From amongst the books, I read in 2017, I have picked 4 for this blog.
Dream with your eyes open: An entrepreneurial journey by Ronnie Screwvala
Ronnie engages with his writings both wannabe entrepreneurs and professionals dedicated to becoming leaders, alike; particularly from India.
“The future belongs to those who realize that the goal is no longer teaching talented people how to get a job but how to create thriving businesses as entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs/professionals in a company.”
In Search of Ethical Leadership by R. M. Lala
Choosing thirteen themes, Mr. R.M. Lala, one of my favorite writers, discuss various aspects of ethical leadership concentrating on the behavioral & motivational aspects of leadership, bringing out the relationship between means and ends; i.e. the moral dimension of leadership. In Search of Ethical Leadership is non-linear, each chapter is a gem and a collector’s book. One can read it multiple times; to refresh, reinvent or to enjoy the instances.
“No one quality is sufficient to carry a leader through a career. He needs a combination of qualities and a fine balance of them. Different qualities are called for in different situations.”
Hit Refresh is a multi-dimensional book. Satya consistently uses two (or three) broad themes: Soul (Culture), & Empathy with Technology as the bedrock to explore each dimension in his book. One read is not sufficient to appreciate all the dimensions that Satya traverses in Hit Refresh.
“Imagine you see a baby laying in the street, and the baby is crying. What do you do?” he asked. “You call 911,” I replied without much forethought. Richard walked me out of his office, put his arm around me, and said, “You need some empathy, man. If a baby is laying on a street crying, pick up the baby.”
“I think of culture as a complex system made up of individual mindsets—the mindsets of those in front of me.”
“∑ (Education + Innovation) x Intensity of Tech Use = Economic Growth”
Digital Disruption: Unleashing the Next Wave of Innovation by James McQuivey
James’s book demystifies ‘digital’ & opens horizons to many possibilities. The book works to incline your worldview to the changes, present & potential. The book is a guide that helps to cultivate a disruptive mindset in the digital era. Digital Disruption has a profound impact; particularly if it is your first read on this subject. James writes, don’t be misled by the word “digital”…. he is right, the book is not only for a technology inclined reader; it is for everyone.
“People + infrastructure = disruption.”
“When companies internalize disruption, they advance to the next level, they initiate the next disruption.”
Your views are welcome.
This blog was first published on my LinkedIn page.