The Best Books For Startup Founders Looking To Improve Team Building

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Building a strong team is central to any successful business. A happy team can be the difference between a thriving company and one that is failing, especially when it comes to growth and scale.

But building a good team culture takes time and effort, not to mention, skill. Founders need to be able to foster strong communication, growth and motivation.

 

Why Is Team Building Important?

 

Team building is important for a number of reasons, including:

Retention: Happy workers stay in jobs longer, which is incredibly important when building a business. Sometimes, it can take small things like team days out or a team lunch to make workers truly feel part of the business that they are helping to build.

Relationship building: A good team environment not only makes employees more productive, but helps them enjoy work more. This helps them build better and more trustworthy relationships, where working together becomes easier and more efficient.

Morale: Working on building a business can be difficult, so team building can help to boost morale during low periods. When employees feel like they are part of a team, they are more likely to do good work, even in harder times.

Luckily, there are a huge number of books that exist to help you build the dream team. Here are some of the best…

 

Team Building: Proven Strategies For Improving Team Performance

 

Team Building: Proven Strategies for Improving Team Performance: Dyer Jr., W. Gibb, Dyer, Jeffrey H., Dyer, William G.: 9781118105139: Amazon.com: Books

 

This book, now in it’s fifth edition, talks about to to lead and motivate teams in a competitive environment.

The book is full of illustrative ideas to help founders understand the fundamental elements that can help them grow successful teams.

Buy the book here.

 

 

The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team

 

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, 20th Anniversary Edition (J-B Lencioni Series Book 43) eBook : Lencioni, Patrick M.: Amazon.co.uk: Books

 

In this book, Lencioni talks about the five dysfunctions that limit teamwork, including: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results.

The book goes through each one, showing founders what they can do to counter each one.

Buy the book here.

 

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

 

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter: Wiseman, Liz, Mckeown, Greg: 9780061964398: Amazon.com: Books

 

Wiseman’s book talks about two types of leaders: diminishers, who drain the capability of those around them, and multipliers: those who make their teams better.

The book talks through how founders can be multipliers, helping them lead in the best way for their teams.

Buy the book here.

 

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy

 

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy | Wiley

 

Perfect for helping founders tackle difficult times, this book is all about how to adopt a positive mindset at work.

Negativity can spread quickly, so working as a founder with positive energy can help leaders and teams flourish both at work and at home.

Buy the book here.

 

The Culture Code

 

The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle | Goodreads

 

This book looks at some of the best and most successful teams in the world, exploring how their culture has allowed them to successfully grow.

By building a company culture that makes employees feel valued and invested, founders can work towards success.

Buy the book here.

 

Team of Teams

 

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by Stanley McChrystal | Goodreads

 

General Stanley McChrystal, a former leader of the U.S. Army, explored the fundamentals of why some teams thrive and others fail.

He talks about creating a team of teams, where transparent communication and multiple decision makers work together towards success.

Buy the book here.