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by Hiroshi Mikatani (Get the Book)
By his own admission, the leader of the world's third largest e-commerce company is a rule breaker. In his first book, Mikitani, founder and chief executive of Rakuten, an international firm headquartered in Japan that owns Kobo and Buy.com, offers his philosophy of how to break rules and think differently to compete in the global marketplace. Called an "Internet evangelist," Mikitani shares the secrets, beliefs, and drive that fueled Rakuten's meteoric rise to success. Starting with the story of how he defied Japanese business tradition by making English mandatory for all workers at his company, Mikitani discusses how true empowerment of employees, vendors, and customers is key to building a healthy corporate culture; the mindset necessary to creating and sustaining a place in the global market, and how the element of joy is imperative in rewriting the rules of the Internet. While the book may seem self-congratulatory at times, and at others repetitive and in need of editing, overall Mikitani weaves an inspiring entrepreneurial story and presents a thought-provoking case for breaking rules. --Publishers Weekly
by Sheryl Sandberg (Get the Book)
Facebook COO Sandberg examines the dearth of women in major leadership positions, and what women can do to solve the problem, in this provocative tome. While acknowledging that women have made great strides in the business world, she posits that they still have a long way to go and lays out a plan for women to get there. "I have written this book to encourage women to dream big, forge a path through the obstacles, and achieve their full potential," she explains. The author's counsel-gleaned from her own experiences-includes suggestions for increasing self-confidence, particularly in the business world; understanding the role of mentors and how to identify them; building emotional relationships at work; not focusing on being liked; juggling marriage and children with a demanding job; and the importance of taking risks. "Hard work and results should be recognized by others, but when they aren't, advocating for oneself becomes necessary," Sandberg opines. A new generation of women will learn from Sandberg's experiences, and those of her own generation will be inspired by this thoughtful and practical book. --Publishers Weekly
by Bruce Nussbaum (Get the Book)
In an unstable job market, many of us struggle to keep our skills current and marketable. To that end, Nussbaum, professor at the Parsons School of Design and a former Businessweek editor, brings us both good and bad news. The bad news is that a survey of 1,500 CEOs revealed that the most valuable management skill was no longer marketing or operations but creativity, a new literacy that employees will need to stay competitive. The good news is that these skills can be learned. Nussbaum dedicates much of the book to five practices that help individuals nurture and develop prized creative skills: knowledge mining, framing, playing, making, and pivoting. Latter sections of the book explore the economic value of creativity. The author shows the faulty thinking behind, and consequences of, the triumph of finance over product creation. More importantly, he offers a viable economic model, which suggests that creativity is a source of economic value, entrepreneurs drive growth, capitalism is a social movement, and social networks are the basic building blocks of the economy. This is a refreshing, informative, and groundbreaking new work that has implications for every level of the business arena. --Publishers Weekly
by Robert S. Kaplan (Get the Book)
In this guide to developing and honing leadership skills, Kaplan (management practice, Harvard Business School; cochairman, Draper Richards Kaplan Fdn.; former vice chairman, Goldman Sachs) explains, "the critical premise of this book is that by knowing how and when to ask critical questions, a young professional as well as a senior leader can take greater ownership of his or her organization and career." He focuses on seven basic areas for inquiry and self-evaluation: "Vision and Priorities," "Managing Your Time," "Giving and Getting Feedback," "Succession Planning and Delegation," "Evaluation and Alignment," "The Leader as Role Model," and "Reaching Your Potential." In a final chapter, he discusses ways to make inquiry and self-evaluation a regular part of leadership activities. In the chapter on time management, appropriate questions to ask include, "Do I know how I spend my time?" and "Does it match my key priorities?" Kaplan follows these questions by analyzing the importance of effective time-management strategies and the establishment of priorities. Each chapter includes case studies and a list of suggested follow-up steps. VERDICT This is a practical book for students and others who wish to develop their leadership skills. --Library Journal
