martin norbury

Martin Norbury: The Business Mentor of the Year

Phil Treagus-Evans

Martin Norbury’s reading list

19 books mentioned in this interview

  1. Jolt · Richard Tyler
  2. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles · Julie Edwards
  3. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People · Stephen R. CoveyRecommended 7 times
  4. Self-working Card Tricks · Karl Fulves
  5. Noble’s Wedding Venue Guide · Janet Simpson
  6. Debrett’s Handbook · Elizabeth Wyse
  7. Steven Gerrard autobiographies
  8. Black Box Thinking · Matthew Syed
  9. How to Win Friends and Influence People · Dale CarnegieRecommended 18 times
  10. Good to GreatRecommended 5 times
  11. Great · Choice
  12. Built to Last
  13. How the Mighty Fall
  14. The Balanced Scorecard · Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton
  15. Start With Why · Simon SinekRecommended 5 times
  16. Key Persons of Influence · Daniel Priestley
  17. Botty Rules · Nigel Botterill
  18. Alice in Wonderland · Lewis CarrollRecommended 10 times
  19. Elon Musk’s Biography · Ashlee Vance

Books by Martin Norbury: I Don’t Work Fridays

Rank these books in a tier list

Martin Norbury has had a rather remarkable life. From starting his business with no official business management qualifications in 1991, to acting as a Senior Executive for a multi-million pound corporation, to now being awarded with the recognition of being ‘Business Mentor of the Year’. Did I mention that he is also the author of the wonderful book, I Don’t Work Fridays? The book explains Martin’s five steps to scaling a business; allowing you to run the business instead of your business running you! His work has led to him becoming known as one of the leading business scalability coaches. I was fascinated to discover which books have helped Martin achieve such incredible success, and I can assure you — there are some gems! So, here is my interview with the inspirational, Martin Norbury…

When someone asks you ‘what do you do for a living?’ – How do you respond?

I’m the Scalability Coach. I help business owners choose what they do with their tomorrow.

What are you reading at the moment?

Jolt by Richard Tyler.

When you think about your childhood, what book comes to mind?

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards, the married name of Dame Julie Andrews.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A lawyer.

What do you think your school aged self would think of the present day you?

I’d probably think that I could try harder.

If you could wrap up a single book and gift it to yourself as you left education – which book would it be?

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.

Does your reading have routine? Is there a particular time or place that you like to read?

I can switch off regardless of what is going on around me so I read whenever I get the opportunity – on the train, flying, at home. Audio is huge for me – I absorb books mostly in my car, or walking across London to training sessions.

Which book has had the biggest impact on your career so far?

I Don’t Work Fridays by Martin Norbury.

Do you have any books that you strongly associate with someone important in your life?

When I look at my bookshelf, the spines remind me of various chapters and people in my life: Self-working Card Tricks by Karl Fulves reminds me of my teens when I worked in David Cooper’s (brother of Tommy) magic shop on Slough High Street. Noble’s Wedding Venue Guide by Janet Simpson and Debrett’s Handbook by Elizabeth Wyse reminds me of our wedding back in 2001. Various Lonely Planet’s of course get me reminiscing about the wonderful places and cultures we’ve experienced. As an avid Liverpool fan, my Steven Gerrard autobiographies remind me of the rollercoaster of the seventeen seasons he played for Liverpool FC!

Any of Robert Ludlum’s work.

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

Both are great. I tend to get into an author and read everything, so Lee Childs, Robert Ludlum, David Nicholls etc.

Do you think reading is important?

It is SO important. It helps us see the world, helps us understand others, helps us escape and helps us learn. It’s certainly helped improve my concentration and memory – I am always automatically quoting from books these days without having to stop and think. As a father of four-year-old twins, we’ve read to them since day one. We read every night to them and they get so excited visiting the library once a month.

What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?

Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed.

Do you prefer real books or digital books?

I like both – the feel of a book and the convenience of digital. When I first started running business in 1991 there wasn’t much internet around – no Amazon, no Kindles. So the only way to learn and follow great people was to visit the library or the local book shop.

Name a book that you feel every human should have to read by law.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.

What is the book that you feel has had the single biggest impact on your life?

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie as it got me thinking differently and interested in personal development.

Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?

Four brilliant books by Jim Collins: Good to Great, Great by Choice, Built to Last, How the Mighty Fall. The Balanced Scorecard by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton was a huge revelation to me in the 1990’s. I continue to take lessons from Start With Why by Simon Sinek and Key Persons of Influence by Daniel Priestley. I loved the format and succinctness of Botty Rules by Nigel Botterill. Of course, I have to mention any book by Tony Robbins – he has had more impact on people’s lives than anyone else on the planet. And finally, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – people don’t realise how many lessons in life and business there are in classic children’s books such as Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh.

What books or subject matter do you plan on reading in the next year?

More autobiographies, I’m just about to start Elon Musk’s Biography by Ashlee Vance.

If you were to write an autobiography – what would it be called?

I Never Walked Alone.

If you’d like to learn more Martin Norbury and his work, you can find him on his website or on his Twitter.

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