Growth begins when we start to accept our own weakness -Jean Vanier

Being a great business analyst is more than just jotting down everything your stakeholders may want. It takes skills that many people just fail to take the time to learn. A lot of people think these skills only come with years of experience, but you’d be surprised how quickly you can gain some skills with a simple shift in the way you think about things.

Below is a reading list that opened my eyes to new ways of seeing the same problems. Not only did they make me a better business analyst, but they also just made me an all-around better person. I know for sure that this material has given me a head start on many aspects of my BA career and just life in general. I’ve already read everything that’s listed here, so good luck catching up with me! Also, if you have any other great reads, let me know in the comments section!

1. How to Win Friends & Influence People

This book is gold! It is about understanding how people work, so you can work better with them. The most powerful sections, from a BA standpoint, are learning how to tell people they are wrong, without making them hate you, as well as how to inspire people to welcome making changes for the better. If you are going to read only 1 book from this list, it should be this one. 

2. Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

You make decisions every day, and you would be amazed at how easy it is to quickly make good ones on a regular basis. Unfortunately, everything you have experienced in life makes you blind to your own biases in making those decisions. Decisive helps you break out of those biases and to make you a more efficient decision-maker.

3. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Creativity is not genetic. It is a trainable skill. This book essentially breaks down the creative process that comes naturally to some, so it can be accessible to anybody. So if you want to take on the challenge of being a more creative thinker and problem solver, then this is a must-read.

4. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Most people believe the best way to motivate is with rewards. That’s a mistake! A Huge One. If you can understand why people do things, then you can more easily understand how to help them do things better!