What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening to While Social Distancing

Since my last post, the world around us has changed considerably--to put it lightly--and my heart truly goes out to all those affected by the novel coronavirus.

As we adjust to this “new normal” of social distancing and self-quarantine, many of us are finding ourselves with considerably more down time than usual these days. But as tempting as it may be to stay glued to the news, I’m also using this opportunity to catch up on some reading and make sure that I’m staying sharp on the latest cutting-edge technologies and leading management best practices.

Here are some of the things I’m diving into:

Finally Reading the Magazines I Subscribe To

All of us are guilty of this one, right? We subscribe to a publication we love… and then struggle to find the time to sit down and read it. I have a nice, healthy stack of magazines to make my way through. In particular, I’m looking forward to cracking the bindings on my rich collection of WIRED, MIT Technology Review, and Fast Company.

Checking Out TED Talks

I’ve mentioned Simon Sinek’s famous “Start with why” TED talk previously, and it remains one of my all-time favorites. But there are many I haven’t seen, including from some of my personal tech and innovation heroes. It’s great to have a chance to dive deeper and check some new ones out. Others that I love include Elon Musk Vancouver, Gwynne Shotwell’s SpaceX, and Bill Gates’ recent pandemic talk. I love listening to smart people with sharp analyses!

Streaming New Documentaries

Whoever it was that said that documentaries are “movies, but boring” had it all wrong. I recently watched “Silicon Cowboys” on Netflix, which tells the David-and-Goliath story of Compaq vs. IBM in the early ‘80s. I was riveted. I’d go so far as to say we’re in a golden age of documentaries, and particularly with the easy availability of documentary content on streaming services, I’m sure this will be a big part of what keeps me sharp and keeps me learning in the weeks or months ahead.  Right now, I am hooked onto “The Last Dance” on ESPN – Michael Jordan is the epitome of hard work and perseverance.

Good Reads

I have lots of unread books on the shelves—it’s a bad habit that I have—so I’ve avowed not to buy any new ones and am working my way through them. I recently polished off “The Storm Before the Calm” by George Friedman about the impending fundamental changes in modern society. I am also truly inspired by Henry Ford’s autobiography, “My Life, My Work.” My wife got an original copy for me years ago for my 10 year anniversary at Ford. He was such a visionary for his time and much of his deep thinking is applicable today.

Obviously this is a time of great uncertainty. But it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that, like everything that’s come before it, this too will pass. When it does, I want to be able to easily get back into the swing of things, even if it looks different than it did before. I know that taking as much time as I can to seek out learning opportunities now will only benefit me (and by extension, my team and my firm) in the long run.

So that’s what I’ll be up to. I’d love to hear from you, too. What’s on your reading/watching list?