Stephen King says that if you want to be a writer, there are two things you must do: read a lot and write a lot. This is about the “read a lot” part. I include reading lists and book reviews that will help you do business more effectively and write better for business.
In this post, I point you to reviews of Digital Transformation: Survive and Thrive in an Era of Mass Extinction, Beginner’s Pluck: 14 Principles to Build Your Life of Purpose, Agility: How to Navigate the Unknown and Seize Opportunity in a World of Disruption, Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events, and Why Digital Transformations Fail: The Surprising Disciplines of How to Take Off and Stay Ahead. Plus a holiday reading list from the Grossman Group.
From Bob Morris: Digital Transformation
“Siebel wrote this book in order to share what he has learned about the evolution of various technologies (e.g. cloud computing, big data, AI, IoT) and their confluence in the 21st century as well as how they produced the current period of mass extinction and mass diversification in the business world.”
From Michael McKinney: Beginner’s Pluck: 14 Principles to Build Your Life of Purpose
“Bohannon shares her journey in Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now. It is well worth reading for would-be entrepreneurs, but the insights and lessons apply to any area of life. Her journey is not what you would expect but you will find it encouraging because it is down-to-earth. Bohannon’s wit and personality come through, making it a joy to read.”
From Skip Prichard: How to Seize Opportunity in a World of Disruption
“Today’s organizations face the unknown on a weekly basis. In this environment of constant change, I often hear that we should be agile. But what that word implies is very different depending on who you talk with. That’s one reason I was interested to talk with Leo Tilman and General Charles Jacoby, who co-wrote a new book, Agility: How to Navigate the Unknown and Seize Opportunity in a World of Disruption. They define agility and offer leaders a roadmap for navigating change.”
From Daniel Akst: What’s your story?
“Stories are how we make sense of the world and understand one another, and asking questions is how we begin to construct our stories. It’s hard to imagine any business leader — or enterprise — could last very long without being able to answer such questions as, ‘Who are we? What business are we in? How do we want to the world to see us?’”
From Wharton: Creating a Roadmap for Companies’ Transition to Digital
“The transition to digital is a $1.7 trillion industry, yet 70% of attempts end up failing, according to McKinsey & Co. Tony Saldanha believes the lack of clear goals, and a disciplined process to achieve them, contributes to the high failure rate. He also blames some of the issues on confusing terminology. Saldanha is president of Transformant, a consulting firm helping organizations through digital shifts, and former vice president for IT and Global Business Services at Procter & Gamble.”
From The Grossman Group: 18 Books The Grossman Group is Reading (for Your Holiday Reading List)
“Starting to think about what book(s) to read over the holidays? The senior thought partners here at The Grossman Group and I shared a few of our favorite books on leadership, communication, personal development, business or just an all-around good book that resonated with us. Find out what some of us have been reading (in alphabetical order under each category) and our thoughts on each one.”
aReading recommendations are a regular feature of this blog. Want more recommendations about what to read? Check out my Three Star Leadership blog, Michael McKinney’s LeadingBlog, and Skip Prichard’s Leadership Insights.