Book recommendations for business leaders: 7/11/19

Jul 11, 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 Innovation Capital: How to Compete–and Win–Like the World’s Most Innovative Leaders, Cracking Complexity: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast, Feedback (and Other Dirty Words): Why We Fear It, How to Fix It, You’re It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most, and Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader. Plus there’s a list of books for summer reding from the faculty of the Stanford GSB.

From Bob Morris: Innovation Capital

“I realize that no brief commentary such as mine can possibility do full justice to the quality of information, insights, and counsel that Dyer, Furr, and Lefrandt provide. My hope now is to suggest why, for many executives who read it, this book will be their most valuable source for personal growth and professional development. It helps those who read it to think innovatively about innovation.”

From Michael McKinney: Cracking Complexity

“THERE ARE complicated problems, and there are complex problems. Complicated problems are technical in nature. They are linear, orderly, and predictable. Complex problems are adaptive challenges. They are messy, unstable, and unpredictable. ‘Having a wedding is complicated; having a happy marriage is complex.'”

From Skip Prichard: Why We Fear Feedback

“Feedback: the mere mention of the word can make our blood pressure rise and our defenses go up. For many of us, it’s a dirty word that we associate with bias, politics, resentment, and self-doubt. In their book, Feedback (and Other Dirty Words): Why We Fear It, How to Fix It, Tamra Chandler and Laura Grealish argue that feedback, when done right, has been proven to be the most effective means of improving communication and performance for you and your organization.”

From strategy+business: Get ready for the “you’re it” moment

“Growing into a meta-leader gives you the tools to skillfully manage any situation.”

From Steve Denning: How Amazon Became Agile

“Many large organizations have spent decades unsuccessfully battling bureaucracy. In Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader (McGrawHill Education, April 2019, John Rossman shows how Amazon has tamed bureaucracy and has become, in the process, one of the most agile firms on the planet, as well as the most valuable. Rossman’s book offers a clear and succinct account of the Amazon mindset and offers ’50 ½ ideas’ to enable others to learn how to think—and act—like Amazon.”

From Steve Hawk and Jenny Luna: What to Read This Summer

“Escape the heat with books recommended by Stanford business professors.”

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.