Opinions vary as to what defines a “classic” business book. My own opinion is that it offers insights and counsel that are of timeless value. To paraphrase Bernard of Chartres, a 12th century monk, their authors are the shoulders upon which each new generation of leaders stands. For example:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
Stephen Covey
Free Press/An Imprint of Simon & Schuster (1989)

Entrepreneurs in their 20s who dismiss 7 Habits as their parents’ self-help book should give it a chance. It is timeless, and it preaches the importance of aligning oneself with timeless principles (“true north,” in Covey’s lexicon). Covey argues that the “Personality Ethic”—the friend-winning, people-influencing approach promulgated by networkers and the media—is less important than the “Character Ethic,” which comprises “basic principles of effective living” such as integrity, humility and fidelity. Some of the habits may seem trite (“be proactive,” “prioritize”). Others (“seek first to understand, then to be understood,” “begin with the end in mind”) should be learned, or re-learned, by every leader. Aristotle tells us that “excellence…is not an act, but a habit.” Covey laid out that habit for the generations.