If you want to build a smarter, stronger MSP, start by borrowing the playbooks of those who’ve already built successful businesses or mastered the art of leadership. We asked top MSP business owners and decision makers to share the books that have truly moved the needle for their companies.
The result? A powerhouse reading list that blends timeless classics with under-the-radar game changers. These are the titles that keep popping up in boardrooms, leadership retreats, and late-night strategy sessions—the kind you’ll want dog-eared, highlighted, and close at hand.
Time to level up your shelf (or your audiobook queue) with these peer-recommended books fueling the next wave of MSP success stories.
5 Proven Power Plays
Here are five cornerstone books multiple owners say have reshaped how they scale, lead, and propel growth.
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, Gino Wickman
“Traction helped me bring structure to the way we run Titan Technologies. It gave me a clear framework to align the team, set priorities, and grow the business with intention.”—Paul Nebb, CEO, Titan Technologies
“It has the EOS framework and structure, and helped me navigate hard stuff most people avoid, like firing the wrong fits, owning your number, and getting results. It gave me a way to actually measure progress, fix accountability gaps, and build a company that can scale without the wheels falling off.”—Angie Wittke, CRO, Blue Net
10x is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less, Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan
“The book shifted the way I think about scale; as the owner-operator of an MSP, it helped me stop tweaking the edges and instead focus on the few things that truly move the needle. It’s a game-changer for anyone serious about exponential growth without burning out.”—Natalia Scheidegger, CEO, 3rdmill; MSP Success Advisory Council member
“It made me realize that because I was aiming too low, I wasn’t solving for the right problems—and that the solutions could scale and deliver exponentially, instead of linearly.—Stuart Bryan, President, I-M Technology; MSP Success Advisory Council member
Get a Grip: How to Get Everything You Want from Your Entrepreneurial Business, Gino Wickman and Mike Paton
“EOS finally clicked for me when I learned it through storytelling; it transformed our company from one stuck in silent, indecisive meetings, to a team that openly tackles issues together. We’re not perfect, but now at least we’re moving forward.”—Tito Huynh, Vice President, Business Data Services; MSP Success Advisory Council member
“EOS books like Get a Grip have been great as we have grown. We now run our business on EOS; while we still have to tweak things, it has made decisions much easier and helped us grow, while finding issues we have to resolve.”—Matt Rose, CXO, Tech Rage IT; MSP Success Advisory Council member
The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field, Mike Michalowicz
“The message the book provides is actually quite simple, but we often can’t see it until we take a step back. All business is not good business—get rid of the stuff that is not making money and focus on what does.”—Jan Chapman, Managing Director, MSP Blueshift
“Learning how to find the right clients to build a business around was eye-opening in our development. From setting our client rules to building a scalable team focused on creating raving fans and operational efficiencies, The Pumpkin Plan was THE book that opened our eyes to what well-run businesses should look like. And the fact the author was ‘one of us’ from the IT space made it even better.”—Scott Beck, CEO, BeckTek; MSP Success Advisory Council member
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, Michael E. Gerber
“The book taught me to embrace entrepreneurship, how to develop standards, and the importance of staying customer-focused, not customer-dominated.”—Richard Kaeufer, CEO, Ranchland Tech Services
“When I first started as a consulting business, E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber was a huge help to me.”—Matt Rose, CXO, Tech Rage IT; MSP Success Advisory Council member
14 Next-Level Game Changers
And here are the titles MSP leaders says you’ll want on your radar (and your bookshelf) if you’re serious about leveling up your business.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… And Others Don’t, Jim Collins
“The author statistically analyzed every public company, reduced the list down to 13 companies who were sustainably great—double-digit growth across multiple leaders and 15+ years—and only included the causes of greatness that were true in the majority of those 13 companies. It’s so good that I’ve used to teach leadership in my company a half-dozen times.”—Will Slappey, CEO, IT Voice; MSP Success Advisory Council member
Management of the Absurd, Richard Farson
“In the book, you learn about the politics of management and organizational structures, and that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to management. It encourages you to look beyond that and understand human behavior better. Creating an atmosphere where the human element is understood has helped my organization run smoothly and with very little drama.”—Esteban Blanco, Chief Geek Officer, Blanco I.T.; MSP Success Advisory Council member
The Messy Middle, Scott Belsky
“A brutally honest roadmap for navigating the toughest, longest stage of any venture: the middle. It’s not about starting or finishing; it’s about surviving the grind, iterating fast, and staying motivated when momentum fades.”—Charles Rush, Founder, RushIT
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Jack Trout and Al Reis
“I love the book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. It is an easy read of highly valuable information delivered in a concise, short, and digestible writing style.”—Oli Thordarson, CEO, Alvaka; MSP Success Advisory Council member
The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
“It’s a must-read for managers, offering a simple, direct, and effective playbook for leading people. It teaches how to set clear expectations, encourage self-direction, and reinforce desired behaviors to save time and prevent misunderstandings.”—Thomas Lohr, Chief Growth Officer, Techworks Consulting; MSP Success Advisory Council member
The Go-Giver, Bob Burg and John David Mann
“In business, it is easy to fall into the trap of having transactional relationships. Go-Giver is a refreshing reminder that the power of relationships can carry an ROI that is essential for your business growth strategy.”—Antwine Jackson, President, Enitech; MSP Success Advisory Council member
Building a StoryBrand, Donald Miller
“I was stunned to learn how confusing our message was. The SB7 online framework (provided free with the book) changes your thinking and approach to everything, including social media posts, elevator pitches, and e-book content.”—Kevin Fream, CEO, Matrixforce
The Psychology of Selling, Brian Tracy
“Tracy was the first person that just used common sense and easy speak to have me understand how sales are made with emotion, backed up by logic. He taught me that a person’s subconscious is more important to appease than logic. Go into a sale knowing how humans think and feel.”—Ron Rothstein, President, SMB Technologies
The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz
“A masterclass in leading through impossible situations. Horowitz shares raw, real-world lessons on making gut-wrenching decisions, managing crises, and leading when there are no easy answers.”—Charles Rush, Founder, RushIT
One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way to Success, Robert Maurer
“It is not exclusively a business book; however, I do try to apply it to my business venture every day. Success does not generally come from one massive effort. It is the cumulative effect of countless small, consistent efforts toward your goal.”—Victor Parrish, Director of Sales and Client Services, We Do IT USA
Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer Johnson
“One of the first ‘business’ books I was recommended to read. It takes 15 minutes and is simple yet effective.”—Kenneth Goldberg, President, MCG Managed Resources
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
“Not a ‘business’ book per se, but a life book. Every person I have suggested read this has started at the bottom and moved quickly to management because it teaches how to ‘own’ problems and how to communicate up and down an organizational structure to get what you want or need.”—Bart Lanzillotti, Solutions Expert, We Do IT USA
The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy
“It’s a series of little choices that set the real course of a thing. The book taught me to be agile, yet mindful, and to not think that the big thing needs to be done to succeed. I learned to innovate, iterate, evaluate, and iterate again.”—Stuart Bryan, President, I-M Technology; MSP Success Advisory Council member
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life, John G. Miller
“The larger an organization gets, the more it can feel like you have gotten ‘too big’ for your clients because things become very compartmentalized. If your staff embraces that type of thinking, then no one will step up for a client need that is ‘not their job.’ QBQ! teaches your team to embrace client needs no matter who should handle it. It has already helped our company culture to get everyone rowing in the same direction.”—Neal Juern, CEO, 7tech Cybersecurity; MSP Success Advisory Council member
