kellie Clark of Innovation Depot and Deon Gordon, CEO and President of Tech Birmingham 

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less By Greg McKeown

“In Essentialism, Greg McKeown draws on experience and insight from working with the leaders of the most innovative companies in the world to show how to achieve the disciplined pursuit of less. By applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, the pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy and effort into making the highest possible contribution toward the goals and activities that matter. Essentialism isn’t one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a discipline you apply constantly, effortlessly. Essentialism is a mindset; a way of life. It is an idea whose time has come.”

Book 5: Recommended by Russell Hooks with Happenins in the Ham

It’s All in Your Head By Russ

“With chapters named after his most powerful and popular songs, It’s All in Your Head will reflect on the lessons he’s learned from his career, family, and relationships. He’ll push readers to bet on themselves, take those leaps of faith, and recognize struggles as opportunities.”

Books 6 and 7: Recommended by Kim Lee, Founder and CEO of Forge

Excellence Wins by Horst Shulze

“This book is a great reminder of how important it is to conduct all of business with a customer service and hospitality mindset.  This book specifically addresses the way that The Ritz Carlton approaches hospitality in every single area of their business, but every lesson addressed in this book can be applied to any business!  (And to any leader.) The book is also a great reminder of the importance of intentionally thinking through every system and procedure in your business and evaluating if that is really the way that you want to operate or if you need to put a new system in place that reflects the values of your business.”

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

“I love this book because it is a great reminder that as the leader of your business or organization everything really does fall back on you.  It is written as an encouragement for leaders to be intentional about the way they set up their organization and run their teams.  This book inspires me to take very seriously my role as leader of my organization and to be the best that I can be for my team and for my business.”

Happy Holidays!!