Ten Books Every Law Firm Owner Should Read

One of the biggest things that sets highly successful entrepreneurs apart from most business owners is that they are continual learners. They are never satisfied with the status quo. They are always asking “What if?”  They are striving to know more, so they can do more and become more. They are not resting on yesterday’s success, but are striving to achieve greater success today and tomorrow. They understand the importance of acquiring fresh ideas and new insights. With that in mind, here are ten books that every law firm owner should make time to read.

1. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith. This book gives you a deep dive into the 20 Workplace habits business owners need to break, written by one of the world’s top Leadership thinkers.
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2. Ogilvy On Advertising, by David Ogilvy. Creator of some of the most famous advertising campaigns in history, Ogilvy’s book is an advertising classic, with principles still highly applicable today.
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3. How to Create a Million Dollar Unique Selling Proposition, by Bill Bodri. How you craft a message for your law firm that helps you stand apart from all the other law firms flooding the market is critical.  In this book, Bodri breaks the process down with ten proven ways to craft your own Unique Selling Proposition, that instantly taps into prospective clients’ core desires.
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4. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear. Every once in a while a book comes along that is a true game-changer, and this is one of those treasures. Clear’s book takes the mystery out of habit formation and shows you how you can accomplish more by focusing on less.
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5. Crucial Conversations, by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler. This book gives the reader a clear roadmap for talking when the stakes are high and will change the way you communicate in your own crucial conversations.
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6. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni. Businesses thrive or dive based in large part on the strength of the team, and not any single individual. Lencioni’s Leadership fable is a quick but powerful read, that helps business owners peel back the curtain on what makes or breaks successful business teams.
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7. Scaling Up; Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0: How a Few Companies Make it and Why the Rest Don’t, by Verne Harnish. This business classic gives business owners practical tools and techniques to building an industry-dominating business. Harnish spells out the how’s and whys by  Focusing on the four major decision areas every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. It’s truly a must-read if you are serious about growing and scaling a successful law firm.
   • ** I’m so serious about the importance of what Verne Harnish teaches, and its critical importance to any law firm owner, that he will be PILMMA’s Key Note Speaker at our Legal Marketing & Management Super Summit in New Orleans, June 37-29, 2022.  (Click here to register by LIVE or LIVE stream, and you’ll have the opportunity to hear Verne share his powerful insights for yourself.)
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8. The Five Levels of Leadership, by John C Maxwell. Growing a Successful Law firm requires exceptional leadership. Maxwell is one of the country’s leading authorities on Leadership, and this book breaks down the concept of leadership and gives the reader a clear guide to how to become a more effective leader.
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9. No B.S. Direct Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses, by Dan S Kennedy. Written by marketing guru Dan Kennedy, this book is designed to give the reader clear business-boosting marketing tactics in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner.
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10. The Mastermind Effect: The Secret to 10X Law Firm Growth, By Kenneth L. Hardison. This new book is written specifically for law firm owners, and carefully explains the Mastermind Effect- exponential Growth that only happens in the unique environment of a small group of Successful Law Firm Owners, sharing their best strategies with one another.  Learn how to determine if you are ready to be in a Mastermind group, and how to find the Group that will give you the greatest opportunity for rapid growth.
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