If you’re reading this you already understand that, along with top-notch skills, knowledge is key to a successful consultancy career.
If top CEOs read on average one book a week and consultancy firms welcome their rookies with books to read, it must be for a good reason right?
But the number of digital resources available is huge and as time management is a vital skill for a consultant, we did the research for you.
To save you some precious time, we went through a dozen serious websites (see sources) listing the best books that every consultant should read and rounded up the 9 best books and it might help you.
These books deal with different subjects such as data change, marketing, coaching, creativity and life experience. A wide range of subjects, but always with the aim of making you more effective in business. These books also deal with more global subjects such as work, digital technology, the way data is processed and content. These books have been very well received and are real tools for training your customers.
Also, thoses books
The following books, ranked by number of recommendations will help you build a broad knowledge in fundamental service such as management, finances and communication.
Time to build (or level-up) your consulting game!
The McKinsey Way – Ethan M. Rasiel
(Recommended 12 Times) | Find it on Amazon
We won’t insult you by introducing McKinsey.
Written by a former McKinsey associate, this 200-page book should be the first read for anyone aspiring to become a management consultant and those curious about this peculiar world.
While covering a broad range of topics, going from communication to coaching and time management skills, the author made the choice not to go too much into detail. He keeps it simple and fun to read, in order to offer the reader a better picture of how life is and works in one of the most regarded consulting firms in the world.
The McKinsey Way will give you a useful overview on how McKinsey-ites approach Fortune 100 business’ problems with a solution and successfully sell it to their customers.
Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used – Peter Block
(Recommended 5 Times) | Find it on Amazon
When the first edition of Flawless Consulting was published in 1986, it rapidly became known as a consulting bible. This third edition is an updated version that deals with the new challenges brought by the digitalisation of our world.
A good consultant is a person and in this book, Peter Block explains how to communicate effectively through the 5 phases of the consulting process.
Thanks to his experience and reviews, he teaches us how to understand customers, how to deal with resistance and ultimately how to build a successful relationship with people and these customers.
A great book, not only for new consultants and business, but also for anyone who wants to master the art of communication.
Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies – McKinsey & Company
(Recommended 5 Times) | Find it on Amazon
This book, written by three McKinsey partners, has been the reference for corporate valuation since its first edition, and this 6th edition is no exception.
Mastering corporate valuation is extremely important in order to make value-creating decisions and this book will allow you to understand this concept at a deeper level. It covers many valuation techniques and provides real world examples.
However, unlike the two previous books, Valuation is more of a technical and finance oriented book, making it difficult to understand for the complete beginner.
The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures – Dan Roam
(Recommended 5 Times) | Find it on Amazon
Are you familiar with visual thinking?
In his book, Dan Roam communicates his ideas through two simple concepts “keep it simple” and “one picture is worth a thousand words”.
He teaches us that simple drawings can be a more a powerful tool for solving and selling business ideas than tools such as Powerpoint. Drawing your ideas allow you to think things through, to think outside the box and to find solutions you may not have thought about. But “live” drawings will also allow you to express your ideas easier and keep your audience’s attention.
And there’s no need to be a skilled artist, the author also provides guidelines and a framework on how to draw simple and effective pictures.
Case Interview Secrets: A Former McKinsey Interviewer Reveals How to Get Multiple Job Offers in Consulting – Victor Cheng
(Recommended 5 Times) | Find it on Amazon
Yes, another book involving McKinsey.
The title is pretty much self explanatory, this book is a great starting point to nail the dreaded case interview from big consulting firms and it might help you.
Cheng provides very useful information on what to expect from the interviewers, how to make them happy and the main mistakes to avoid.
Note that this book doesn’t include practical cases, but focuses on giving step-by-step instructions on how to build yourself with the right mindset to solve these cases.
This means that you will need to get yourself some good case preparation books to complete the recommended 100 hours reading. We’ve got you covered, have a look at the next book.
