Book recommendations for business leaders: 5/16/19

May 16, 2019 | Reading Lists

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 The Algorithmic Leader: How to Be Smart When Machines Are Smarter Than You, From Gutenberg to Google: The History of Our Future, It’s the Manager: Gallup finds the quality of managers and team leaders is the single biggest factor in your organization’s long-term success, Cracking Complexity: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast, and The Making of a Manager: How to Crush Your Job as the New Boss.

From Michael McKinney: Why Leaders Need to Think More Like Professional Gamblers

“This post is by Mike Walsh. Walsh is the author of The Algorithmic Leader: How to Be Smart When Machines Are Smarter Than You from which this article is excerpted. Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing companies for the 21 st century.”

From Wharton: Don’t Panic: The Digital Revolution Isn’t as Unusual as You Think

“The digital revolution has dramatically changed life on Earth, making it easy to think we’re living in the greatest time of innovation. But a new book by Tom Wheeler, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is a reminder that remarkable change has happened many times before. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century created upheaval and reorganized everything in society, as did the subsequent inventions of the telegraph, telephone and railroad. From Gutenberg to Google: The History of Our Future is an insightful look at the development of networks, the physical links that bind people together.”

From Bob Morris: It’s the Manager

“The title of my brief commentary is provided by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter in the Introduction to their latest and most valuable book in which they share what they learned from the results of Gallup’s ‘largest global study of the future of work.’ They explain how and why (as the subtitle suggests) ‘the quality of managers and team leaders is the single biggest factor in [any] organization’s long-term success.'”

From David Komlos and David Benjamin: The Lion on the Desk

“David Komlos and David Benjamin are co-authors of CRACKING COMPLEXITY: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast (Nicholas Brealey; May 7, 2019). They are CEO and Chief Architect of Syntegrity, where they apply the formula to help leaders rapidly solve complex challenges, generate strong buy-in, and mobilize people for action.”

From Kevin Eikenberry: The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You

“As the Vice President of Product Design at Facebook, Julie Zhou writes about technology, leadership, and design. Since landing her first leadership role at age 25, she has been passionate about helping other new managers through that transition into leadership. She has put those two sets of skills together to write The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You. Because of her background and experience, The Making of a Manager is relevant and easy to read. The chapter titles show how relevant the book is and how it addresses real-life management issues.”

Reading 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.