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Recommended Resources – The Boy Billionaire

The Boy Billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg In His Own WordsThe Boy Billionaire: Mark Zuckerberg In His Own Words

edited by George Beahm

About the Book

The Boy Billionaire edited by George Beahm reveals Mark Zuckerberg’s core philosophies and approaches to building Facebook in a way no other author has been able to achieve… because these insights come directly from Mark Zuckerberg himself. George’s book systematically covers a wide range of topics from ‘Mission’ to ‘Process’ and ‘Vision’ to ‘Accountability’ and ‘Values’.

Throughout The Boy Billionaire, several central these are revealed:

  • identify the very few things that add value and focus on those
  • move quickly and don’t be afraid to make mistakes
  • empower people to connect, to control, and to take bold action

Benefits of Reading this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The Boy Billionaire because it reveals the intimate thoughts and beliefs of the man who is arguably created one of the world’s largest companies (albeit unintentionally) and who is also one of the world’s greatest social connectors. While Mark Zuckerberg didn’t set out to build a highly successful enterprise, his understanding of people’s inherent need to connect and ability to translate that need into a power online experience reveals important lessons for any business leader seeking to gain customers via the internet.

StrategyDriven Contributors appreciated the layout of The Boy Billionaire, the organization of quotes around meaningful topic areas, the dating of each quote, and Mark Zuckerberg’s life story timeline provided at the end of the book. We found that knowing the setting and circumstances of the Mark Zuckerberg’s quotes provided insightful context from which to interpret them. As such, we recommend first-time readers review the ‘Milestones’ timeline presented at the end of the book first and refer to it often when reading individual quotes.

The only drawback to The Boy Billionaire is that Mark Zuckerberg’s relative youthfulness and media shyness results in far more limited insight to his core beliefs than similar works on Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett.

For it’s intimate portrayal of an unintentional American entrepreneurial icon, The Boy Billionaire is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – Tough Truths

Tough TruthsTough Truths: The Ten Leadership Lessons We Don’t Talk About
by Deirdre Maloney

About the Book

Tough Truths by Deirdre Maloney is a collection of ten (plus one) uncomfortable to acknowledge and even more difficult to practice lessons embodied by great leaders. Within her book, Deirdre covers topics from personal Politics, Fear, and Energy to Reputation, Stories, and Hunger. Each examines the often unspoken realities of each topic, how the most successful leaders deal with the challenge, and actions readers can take to improve their leadership skills.

Benefits of Using this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like Tough Truths for the simple, direct way in which Deirdre deals with the several personal challenges each leader faces. We appreciated both the real-world examples and immediately implementable actions provided for each area of discussion. This book could easily be used in daily reflection by new and seasoned business leaders and/or as a tool to mentor others.

As a seasoned leader, I did not find Tough Truths to be particularly revealing. But perhaps I’ve simply attended the same school of hard knocks Deirdre did. Regardless, her book was a sound reminder of what should be important to a leader and reflective of those I’ve most admired and aspired to emulate throughout my career.

As leaders, we need to remind ourselves of the character and practices we need to embody in order to motivate and inspire others. Tough Truths serves as a excellent reminder of those important aspects of leadership we, through complacency, may otherwise forget. For actionably addressing the difficult challenges of leadership, Tough Truths is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – Impatient Optimist

Impatient Optimist: Bill Gates in His Own Words

edited by Lisa Rogak

About the Reference

Impatient Optimist edited by Lisa Rogak reveals Bill Gates’ core beliefs about business in a way no other author has been able to achieve… because these insights come directly from Bill Gates himself. Lisa’s book systematically covers a wide range of topics from ‘Addiction to Technology’ to ‘Relinquishing Control’, from ‘Streamlining Business Processes’ to ‘His Work Habits’, and ‘Hiring Employees’ to ‘Managing Employees’.

Throughout Impatient Optimist, three predominate themes are revealed:

  • the need to identify and understand any proposition’s return on investment
  • the value of maintaining the ‘big picture,’ and
  • the importance of family and of achieving an appropriate work-life balance.

