The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life

The Diary of a CEO breaks down complex ideas into 33 clear, digestible “laws” that blend personal experience with practical business lessons. The writing style is conversational and modern, making it an easy book to move through while still prompting meaningful reflection. What stands out most is how the book combines mindset, leadership, and day‑to‑day habits in a way that feels relatable rather than theoretical. Each chapter offers something specific you can take away—whether you’re thinking about personal growth, making better decisions, or navigating challenges at work. It’s a well‑structured, engaging read for anyone who enjoys self‑development with a contemporary, story‑driven approach.

This book is a refreshing blend of personal reflection and actionable strategy. Steven Bartlett distills his experiences as an entrepreneur and podcaster into clear, relatable principles that go beyond business; they apply to how we think, lead, and live. Each “law” is concise yet impactful, supported by real-world examples and introspective lessons that encourage readers to challenge their assumptions. The tone feels authentic and grounded, making it stand out among other self-development books that can feel overly polished or repetitive. This is a book I’ll keep on my desk and revisit often. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone striving for balance between ambition and authenticity.

Firstly, I am proud to say, I bought 3 books! One for me and another for my daughter. I bought a 3rd book to gift to someone, someone who I don’t know needs it - yet! Im very intuitive and I knew this 3rd book would be a very special gift to the right person, at the right time in their life. Now, of course when I received this in the post, I was SO excited. I love the diary of a ceo and Steven is such an inspiration to me! So, I’m just going to say it, this book is absolutely beyond inspiring. The way Steven has written and explained stories, theory’s and information. It took my mind on a journey every time. I’m beginning a new chapter in my life and I can guarantee this book will be the testimony of the greatness that comes next. I know that already because, since reading this book, I recognised a complex fear I had. I didn’t realise it was a fear, until I read through law 4. When reading through this chapter, I learnt a positive capability of the human mind. I now understand a type of that change can occur and knowing this taught me something very personal to me. Conquering my fears! This book, it is personal. It will read directly to you and towards your journey in life, in a personal way. It is completely relatable throughout and gives its reader something unique. It’s one of those books you would re-read as a pick me up, a boost and a positive reminder. The depths in this book, you really want to ingrain and it’s just as fascinating to read again and again. I truly recommend this purchase. It will tune you into the world around you, with new perspectives; helping you navigate through life, business and society. Thank you Steven - @quartacount

An interesting read in the principles Steven Bartlett applies to his business and personal life. Nothing really new here but he does bring a lot of good ideas together in a simple concise read.

One of my favourite books. I enjoyed this book as if it was a fiction piece. I listened to the audiobook. I bought the paperback. Hoping to reread this book several more times. Packed with useful life lessons

If you’ve not got this book yet, you need to! If you’ve got it and not read it yet, you need to! From the first couple of pages I knew this would be a great read, and that I would come away from reading it with some actionable knowledge that I can implement into my everyday personal and professional life. As a new people manager there is some really valuable notes in here, which also helped me to realise it’s ok not to have it all together, and know how to do everything right now. You’re always learning 😊 Some of my key takeaways: 🔑 Everything you do in life requires your foundation to be on point. Your health is your foundation to everything, it’s the only vehicle you will ever own to get you through life’s adventures, challenges, relationships and everything else. Maintain and service your vehicle like you would if you only had one car for the rest of your life. #healthiswealth 🔑 It’s ok to sweat the small stuff. How many times have we been told “don’t sweat the small stuff”? The big things that happen are a culmination of lots of small things. Making consistent small changes and improvements and fighting for those tiny gains will lead to great things! 🔑 Never compromise your self story. In short you don’t need everyone or anyone to believe in you, all you need is for YOU to believe in you! Mental toughness and self belief will get you further than someone else’s opinions, so believe in you and do you. I’ve definitely got some new ideas from this book that I can’t wait to implement both in my personal and professional career. Thanks Steven B and the CEO team! @thetroublewithme_leanneb

I’ll start this review by saying I’m not a reader. By that I mean I very rarely (close to never) sit down, pick up a book and get very far beyond the first handful of pages. So when I say I could put this one down I think that says it all! Steven sets out by saying he aims to “give you the fundamental truth and understanding of each law, in the exact number of words necessary to do so - no less, no more” and I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. There was no filler. No nonsense, no fancy words for the sake of it (which, for a non reader like me would mean hours on Google looking up what everything means!). Just 33 brilliantly thought out and well explained “laws” that genuinely do apply to everyone. I learned a tonne from this book and most importantly, it made me think about and question all sorts of areas of my life (in a positive way…it’s not doom and gloom!). I feel like this book is really inspiring and honestly everyone should give it a read. The fact that I’ve bothered to come on here and review it (when I never normally review things) probably says how impressed I am with it. If you’re about to purchase this…. Enjoy! Thanks. Carl (@carlwragg1)

📖 "The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life" by Steven Bartlett - My Journey to Excellence! I recently dove into the pages of this runaway bestseller from Steven, an entrepreneurial dynamo, podcasting maestro, and Dragon's Den luminary. What struck me was that this book transcends the transient world of business strategy; it delves into something far more profound. Within its pages, Bartlett shares the timeless principles that have not only guided his own entrepreneurial voyage but have also emerged from the thousands of enlightening podcast interviews he's conducted. These principles aren't confined to boardrooms; they're the foundational pillars of true greatness, adaptable to any field and anyone with aspirations of achieving something extraordinary. Grounded in the rich soil of psychology and behavioral science, these laws are distilled from the collective wisdom of individuals spanning every corner of the globe. They're also harvested from Bartlett's thought-provoking conversations with some of the world's most accomplished individuals. In a world marked by ever-shifting trends, "The Diary of a CEO" stands as a timeless beacon, illuminating the path to excellence. It's more than a business book; it's a guide to living an exceptional life. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 #DiaryOfACEO #TimelessWisdom #BecomingGreat 🚀

Among the best books I've read, gives great insights on a variety of topics, even if we are just working for a regular company. Gives good ideas and let's you think out of the box!

From watching Steven Bartlett on Dragon’s Den, listening to/watching his podcast and following on Instagram, I love his approach to life and often feel inspired by him. I’ve only just received my copy of the book in Sweden and I already love it. It’s arrived just at the right time to keep me motivated with starting my own podcast @not_a_real_job

I found many of the insights in this book immediately actionable. I was able to take a few of the principles and come up with a teambuilding exercise at our next staff meeting that encouraged people to come up with ideas where they can fail fast. I really enjoyed the flow and how each chapter is laid out.

Love the podcast, love the book - what more is there to say. Steven Bartlett has been able to distill the most important lessons from his thousands of hours of podcasts into a book jam packed with useful laws. This is a useful blueprint for life!

Per chi è abituato a leggere libri di business e crescita personale sono presenti dei passaggi e riferimenti ad altre filosofie e personalità che probabilmente suoneranno come "già sentite" tuttavia a mio avviso rimane un must read. Libro pieno di esempi che lo rendono molto piacevole e scorrevole da leggere e che al contempo aiutano anche a rendere più concrete e attuabili le leggi presentate.