Reading Recommendations for Leaders and Leaders to Be !

#leadership #reading

Besides the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, there are several other books that have significantly contributed to my personal and professional growth. I am delighted to share some of these books? and brief about them with you.…

“Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl

Though not a typical leadership and /or self-help category book, this book finds a place in my must-read category because the learnings on resilience it teaches. It was a recommended read in my psychology studies as well …

Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, while sharing his harrowing experiences in Nazi concentration camps during World War II narrates on how these experiences shaped his understanding of human resilience and the importance of finding meaning in life.

Frankl's key message is that meaning can be found in every moment of life, even the most painful ones, and that the pursuit of meaning is essential for human well-being. His insights offer a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience and hope.

"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Dr. Carol Dweck

In this all-time great read, Dr. Dweck divides the population in two types of people particularly focusing on the distinction between fixed and growth mindsets.

Dr. Dweck’s core message is that adopting a growth mindset can lead to greater success and fulfilment in all areas of life. By understanding and changing our mindset, we unlock our potential for growth and achievement.

Only the Paranoid Survive –Andrew Grow

Much is talked about Business Transformation these days. Andrew Grove, co-founder and former CEO of Intel, ?in his strategic management book delves into the challenges of business transformation. ?The book emphasizes that continuous learning, adaptability, and a proactive approach are vital for businesses to thrive in the face of inevitable changes and disruptions.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

This book by Malcolm Gladwell explores into the phenomenon of how small actions or changes can lead to significant outcomes, which Gladwell refers to as reaching the "tipping point." Through a combination of anecdotal evidence, psychological theories, and case studies, Gladwell explores why certain ideas, trends, or behaviours suddenly become viral or reach a critical mass.

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Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World - Carl Newport

One of my most favourites is this book ?by Cal Newport as I thoroughly adopted these ideas and ask my team to do so. The book emphasizes the importance and benefits of deep work, which Newport defines as professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push cognitive abilities to their limit. This kind of work creates new value, improves skills, and is hard to replicate. Tried and tasted !

Newport says that - In a world full of distractions, the ability to perform deep work is like a superpower. By cultivating focus and minimizing distractions, individuals can achieve higher levels of productivity and success.

"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" - Jim Collins

While scalability , 10X, 25X are the words we keep hearing from passionate business owners, this classic explores how companies transition from being good to truly great.

The undercurrent is ?greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but a conscious choice and discipline. By focusing on leadership, disciplined thought and action, and staying true to core strengths, companies can make the leap from good to great and sustain high performance.

Strategy That Works: How Winning Companies Close the Strategy-to-Execution Gap" - Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi "

Execution of ideas is the key to success in all businesses. This book provides a blueprint for companies to effectively translate strategy into execution. Paul and Cesare leveraging their experience in one of the Big 4s outline some key practices that successful companies use to bridge the gap between strategy and execution. By focusing on what companies do best and aligning their resources and culture accordingly, companies can achieve sustainable success and close the strategy-to-execution gap.

Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power by Mathew Syed

How many times do we hear a phrase – “He/ She is born talented” and every success is then attributed to this so called ”Born Talent”.

Matthew Syed an Olympic Table Tennis player himself, ?explores the idea that talent is not inborn but developed through extensive practice and the right conditions. Syed, narrates ?his personal experiences and research in psychology to demystify the myth of natural talent and highlight the importance of practice and mindset. He brings in 10000-hour theory and substantiates it with multiple examples...

Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable" - Seth Godin

When it comes to paramount success Godin emphasizes the importance of standing out in today's cluttered marketplace where everybody is trying to do everything for survival.

Godin argues that the key to business success is to be remarkable—like a purple cow in a field of ordinary cows. A purple cow represents something truly remarkable that captures attention. Godin suggests that in order to be successful, businesses must create products or services that are remarkable and worth talking about.

"Crash: Lessons from the Entry and Exit of CEOs " - R. Gopalakrishnan

Success has 100 mothers and failure is orphan. ?Ideas can go wrong in execution. There are hundreds of parameters where the CEOs, Leadership can go wrong .

“The Crash” a business book by R. Gopalakrishnan an (ex) Executive Director of Tata Sons Ltd explores the causes of organizational failures and provides insights into how companies can recover and thrive after a crisis. By embracing failure as a learning opportunity and implementing effective recovery strategies, organizations can emerge stronger and more successful in the long run. ?My favorite chapters are – Vikram Pandit at Citigroup and Vishal Sikka at Infosys

I am tempted to mention a few more but the article will become lengthier and hence will only mention one more name – “”Maverick! by Ricardo Semler” !

Happy Weekend ! Happy Reading !