Human life is filled with the various choices and decisions we make, and then their consequences. Here is a list of Top 5 Books on Decision-Making, that will help you out if you are stuck in a difficult situation right now. Or they can be of great help in the future when tough decisions need to be made in a split second.
Top 5 Books On Decision-Making
Good Habits, Bad Habits by Wendy Wood
Wendy Wood is a UK-born American psychologist and a Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at the University of Southern California. She has also undertaken various studies on gender and business. She has published several academic and general research which have been cited by students and academics over 42,000 times.
Good Habits, Bad Habits is Wendy Wood’s first and only book so far, which was published in 2019. The book states that an average human spends about 43 percent of their day doing something non-consciously and without any awareness. These activities are labeled as habits and they are something we develop as and when we grow up. Wendy Wood carefully examines these activities and habits and provides tips on how to make one’s day more sufficient and productive. In the end, the entire plan just lies in an individual’s ability to make a decision and follow through with it.
The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
Richard Koch is a British capitalist, management consultant, and writer. He mainly writes books on and about management, self-help, and motivation. He also has several books on business and business-adjacent topics.
The 80/20 Principle is based on the Pareto Rule by economist Vilfredo Pareto. The rule states that “80 percent of the consequences of a company are based on 20 percent of the decisions made”. Or that 20% of the input brings about 80% of the output or results. The book, The 80/20 Principle elaborates on the Pareto Rule in a personal as well as professional setting as well. It explains why taking the smallest of decisions with the most amount of precision is necessary, as it may have a bigger impact on the outcome of the situation. The main essence of the book is to highlight the importance of decision-making and the consequences that follow it. It puts into perspective how the smallest of details in our lives matter a lot.
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Adam Grant is a professor at Wharton University and has been their top-rated professor for seven straight years. He is an organizational psychologist and a #1 New York Times best-selling author, who has also been featured in the Forbes 40 Under 40 list. He has published five books so far, that has been translated to over 35 languages and have sold more than a million copies worldwide.
The book Think Again is for people who doubt each of their decisions. It is about self-doubt and how to overcome it as a habit and talks about accepting your wrong decisions and learning from them. It also says that it is important to embrace not knowing what is to happen after making a decision, and the uncertainty of it. The book is divided into three sections. The first section is about why humans struggle with making decisions. The second is about how we can help others with the decision-making process. And the third section is about how schools, educational institutes, and other sectors lack and fail to teach people when it comes to decision-making.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
Greg McKeown is a researcher, writer, and consultant. His book, Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter has been a Wall Street Journal Bestseller. He has also authored several other books, as well as co-authored many of them. He is currently the CEO of McKeown, a leadersship building company started by him. The company has worked with several companies such as Apple, Twitter, Google, etc.
The book Essentialism was published in 2011. In this book, Greg McKeown talks about the need for essentialism. It means doing things and tasks that are essential to your growth and prioritizing those over other things. By skimming things down, and doing only the tasks that are necessary, we end up saving numerous times and effort ourselves. Hence, everyone should decide which tasks are essential to them, and limit themselves from doing other, unnecessary work.
What Got You Here Will Not Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
Marshall Goldsmith is a bestselling author and an executive coach. He has been called ‘America’s best executive coach’ by INC Magazine. His book, Triggers, was a #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book. He has also been named the Top 10 Business Thinkers in the world.
The book What Got You Here Will Not Get You There is a New York Times bestseller and #1 Wall Street Journal Business Book. It was also awarded the Best Business Book of the Year at the Harold Longman Awards. The book covers the topic of how there are millions of people working in the cooperative field. Yet, only a few of them can climb the ladder to reach an executive level. It talks about how the decisions made by these people influence their position and status.
Also Read: 5 Books That Will Stop You From Wasting Time
