Top Lists
Top 10 Best Personal Development Authors of all Time
One of the things growth-oriented people look forward to doing at the start of a new year is developing in every way. To this end, RNN has put together some of the 10 best personal development authors of all time for your consumption in 2023.
Over the years, these authors have proven to be of great help in developing the minds of people in the areas of business, career, personal life, and relationships with others. As we’ll see shortly, most of these authors are equally public speakers and coaches who have garnered tangible results and mostly positive testimonials all over the world.
Enough said! Here is our top 10 list of personal development authors to read from in 2023.
10. Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar is not coming in 10th place because his name is alphabetically the last. He is definitely one of the world’s best authors when it comes to creating a life of success, sales and parenting, among other topics. Before his death in November 2012, Ziglar was one of the most popular and influential motivational speakers, not only in the United States where he was based but in the world at large.
He is known for the quote: “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing- that’s why we recommend it daily”.
Some of Zig Ziglar’s books on personal development are:
- See You At The Top
- Top Performance: How to Develop Excellence in Yourself and Others
- Success For Dummies
9. Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is a self-help coach who is well known for his 4-Hour book series. Any Ferriss fan must have read at least one of these series to be truly called a Ferriss fan. Some of these books are: “The 4-Hour Work Week”, “The 4-Hour Body”, and “The 4-Hour Chef”.
The 45-year-old author is equally a podcaster, releasing different episodes of The Tim Ferriss Show. His show is an interview programme which started running in April 2014. Some of Ferriss’s other popular books are:
- Tools For Titans
- Tribe of Mentors
8. Jack Canfield
Jack Canfield is an American author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker who has dedicated his life to helping others be the best at what they do. He is a best-selling author and co-author with over 250 books and 500 million copies in print in about 50 languages. He is the co-author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. The series features a collection of motivational essays and short inspirational stories to spur readers towards development and personal success in various fields of life.
Canfield is equally the co-author of “The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be”, a book he authored with popular marketing expert and motivational speaker, Janet Switzer. Some of Jack Canfield’s books include:
- The Aladdin Factor
- The Power of Focus
- Success Affirmations: 52 Weeks for Living a Passionate and Purposeful Life
7. Wayne Dyer
Wayne Dyer is one of those authors who may be late but whose works make him seem alive. He was an American self-help author and motivational speaker with an Ed.D. in guidance and counselling at Wayne State University. Dyer’s books focus on personal effectiveness and practical tips for life success/transformation.
The author lived for 75 years before he died in 2015 and his lifetime and career were marked by lecture tours, motivation, coaching leaders for success and PBS programs. Dyer was known for using his life experience as an example for training others. His core message was “self-actualization”.
Here are some of Wayne Dyer’s books:
- Pulling Your Own Strings
- Manifest Your Destiny
- The Sky’s the Limit
- The Power of Intention
- The Power of Awakening
6. Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn was an American author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker who changed the lives of many through direct mentorship and materials he made available to the world. He was equally known for mentoring Tony Robbins at a point in his life. Other authors like Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield have mentioned him as part of their life and career influences.
Rohn has many personal development books to his name and some of them are:
- 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness: Power Ideas from America’s Foremost Business Philosopher
- The Power of Ambition
- My Philosophy For Successful Living
- 12 Pillars of Success
- The Seasons of Life
5. Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins is the best-selling author of “Awaken The Giant Within”. He is an American coach, author, public speaker and philanthropist. Robbins is well-known for his seminars and self-help books which, according to global testimonials, have been of great help in turning the lives and careers of many people around positively.
Robbins is known for his early fire-walking stunts which he incorporated into his seminars and won the hearts of many. Over the years, he has become a best-selling author of some of these books:
- Money: Master The Game
- Unlimited Power
- Life Force
- Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook
- Unleash The Power Within
4. Brian Tracy
Not only is Brian Tracy one of the best personal development authors in the world, but he is also equally one of the most practical. Tracy is known for including action plans at the end of each chapter of his books to further aid the development of his readers.
Brian Tracy is a Canadian-American public speaker and self-development author. The 78-year-old author has over 80 books to his name including the popular “Eat That Frog”, a self-help book on dealing with procrastination. Some of his popular books include:
- No Excuses! The Power of Self-Discipline
- Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
- Earn What You’re Really Worth
- The Psychology of Achievement
3. John C. Maxwell
John C. Maxwell is irrefutably one of the best authors on leadership and personal development. He is an American author, motivational speaker and pastor. Some of Maxwell’s books are on the New York Times Best Seller list. His works are mentorship guides to leaders around the world, many of who are yet to meet him personally. It would be almost impossible to make a list of authors who have impacted the lives of many great leaders around the world without mentioning John Maxwell.
Some of his books are:
- Developing The Leader Within You
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
- The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
- Failing Forward
- How Successful People Think
2. Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie is most popular for his best-selling books: “How to Win Friends & Influence People” and “How to Stop Worrying & Start Living”. Although Carnegie died in 1955, his works are still listed as some of the best books on personal development to date. He was well known for lecturing and developing courses in self-improvement, interpersonal skill, salesmanship, public speaking and corporate training.
His books include:
- The Art of Public Speaking
- The Quick and Easy Way To Effective Speaking
- The Leader In You
- How To Enjoy Your Life And Your Job
- How To Develop Self-Confidence And Improve Public Speaking
- Lincoln- The Unknown
1. Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill almost needs no introduction. He was an American self-help author, best known for his book: “Think and Grow Rich”. Hill’s works focused on helping people achieve success in life and the marketplace.
Some of his works include:
- The Law of Success
- How to Raise Your Own Salary
- The Magic Ladder to Success
- Outwitting the Devil
- How to Sell Your Way Through Life
- Grow Rich!: With Peace of Mind
- Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude (with W. Clement Stone)
- Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion (with E. Harold Keown)
- You Can Work Your Own Miracles
Top 10 Best Personal Development Authors in the World (Summary)
The aforementioned authors have produced works that have helped many people develop their lives, career and businesses over the years. Here’s a full list of the top 10 best personal development authors in the world.
- Napoleon Hill
- Dale Carnegie
- John C. Maxwell
- Brian Tracy
- Tony Robbins
- Jim Rohn
- Wayne Dyer
- Jack Canfield
- Tim Ferriss
- Zig Ziglar
READ ALSO: