Sunday, September 14, 2008

Book recommendations from 2005 - 2008

"Transparency – How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor"

  • In the today’s world, transparency – acting with candor, disclosure, integrity, and honesty – is increasingly linked to both survival and success. Not only does transparency enhance individual and organizational performance, but it also has the potential to tap into previously unthinkable levels of collective wisdom.
  • In Transparency, authors Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, James O’Toole, and Patricia Ward Biederman use three essays to explore the complexities of transparency and reflect on becoming a transparent leader, working within a transparent company, and thriving in an increasingly transparent world.
  • It is clear that our world is becoming increasing transparent, and it is equally clear that there is no turning back. The technologies that have facilitated this change are here to stay. As a result, it is easy to anticipate only a further emphasis on transparency. Given this state of affairs, individuals and organizations who maintain a “culture of candor” will hold a competitive edge.

Shared by Harold Schroeder on June 30, 2008


“Put The Moose On The Table” by Randall Tobias
Randall Tobias, former CEO of Eli Lilly, has shared what it takes to get to the top. This book details key traits of leadership, including:

  • How leadership means establishing boundaries based on values and proper priorities
  • What integrity means
  • How 'putting the moose on the table' can help

Shared by Sandhya Karthikeyan on 10th December 2006

"The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman
Friedman proposes that an extraordinary series of events and technological developments in recent years is leading to a revolution in social and economic globalization. His keynote provided an overview of his flattened world thesis – from his metathesis of the three historic stages of globalization, to the ten “flatteners” that have created the flat-world transformation, to the “triple convergence” that is accentuating the effects of the ten flatteners and bringing business into a time of profound uncertainty, unless we fully understand the dynamics of the flattened world and are prepared to play its rules. Read the keynote on:
http://thinkflat.infosys.com/pdf/Friedman (A copy of the same also enclosed)

Shared on October 02, 2006

"NUTS" by Kevin & Jackie Freiberg
The book provides an insight into the day to day working of the Southwest Airlines. You can see how motivated employees drive a company's success.

Shared by Vinay Rajadhyaksha on 10th April 2006

"Only The Paranoid Survive" by Andy Grove
The book talks about the need of companies to be agile to change that affect the way they do business. An interesting read.

Shared by Vinay Rajadhyaksha on 10th April 2006

“Leading at the Speed of Growth: Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO” by Katherine Catlin and Jana Matthews.

  • Excerpt - “Your Company is your idea, your risk, and your life. You are the leader. But as it grows, it needs to change — and your role must evolve to match those changes. Your challenge is to become the dynamic leader your company needs through every stage of its growth.”
  • This book explains how to lead a company through growth once you've survived the start-up stage. This book is full of stories of entrepreneurs who have faced the same issues you are facing - men and women who have made the journey from entrepreneur to CEO. Their companies range in size from 10 – 800 employees and from $1 million to $150 million in revenue. We've provided the context, and then organized their stories (their words are in italics) to illustrate the points.
  • Read more about the book on: http://www.ceoexchange.com/ultimate1.htm

Shared on 26th February 2006

“Exit Strategy” by Eugene O'Kelly

  • Eugene O'Kellywas chairman and chief executive of the American arm of KPMG, one of the world’s biggest accountancy firms, when in May 2005 he was diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer and given just three to six months to live. He radically reoriented his life to prepare for his death, chronicling his thoughts and deeds in this surprisingly well-written and moving book.
  • Mr. O'Kelly approached this personal task as he would a professional project. He defined his goals, redefining death as something to be accepted rather than avoided. He wanted to “succeed” at death, in his words, “to try to be constructive about it, and thus have the right death for me. To be clear about it and present during it. To embrace it.” He made “to do” lists for his final days. He tried to use the skills, knowledge and optimism that had served him well as a chief executive to help him on this final undertaking.
  • This book also serves as a guide to living, reminding the reader to slow down, accept certain things as they are, and to value moments with family above time at work. Full review available on Economist.com - http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5489398

Shared by Rick Rowland on 11th February 2006

"Who says elephants can't dance?" by Louis Gerstner
“Here's a book I have been reading some days back by Louis Gerstner. It is a good book about the day to day challenges a CEO faces. This is about the amazing turn around IBM achieved in the early nineties. Louis was the CEO at the helm of IBM during that time.”

Shared by Vinay Rajadhyaksha on 11th December 2005

"How to be a GREAT Coach" by Marshall J. Cook
A great book that gives about 22 tips on working towards being a good Coach. Presentation on the key notes of the book shared by Prasad Mamidanna on 4th December 2005

"Rich Dad Poor Dad " by Robert T. Kiyosaki
"Rich don’t work for money. Money works for them". This quote is the tip of the ice berg. Robert Kiyosaki's style of writing and his experiences are unique and radical with regard to money management. He says children learn chemistry, physics, math, etc., in school but they lack knowledge about the most important thing in the real world - MONEY. He talks about on what rich teach their kids about money that the poor and the middle class don’t. An interesting read on basic tips to make money work for us.

Shared by Atul Shinde on 6th November 2005

"Who Moved My Cheese" by Dr. Spencer Johnson
For those who have not read this book as yet, pls. don’t miss this opportunity. This one hour of investment can change this one life that we have…!!!

Shared by Sanjiv Mehrotra on 24th September 2005

"You Can Win" by Shiv Khera
Shiv Khera's You can win is a step-by-step tool for `top achievers'. The secret is out on the cover page of the book: ``Winners don't do different things. They do things differently.'' Here are more tips from Khera:

  • We are born with five senses. Successful people have a sixth sense -- common sense.
  • Ability without dependability, responsibility and flexibility is a liability.
  • Failure is a detour, not a dead end. It is a delay, not a defeat.
  • Commitment says, ``I am predictable in the unpredictable future.''
  • Sincerity is no measure of good judgment. Someone could be sincere, yet wrong.
  • Sympathy is, ``I understand how you feel.'' Empathy is, ``I feel how you feel.''
  • Auto-suggestions are like writing a commercial to yourself, about yourself, for yourself.

Shared by Atul Shinde on 9th September 2005

No comments: