​11 Books the Ambitious Assistant should add to their Reading List

Office Support roles can often be challenging. Whether it’s managing an office, dealing with short timelines or managing urgent situations, no two days are the same.
As roles such as Administrators, Assistants, Office Managers and Support Team Members become more hybrid and developed, individuals must look to varied places for advice and guidance. Although professional guidance can come in many shapes and sizes, one way to ensure personal development, as well as time to unwind is by taking advantage of professional reading.

“Reading is a very necessary habit for every successful businessperson,” said Ellen Parry Lewis, fiction author. “It broadens your mind, helps with your written and verbal communication skills, and gives you a certain level of understanding and empathy.”
– Sammi Caramela, Writer

Check out the list below to find out our top 11 books for professional development:

The Start-up of You, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha​

Written by LinkedIn Cofounder and Chairman Reid Hoffman and author Ben Casnocha, this book gives a complete outline on how to ensure your career develops in today’s competitive landscape. Their theory is to approach your career as a start up business, the idea being that you invest in yourself, your network and make intelligent risks – all of which you would do to ensure the success of a start up.
 

The Secrets of Six-Figure Women, Barbara Stanny

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Written by motivational speaker and financial educator Barbara Stanny, the Secrets of Six-Figure Women examines 7 strategies that apply to high earning female professionals. These include:
– A Profit Motive
– Audacity
– Resilience
– Encouragement
– Self-Awareness
– Non-attachment
– Financial Know-How

Stanny basis her findings on extensive research including interviews with more than 150 women whose income ranges from $100,000 to $7million.
 

Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki

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Rich Dad, Poor Dad focused on Kiyosaki’s real father (Poor Dad) and his best friend’s father (Rich Dad) and the lessons he learned about money, money management and investment from the two men. One of Kiyosaki’s teachings is that money comes and goes but if you have education about what to do and how money works, you gain power over it and can continually build wealth.
 

Good to Great, Jim Collins

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Although this book focuses on how a company can go from good to great, it also gives an in depth look at what the individual should do to ensure they are the best leader possible. Collins describes leaders who are humble, empathetic and driven as being the best able to make real change.
 

Radical Candor, Kim Scott

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Radical Candor is an interesting look at how communication in a strong leader includes caring and challenging. Scott challenges the idea that from a young age we are told “if you have nothing to say, don’t say anything at all” but when you enter to work place you must be able to confidently express your opinion without sounding obnoxious or aggressive. The book emphasises that to be successful people must retain their humanity and foster a culture of openness and respect.
 

Unshakeable, Tony Robbins

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Although this book focuses on achieving financial success, Robbins emphasises the need to concentrate on being truly fulfilled, aside from merely financially. Some other points Robbins touches on are the fact that you don’t have to be able to predict the future to ensure success, you have to simply focus on what you can control.
 

The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy

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In The Compound Effect, Hardy explores the idea that small actions, executed consistently can lead to real success.
“By the end of this book, or even before, I want you to know in your bones that your only path to success is through a continuum of mundane, unsexy, unexciting, and sometimes difficult daily disciplines compounded over time.”
 

Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong, Jessica Bacal

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Mistakes I Made at Work.. consists of a collection of stories from numerous successful women who explain mistakes they have made in the past and how they learned and grew from them. Interviewees include bestselling author Cheryl Strayed, Director Emeritus of McKinsey & Company, Joanna Barsch and Stanford psychology professor, Carol Dweck. This book is ideal for people searching for advice and guidance on how to ensure success.
 

Relentless, Tim S.Grove

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In relentless, Grover examines the traits of overachievers and their mentality. Throughout the book, Grover alludes to the idea of “Cleaners” – people who leverage their dark side instead of avoiding it. Grover also inspires the reader to avoid competing with others but work extra hard so that competitors need to step up their game in order to be at your level.
 

What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School, Mark H. McCormack

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What they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School consists of anecdotes and advice from sports agent business owner McCormack. The book aims to bridge the gap between what is learned in business school and the real working environment. McCormack delves into his top tips for success, such as; analysing yourself (your strengths, weaknesses and ambitions), communication skills, and time management.
 

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz

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In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Horowitz explains the honest reality of starting and running a business. The cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz has a wealth of experience in developing and managing tech companies and he shares his exclusive insights on what leaders face day to day. The book hits the right balance between straight talk and humour, and even includes lyrics from his favourite raps!