Reading makes the difference!

Another year has been past and as usual, my days were too short to read as much as I would have loved to.

Reading is my favourite thing every book shapes differently my formae mentis driving me into the uncertainty of the doubts of what I know, what I do believe, and so who I am.

Knowledge is the only real freedom that we can aim for.

Why it is so important to read? Because reading helps personal growth, helps to enlarge viewpoints, to increase empathy, to form independent thoughts, to step out from the mass minimizing collectives biases, to look at the world with your own eyes and not somebody else preconceived opinions.

Books are my mentors!

I have listed below 4 business books that have me entertained the most in this almost past year.

I wish you all a good read an amazing festive season!

4 Books that I have loved in 2021

1. Leading Change - John P Kotter

Changes are never easy, as human beings, we don't feel comfortable stepping out from what we know to the unknown. So, how we do approach the need for changes when our business is not moving in the right direction?

John Kotter provides a height stage model for a successful change:

1. Create a sense of urgency
2. Form powerful alliances.
3. Create a vision for change
4. Invest in communication
5. Empower the entire base
6. Short Term Goals.
7. Don't slow down.
8. Make change part of the culture.

This book gives strong basic guidelines to all those leaders that have the necessity of transforming their companies to remain relevant against the competition, especially in a market that appears to be more dynamic each year. The organisations will need to be able to change and adapt, and understanding how that is to be accomplished will be key. Kotter’s book, therefore, is a classic but essential addition to any organizational leader’s repertoire.

2. The infinite game - Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is one of the most revealing thinkers nowadays, and one of the very few business authors that I very much look up to.

This book provides a different outlook of doing business, where competitors stop being someone to be beaten becoming a medium that helps to build the company success in a continuous moto where there isn't an endpoint and organisations strive to be better and not the best.

The infinite game doesn't have a point to be reached but suggests a constant work in progress on achieving company goals and delivering its vision. Leaders that embrace this philosophy creates companies that are resilient to any situation and thrive regardless of market changes.

“In weak cultures, people find safety in the rules. This is why we get bureaucrats. They believe strict adherence to the rules provides them with job security. And in the process, they do damage to the trust inside and outside the organization. In strong cultures, people find safety in relationships. Strong relationships are the foundation of high-performing teams. And all high-performing teams start with trust.” Simon Sinek,?The Infinite Game

3. The Five dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni is a writer and business consultant, all of his books are written as short stories developed around the model that he wants to outline.

This is the story of a new CEO that is appointed to set right a company that despite having employed great talent is in the constant loss. The CEO will face a dysfunctional executive team and pressure from the board to execute a quick turnaround.?

After assessing the company culture, its leverage on the team members and their synergies, the Ceo goes through the five dysfunctions to readjust and rebuild the organisation success.

The pyramid model includes:

1. Absence of trust
2. Fear of conflict
3. Lack of commitment
4. Avoidance of accountability
5. Inattention to results.?

A must-read book!

4. No rules rules - Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer

An insight into the revolutionary Netflix's company culture.

A book that has given me a lot of curiosity and made me reflect on how having a completely different approach from what are the common practices in terms of company culture could increase efficiency and rate of success by simply empowering employees.

However, the model presented by Netflix is designed for companies that invest in creativity and do prioritize flexibility and adaptability hence it is not a generic model applicable to all organisations.

Netflix's culture turns around these concepts:

• Hire only top people and pay them above market standard?and adjust their salary based on the market demand?
• A culture of candour Feedback to be given to every team member from bottom to the top
• High autonomy and freedom of decisions on the operational level, removing most of the policies.
• Acting in the best interest of the company making employees accountable -?
• Managing by context (instead of more detailed guidelines)