Case in Point 10: Complete Case Interview Preparation – Marc P. Cosentino
(Recommended 4 Times) | Find it on Amazon
Talking about a good book to prepare your case interview, Case in Point has been the bestselling case interview book on the planet… 13 years in a row.
In the 10th edition of what experts call the “MBA Bible”, Cosentino reduces the amount of cases and focuses on the 27 most relevant. The author wants us to understand that there is not only one good answer to a case and encourages us to develop our analytical problem solving skills in work and life.
The methodology used in Case in Point will challenge your creativity and allow you to come up with original solutions that will make you stand out from other candidates. Creativity has been of the best competence you can develop at that time and in life more generally.
Along with “Case Interview Secrets”, these two books will definitely make you confident to nail even the most difficult case interview.
The Trusted Advisor – David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, Robert M. Galford
(Recommended 4 Times) | Find it on Amazon
How do you keep a friend? By building a strong relationship based on trust and confidence.
The same applies to business.
The authors claim that even though knowledge and skills are highly important, the key to success is trustworthiness. This book will teach you how to build long lasting relationships with your people despite our fast-paced economy.
Curious about how to gain your customers’ trust and how to be a successful advisor? The Trusted Advisor is a perfect resource, not only for consultants, but for anybody interested in building healthy and trusting professional relationships.
Key Management Models: The 60+ Models Every Manager Needs to Know – Financial Times Series
(Recommended 3 Times) | Find it on Amazon
Management models. Designed to improve and ease business performance, you’ve heard of them, studied some and will keep hearing of them.
That’s why Key Management Models is so useful and deserves a prime spot on your shelf.
The authors keep things simple but still manages to give you all the information you need to know about the 61 featured management models. In only a few well structured pages, they define a model and tell when and how to use it.
Don’t underestimate this book, you will probably need it more than you think.
The Management Consultant: Mastering the Art of Consultancy – Richard Newton
(Recommended 3 Times) | Find it on Amazon
The best book every beginner consultant (not only in management) should read.
Richard Newton provides a great introduction to management consulting as he covers the main topics to launch your consulting career. As a new consultant, you will learn the rules on how to get customers, how to keep them and how to actually be consultative.
Newton is a consulting master and he has a very customer-centric vision. Throughout his book, he will guide you through the process of developing skills to understand customer needs and deliver real value to them.
Who said good things must end? If you are over these books, no doubt you already feel like (and certainly are) a better consultant, but there is always space for another book on your shelf. Hope theses best books in theirs domains have helped you. You can still read the reviews of theses books if you need.
Domains like marketing, communication, creativity or coaching are large but useful.
Here are some other amazing books that you should consider:
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- Linchpin: Are You Indispensable – Seth Godin (Recommended 2 times)
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- The Consultant with Pink Hair – Cal Harrison (Recommended 2 times)
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- Getting Started in Consulting – Alan Weiss (Recommended 2 times)
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- The McKinsey Mind – Ethan M. Rasiel, Paul N. Friga (Recommended 2 times)
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- Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional’s Guide to Growing a Practice – Alan Weiss (Recommended 2 times)
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- The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World – Walter Kiechel (Recommended 2 times)
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- The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: Classic Concepts and New Perspectives – Carl W. Stern, Michael S. Deimler (Recommended 2 times)
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- Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors – Michael E. Porter (Recommended 2 times)
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- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant – W. Chan Kim, Renée, A. Mauborgne (Recommended 2 times)
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- HBR’s 10 Must Reads: The Essentials – Harvard Business Review (Recommended 2 times)
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- The Secret of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully – Gerald M. Weinberg, Virginia Satir
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- How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie
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- Build to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies – Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras
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- Managing the Professional Service Firm – David H. Maister
Sources:
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- Harvard Extension School Blog
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- The Muse
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- WallStreetMojo Blog
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- Sussex Business School
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- The Balance Small Business
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- Consultants 500 Blog
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- TalentEgg
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- Wall Street Oasis
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- MBA Crystal Ball Blog
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- TapChief Blog
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- Steve Shu Blog
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- Management Consulted Blog
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