The decision maker : unlock the potential of everyone in your organization, one decision at a time

by Dennis Bakke    (Get the Book)
As the former CEO of AES, a Fortune 200 global power company, and cofounder of Imagine Schools, Bakke (Joy at Work) had a simple idea: "Treat people like people, not machines." The result was so successful that Bakke has penned a fable to help managers "unlock the full potential of the people around them." This charming parable draws on Bakke's leadership experience, tracing the journey of a fictitious company, MedTec, from a traditional top-down decision-making enterprise to a company at which leaders put control in the hands of their people. The story unfolds as MedTec's new owners begin to discover issues that threaten the company's health. As they embark on a plan to empower everyone from HR to line managers to administrative assistants to make decisions, they encounter many obstacles along the way. Anger, skepticism, fear, and resistance plague all parties-including the owners and their investors, at different times-but in the long run, allowing people closest to the action to make decisions proves transformational. Knowing that the entertaining, ultimately rosy story is grounded in Bakke's real-world experiences adds credibility to the narrative; the work's engaging style is sure to inspire and captivate leaders and managers who wish to transform not only their businesses but also their employees' lives. Publishers Weekly

The Federal Reserve and the financial crisis

by Ben Bernanke    (Get the Book)

In March 2012, Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke gave four lectures to undergraduates on the origins and role of the Fed. His texts, charts, and answers to student questions are contained in this slim volume. Bernanke addresses the value of a central bank as an economic stabilizer through its powers as regulator, influencer of interest rates, and lender of last resort. After giving a brief history of the Fed, he describes the financial environment leading up to the 2008 crisis. He talks about how the Fed in concert with the U.S. Treasury and other central banks implemented policies first to dampen the panic, then to strengthen the financial system, and finally to support the economic recovery. He stresses the openness of Fed actions subsequent to 2008 and their consistency with longstanding practices. Bernanke is careful in his wording and presents no revelations; the lectures have been accessible over the Internet. VERDICT This important book deserves to be read widely both because Bernanke admirably explains the Fed and its actions and because his authorship provides a window into his thinking as one of the world's most powerful financial figures. Former Fed governor Alan S. Blinder (economics, Princeton Univ.) also examines the crisis but with sharper criticism in After the Music Stopped. --Library Journal 

We first : how brands and consumers use social media to build a better world

by Simon Mainwaring    (Get the Book)
Mainwaring (founder, We First brand consulting firm) describes a new business model--"contributory consumption"--in which people's purchases help to make the world a better place. The goal is for businesses to combine sales profits with a social purpose, leading to a shift in thinking for both companies and consumers from "me first" to "we first.. Mainwaring believes that online social media are helping to bring about a positive change in the way business is done, giving customers more say in business decisions and making information available to all via networking sites. Henry Jenkins, an authority on communications who is quoted in the book, notes that the public, rather than the institutions themselves, now "controls the storytelling" about companies and products. In effect, there is a new transparency. Mainwaring identifies some issues that businesses need to examine more closely with respect to corporate social responsibility: executive salaries, dividend payouts, tax write-offs, government lobbying, quality controls, and global environmental factors. He cites Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who has pledged most of his fortune to world charities, as the role model for this new era. --Choice

Playing to win : how strategy really works

by Alan G. Lafly     (Get the Book)
Amid the profusion of strategy books, this new offering by former Procter & Gamble CEO Lafley (coauthor of The Game-Changer) and Martin (dean of the Rotman School of Management and author of Fixing the Game) is a clear standout, sure to take its place on business students' bookshelves next to Mike Porter's classic, Competitive Strategy. This engaging look at how strategy really works draws on academic theory, but is deeply grounded in real life corporate lessons (including mistakes) learned at P&G both before and throughout Lafley's tenure, during which time Martin served as an adviser to the firm. The authors ask basic, practical questions that separate true strategy from mission, vision, or planning, asserting that the essence of strategy is about winning and the tough choices leaders and organizations need to make to achieve that victory. Theoretical concepts about how to win in what space come to life through entertaining and engrossing stories of how P&G developed or positioned well-known brands as Bounty, Swiffer, Force Flex, and Oil of Olay. This collection of insights and captivating examples about strategy is a must-read for leaders at any level in the for-profit or not-for-profit world. --Publishers Weekly