The 2012 Benchmark Books to look out for
January 12th 2012
Every year, the best management thinkers bring out new books that look to change the way we think about business management and executive education. Here are a few to look out for in 2012:
Reverse Innovation - Vijay Govindarajan & Chris Trimble
In this title, the pioneers of reverse innovation show how it is done. Do you have reverse innovation in your strategic plan? If you haven't asked yourself or your team this question, you will be soon. "Reverse Innovation" introduces the idea of developing in emerging markets first - instead of scaling down rich world products - to unlock a world of opportunities for your business. Written by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble, the book offers an important next step for companies looking to derive long-term value from emerging markets. According to the authors, reverse innovation is a potent force that will transform the global economy over the next few decades. "Reverse Innovation" offers a glimpse at strategies from some of the world's leading companies. There is no one industry that needs to reverse innovate; instead, all industries must have interest in the needs and opportunities in the developing world in order to thrive in tomorrow's global marketplace.
What Matters Now? - Gary Hamel
This is not a book about one thing. It′s not a 250–page dissertation on leadership, teams or motivation. Instead, it′s an agenda for building organizations that can flourish in a world of diminished hopes, relentless change and ferocious competition.
This is not a book about doing better. It′s not a manual for people who want to tinker at the margins. Instead, it′s an impassioned plea to reinvent management as we know it—to rethink the fundamental assumptions we have about capitalism, organizational life, and the meaning of work.
Start With Why - Simon Sinek
Why do you do what you do? Why are some people and organisations more innovative, more influential and moer profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs and the Wright Brothers might have little in common, but they all started with why. It was their natural ability to start with why that enabled them to inspire those around them and to achieve remarkable things. In studying the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act and communicate in the exact same way - and it's the complete opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea 'The Golden Circle' and it provides a framework upon which organisations can be built, movements can be lead and people can be inspired.