Benefits of Using this Reference

StrategyDriven Contributors like Impatient Optimist because it reveals the intimate thoughts and beliefs of the man who is arguably the most successful business leader of all time but who is also one of the world’s greatest philanthropists. Many of Bill Gates’ approaches align well with the principles and philosophies we recommend business leaders adopt to further their organization’s success. While we recognize some may disagree with Bill Gates’ approach to certain circumstances – and on occasion we do too – all agree he is one of the great business leaders who continues to shape our modern world.

StrategyDriven Contributors appreciated the layout of Impatient Optimist, the organization of quotes around meaningful topic areas, the dating of each quote, and Bill Gates’ life story timeline provided at the end of the book. We found that knowing the setting and circumstances of the Bill Gates’ quotes provided insightful context from which to interpret them. As such, we recommend first-time readers review the ‘Milestones’ timeline presented at the end of the book first and refer to it often when reading individual quotes.

For it’s intimate portrayal of an American entrepreneurial icon, Impatient Optimist is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resource – Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail

Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail: Governance and Management Lessons from the Crisis

by Thomas Stanton

About the Book

Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail by Thomas Stanton examines the fundamental shortcomings of both public and private financial sector companies as revealed during America’s ‘Great Recession.’ Thomas focuses on the areas of management, organization, and governance; contrasting the shortcomings of companies that failed with the sound practices of comparable organizations fairing well during the economic downturn.

Thomas concludes his book by relating the financial sector’s lessons learned to businesses within other industries that have faced similarly significant challenges. The result is the revelation of sound risk management practices that can help ensure companies in any industry are prepared to recognize and effectively deal with crisis situations.

Benefits of Using this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail for its insightful examination of why some companies respond well to crisis while others simply fail. Thomas provides insight not only to the direct management, organization, and governance issues hindering crisis recognition and response but the far more elusive combinations of attributes from these three areas that stymie if not paralyze an organization. By applying the best practices presented, organization leaders can better position their organization to recognize the onset of significant challenges – key to effectively dealing with any crisis – and react in a timely manner so to prevent a catastrophic outcome. We particularly appreciated Thomas’s extension of his book’s principles to other industries including:

  • Petroleum industry
  • Mining industry
  • Natural gas distribution industry
  • Hospital / Medical industry
  • Government

This extension makes the book relevant to leaders of any organizational type.

StrategyDriven Contributors have written extensively on the topic of crisis management. We found Thomas’s principles to be highly consistent with and expounding to the crisis management best practices we endorse; making Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resource – The Pivot Point

The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change

by Victoria M. Grady
and James D. Grady

About the Book

The Pivot Point by Drs. Victoria and James Grady is a business novel presenting a unique perspective on effectively implementing organizational change based on group and individual psychodynamics. Within their book, Victoria and James examine decades of research into the ways individuals cope with loss and then relate these principles to the business environment. They conclude by providing methods for identifying and dealing with group and individual loss factors and reactions such that the desired organizational change can be implemented with a minimal loss of organizational effectiveness and productivity.

Benefits of Using This Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The Pivot Point for its unique perspective on the group and individual psychology associated with organizational change. Victoria and James’s point of view is deeply rooted in decades of sound academic research and refined by real world experiences. Not only did we find their assertions compelling, they matched our decades of group and individual observations and experiences.

The Pivot Point also provides methods for better dealing with these psychological challenges of change. The book prescribes implementable methods to address both the group and individual resistance factor in a constructive manner that is respectful of organizational personnel while at the same time progressive of the needed change. In some instances, however, change tools such as change readiness surveys appeared to lack the detail necessary to be immediately implementable and instead would require the services of Drs. Grady’s organization to complete. We would have preferred to have had the book be more complete in these areas.

The Pivot Point provides a refreshingly new perspective on making effective organizational change that is well aligned with the philosophies espoused by StrategyDriven. For this reason, The Pivot Point is a StrategyDriven recommended read.