Pop quiz: What’s one habit all successful people share?
If you said, “They love to read,” give yourself a gold star.
High achievers spend a lot more time with a book – or Kindle – in their hands than those lower on the success scale.
But here’s the catch: These top performers don’t just read anything. The richest, most successful people in the world choose books that help them enhance their lives and do phenomenal work.
When it comes to books, successful people choose education over entertainment.
So, if you’re ready to step up your game, these are 9 of my favorite, must-read books to become a successful coach.
Remember: a coach who reads is a coach who succeeds!
1. The Book of Coaching
I co-wrote this book with Executive Performance Coach, international speaker, best-selling author – and my wife – Dr. Neeta Bhushan.
“The Book of Coaching” is the result of thousands of hours of coaching experience between Neeta and me. The book also contains my personal hard-won lessons plus expert insights I’ve learned from some of the world’s best coaches.
Neeta and I have achieved massive success and created a life that we love, with the exact principles you’ll find in these pages.
Key Insight: You can become an extraordinary coach when you unlock the power of 3 critical elements – You, Your Methodology, and Your Business.
What you’ll get: The book reveals cutting-edge, actionable techniques related to each of these 3 elements. You’ll discover a transformational cocktail of methods and strategies to maximize your natural talents as a coach and create a thriving, profitable coaching business.
2. Supercoach
There’s no question about it…Michael Neill is one of the best coaches in the world.
Michael’s “Supercoach” contains power principles and strategies to create lasting transformations for your coaching clients and for yourself.
Michael’s fun sense of humor will keep you turning the pages, and his unique methods transcend regular coaching techniques.
You’ll learn to tap into your deeper awareness and come up with coaching solutions for any problem.
Key Insight: Creating success is not about DO-ing, it’s about BE-ing.
What you’ll get: This book includes 10 powerful strategies to apply this truth as you release victimhood, create authentic relationships, and discover proven techniques that lead to lasting life-changing shifts for more success, abundance, and happiness.
3. The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
Vishen Lakhiani’s book became an instant hit when it blasted onto the New York Times and Amazon bestseller lists.
Vishen is the Founder and CEO of world-class personal growth and education portal Mindvalley. He is also one of the most forward-thinking visionaries on the planet. I feel lucky to call him my business partner and friend.
Vishen’s revolutionary book reveals how cultural influences have created a deep sense of loss, confusion, and unhappiness in almost everyone.
The Code works as a guide to help you come home to yourself. You’ll learn to become who you truly are, do what you love, and succeed on your own terms in today’s unpredictable world.
Key Insight: Not everything you believe, learned, and lived up until this moment is right… or even true.
What you’ll get: The book includes 10 principles or Laws to release deeply embedded beliefs and viewpoints that hold you back. You’ll learn tools and techniques to redefine your future, create authentic success and live your highest vision… no matter what.
4. Coaching Psychology Manual
This instant classic by Margaret Moore and Bob Tschannen-Moran focuses on health, nutrition, fitness, stress management, emotional management, and more – all areas that affect your client’s overall well-being.
The book also goes deep into the differences between types of coaches, defines the real meaning of successful coaching, and explains the true value of coaching.
The authors have trained thousands of coaches. Their book is an in-depth manual that covers everything from goal-setting to motivation and personal and physical health.
It’s perfect for both new and established coaches looking to take their skills to the highest level.
Key Insight: Extraordinary success is for those who know how to hit and sustain high levels of physical and mental health.
What you’ll get: The book reveals timeless coaching tools and strategies to create a positive environment for lasting transformations. You’ll learn exactly how to coach your clients so they can master inner and outer wellbeing.
5. Prison Break
Jason Goldberg is a man of many talents. He’s a world-class international coach and speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, and a former rapper.
When he’s on stage, Jason’s high energy and sense of humor have audiences around the world, hanging onto his every word.
As a coach, he’s an exceptional transformational expert who does a lot more than help clients achieve their goals…
He shows them how to have fun along the way.
Key Insight: Self-leadership is the core of true transformation.
What you’ll get: The book shows you how to tap into your most powerful personal skills to get to the highest levels of success. You’ll learn to work with a life-changing framework that will instantly shift your internal state so you can create what you want in your external world.
6. Emotional GRIT
Another gem by best-selling author, Executive Performance coach, and international speaker Dr. Neeta Bhushan.
Think of this book as an emotional “Grit Kit” that shows you how to release past pain and build emotional strength and intelligence. You’ll learn to make powerful, precise decisions to create massive success in any area of your life and work.
The book also establishes a new, leadership model that’s based on compassion and understanding for positive impact and transformation on all levels which is crucial to truly becoming a successful coach.
Key Insight: Self-awareness and the ability to challenge your thinking are powerful transformational tools.
What you’ll get: The book shows you how to take a step back and identify current thoughts and beliefs that are blocking you from achieving your goals. You’ll learn to rewire your thinking and rework your belief system to achieve self-mastery and success.
7. The Prosperous Coach
Rich Litvin and Steve Chandler are both legendary coaches and co-authors of “The Prosperous Coach.” This outstanding book has been on Amazon’s top 10 list of coaching books for years.
It focuses on the art and craft of creating high-level clients who are a perfect match for your individual coaching skills and style. You’ll also learn insider secrets to grow and sustain a successful, profitable coaching business.
The best part? Rich and Steve show you how to do all of this minus the overwhelm and burnout new coaches experience.
Key Insight: Becoming a prosperous coach is about creating ideal clients through powerful conversations.
What you’ll get: This book reveals a proven 4-step method you can use to attract ideal high-end clients. You’ll learn that you don’t need expensive advertising or sales “tricks” to grow a phenomenal coaching business.
8. Slowing Down to the Speed of Life
In the age of speed and endless information, a “slow and simple” path to success may sound like a crazy fantasy.
This book shows you that it’s not.
The late Richard Carlson, who wrote the best-selling ‘Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,’ and his co-author John Bailey share simple, actionable strategies to create more love, peace, success, and joy in your life.
Key Insight: You don’t have to give up on what you love to get what you want.
What you’ll get: The book gives you easy ways to come back to the present moment again and again so you can achieve high levels of productivity and enjoy your life at the same time. You’ll learn how to create time for the things that matter – the activities that make you happy and the people you love – without giving up on your goals.
9. Conversational Intelligence
Judith E. Glaser is a renowned Organizational Anthropologist executive coach and consultant.
She’s one of the world’s top experts on creating deep engagement, smooth collaborations, and creative flow in individuals and teams with the power of conversation. Her methods are based on solid scientific frameworks – mainly neuroscience and anthropology.
Judith’s book “Conversational Intelligence” goes way beyond basic coaching techniques. It contains high-level tools to build trust, integrity, and empathy with your clients and other important people in your life.
Key Insight: It’s not about being the smartest coach. It’s about being the greatest conversationalist.
What you’ll get: When you take your interactions and conversations to the highest level you’ll easily create a powerful foundation of trust with your clients. This leads to real relationships, deeper connections, and ultimately… a successful, high-income coaching business.
Power Up Your Reading
Start reading these books as soon as you can. Today, if possible.
The reason?
These powerful titles will help you transform from the inside out so you can start to experience more freedom, happiness, and wealth right now, and become a successful coach.
When you apply these principles over time, you’ll empower yourself to breakthrough limiting beliefs, live your purpose and achieve your highest potential as a business owner, as a coach, and as a conscious, caring human being.
This is the most valuable gift you can give yourself.
It’s the most valuable gift you can give to the world.
