Listening, questioning, and motivating others are strong themes among this year’s best business books. Edgar H. Schein, Daniel H. Pink,and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg offer examples and advice on improving influence, inquiry, and action.
inclusive leadership
Best Business Books 2012: Organizational Culture
Culture has an important role as the essential driver of effective change. Too many authors urge such change using mere exhortation: Be more open! Behave less hierarchically! By contrast, this year’s best books offer more specific ways to engage culture. I believe that these are more likely to result in more effective, productive, and innovative organizations.
Out of Date Wisdom from Chairman Jack
“Performance is it!” Of course it is, anyone who seeks a leadership position has to perform. But Jack Welch got caught in a buzz saw at the Wall Street Journal’s Women in the Economy summit not because he spoke an obvious truth but because he stated the obvious while overlooking the real issue. Women don’t … Read more
Best Business Books 2010: Human Capital
Peter Drucker once noted that an organization’s most valuable resource is vested in the heads of its people, and leaves the building with them when they go home. This revelation led many companies to begin viewing their people as a resource rather than a cost. This year’s best business books address this subject of human capital and suggest that our approach to it is due for a correction.
Best Business Book Roundup 2008: Human Capital
This year’s four best business books address the subject of human capital. They each offer clues as to how to address how to retain, develop, and leverage human capital resource they depend upon most.
The Practical Wisdom of Ikujiro Nonaka
Tokyo-based business scholar Ikujiro Nonaka explores how consistently superior Japanese companies develop innovative products and services. Drawing from firms such as Toyota, Honda and Cannon, Nonaka-san finds that their success stems from their ability to harness the power of knowledge creation.