The Business Digest team has selected ten must-have books for you. Innovation, Society, Leadership, Strategy, Organization... Some good ideas for gifts to discover without moderation!
Photo ©Geneviève Bolduc
REVOLUTIONARY SOLUTIONBy William Eggers and Paul MacMillan (Harvard Business Press, September 2013).
In the age of the collaborative economy, solutions to the main global problems (poverty, global warming, pollution or access to drinking water) are not born out of sterile opposition, but out of the pooling of intelligence. Objective: to create value for all, companies, businesses, governments.
Why not enjoy unlimited reading of UP'? Subscribe from €1.90 per week.
CONSCIOUS CAPITALISMBy John MacKey and Rajendra Sisodia (Harvard Business Press, January 2013).
In contrast to CSR and triple reporting, conscious capitalism does not propose to better distribute value among stakeholders but to increase it for each of them. John MacKey and Rajendra Sisodia's approach is based on four pillars: 1) giving meaning to the collective mission; 2) taking into account all stakeholders; 3) developing conscious leadership; 4) promoting responsible management and corporate culture.
THE END OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
By Rita Gunther McGrath (Harvard Business Press, June 2012).
The end of permanent competitive advantages, says Rita Gunther McGrath. Advantages are increasingly transitory and companies that cling to their strategy tooth and nail are doomed to failure. In an economy of uncertainty and disruptions, the challenge is to be agile enough to constantly seize new opportunities.
To fight against disinformation and to favour analyses that decipher the news, join the circle of UP' subscribers.
ORGBy Ray Fisman and Tim Sullivan (Twelve, January 2013).
Is the formal organization doomed to disappear? Is vertical management obsolete? Leaders who have become useless? The authors of The Org refuse to give in to fashion: organisation, management and leadership, even if they sometimes result in bureaucratic blunders, remain the inevitable and necessary counterpart to the proper functioning of collective work.
SCARCITYBy Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir (Allen Lane, September 2013).
Whether it's time, money or any other resource, everyone faces scarcity at some point. And, for the first time, two researchers are looking at the impact that scarcity has on our behaviour, demonstrating that it often leads to irrational decisions that waste scarce resources. This is an opportunity to understand, for example, why some managers who feel they are running out of time always wait until the last moment to embark on complex tasks.
SUCCESS IN AFRICABy Jonathan Berman (Biblimotion, September 2013).
If China and India are still leading the way in terms of growth and opportunities in emerging countries, it is indeed Africa that should reveal all its potential in the coming decades. What is at stake for today's leaders: putting aside their stereotypes, looking at the continent with a fresh eye and placing their pawns on the African economic chessboard now. It remains to be understood how business is done there.
WORTHLESS, IMPOSSIBLE AND STUPID
By Daniel Isenberg (Harvard Business Press, July 2013).
Most of the great innovations, praised by the media, discourage aspiring innovators who don't feel they have the makings of a Steve Jobs. For Daniel Isenberg, however, the ability to transform a simple idea into value creation is not reserved for creative geniuses. His advice applies equally to entrepreneurs and managers who want to move the lines of their companies.
HUMBLE INQUIRYBy Edgar Schein (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, September 2013).
"Listening and questioning" rather than "talking to": this is now the approach to be adopted by managers who want to communicate better with their teams. For command & control is no longer a viable leadership model. Under the influence of 2.0 tools, communication within the company must be more collaborative to have a positive impact on employee engagement and organizational agility.
THE EVERYTHING STOREBy Brad Stone (Little, Brown and Company, October 2013).
It took Amazon seven years to build its brand image and reap its first profits. A long-term growth strategy that has finally paid off: since the early 2000s, focusing its efforts on customer confidence has enabled the online retailer to achieve annual revenue growth three times higher than the average for e-commerce players. A look back at the incredible success story of visionary CEO Jef Bezos.
GIVE AND TAKEFrom Adam M. Grant (Viking Adult, April 2013). Personally, a reservation on this last choice; I find this book bof bof "old world looking for a foot in the new."
According to Adam Grant, the evolution of working methods (service economy, development of collaboration and social networks, etc.) is putting generosity and altruism back at the heart of business. Through his concepts of "givers" and "takers", he explains that, contrary to popular belief, it is no longer enough to focus on one's personal goals in order to succeed.
(Source © Business Digest - 17 December 2013)
Maryline Passini, Founder and Director of the agency Promote
