Hivi majuzi, niliandika kwamba viongozi wanapaswa kuwa wasomaji . Kusoma kuna faida nyingi kwa wale wanaotaka kushika nyadhifa za uongozi na kujiendeleza na kuwa watu waliotulia zaidi, wenye huruma na walio na usawa. Moja ya maswali ya kawaida ya ufuatiliaji ilikuwa, "Sawa, kwa hivyo nisome nini?"
Hilo ni swali gumu. Kuna idadi ya orodha nzuri za kusoma huko nje. Kwa wale wanaopenda kuhusisha fasihi ya kitambo, Wikipedia ina orodha ya "Vitabu 100 Bora Zaidi kwa Wakati Wote," na Maktaba ya Kisasa ina chaguo za riwaya na zisizo za uwongo . Wale wanaopenda uongozi wanaweza kushauriana na mtaala wa kozi ya uongozi ya David Gergen (PDF) katika Shule ya Serikali ya Harvard ya Kennedy au mtaala anaotumia mwenzake Ron Heifetz kwa kozi yake ya uongozi unaobadilika (PDF) .
Lakini ikiwa ningelazimika kuzingatia orodha fupi ya viongozi wachanga wa biashara, ningechagua 11 hapa chini. Nimejumuisha tu vitabu ambavyo nimesoma, na nilijaribu kuunda orodha inayojumuisha historia, fasihi, saikolojia, na jinsi ya kufanya. Aina mbalimbali ni muhimu - riwaya zinaweza kuongeza uelewa; sayansi ya kijamii na historia inaweza kuangazia masomo kutoka nyakati na nyanja zingine ambazo zinaweza kuwa muhimu kwako; na angalau, kusoma kwa upana kunaweza kukufanya uwe mzungumzaji wa kuvutia zaidi. Lakini nimejaribu kufanya chaguo zote kuwa muhimu moja kwa moja kwa wafanyabiashara wachanga wanaopenda uongozi.
Mara kwa mara, watu wengi watafikiri baadhi ya chaguo ni duni au kwamba orodha haijakamilika, lakini ninatumai inaweza kutumika kama mwanzo kwa viongozi wachanga wa biashara wanaotafuta fasihi ili kuwasaidia kupanga taaluma zao.
Marcus Aurelius, Kitabu cha Mwongozo cha Mfalme . Mtawala wa Roma kutoka 161 hadi 180 BK, Marcus Aurelius anachukuliwa kuwa mmoja wa "wafalme wanafalsafa" wa historia, na Tafakari zake labda zilikuwa urithi wake wa kudumu zaidi. Haikusudiwa kamwe kuchapishwa, maandishi ya Marcus juu ya Ustoa, maisha, na uongozi yalikuwa maandishi ya kibinafsi aliyotumia kuleta maana ya ulimwengu. Yanasalia kuwa na ufahamu wa ajabu katika akili ya mwanamume aliyetawala milki yenye kuheshimika zaidi katika historia akiwa na umri wa miaka 40 na kutoa mashauri yenye manufaa kwa maisha ya kila siku. Hii ndiyo tafsiri ambayo nimepata kupatikana zaidi.
Viktor Frankl, Kutafuta Maana kwa Mwanadamu . Viktor Frankl alikuwa daktari wa akili wa Austria ambaye alinusurika maisha katika kambi za mateso za Nazi. Man's Search for Meaning kwa kweli ni vitabu viwili - kimoja kilichojitolea kusimulia masaibu yake ya kutisha katika kambi (iliyofasiriwa kupitia macho yake kama daktari wa akili) na kitabu kingine cha nadharia yake, logotherapy . Hadithi yake pekee inastahili kusomwa - ukumbusho wa kina na urefu wa asili ya mwanadamu - na ubishi kuu wa tiba ya alama - kwamba maisha kimsingi yanahusu utaftaji wa maana - imewahimiza viongozi kwa vizazi.
Tom Wolfe, Mwanaume Kamili . Tom Wolfe alianzisha shule mpya ya Uandishi wa Habari na alikuwa mmoja wa waandishi mahiri zaidi wa Amerika wa uwongo (vitabu na insha kama Jaribio la Asidi ya Umeme ya Kool-Aid) kabla ya kuwa mmoja wa waandishi wake mashuhuri. Mara nyingi hujulikana zaidi kwa picha yake ya miaka ya 1980 New York, The Bonfire of the Vanity , A Man In Full ni riwaya yake kuhusu rangi, hadhi, biashara, na idadi ya mada zingine katika Atlanta ya kisasa. Lilikuwa ni jaribio la Wolfe, kama Michael Lewis alivyobainisha , katika "kuingiza Amerika yote ya kisasa kuwa kazi moja kubwa ya sanaa ya katuni." Ni hakika kuhamasisha tafakari katika viongozi wanaokua.
Michael Lewis, Poker ya Mwongo . Mojawapo ya vitabu vya kwanza nilivyosoma nilipohitimu chuo kikuu, Liar's Poker ni kitabu cha kwanza cha mwandishi maarufu Michael Lewis - hadithi ya kuvutia kuhusu kazi yake ya muda mfupi ya chuo kikuu kama muuzaji wa dhamana katika miaka ya 1980. Lewis amekuwa labda mwandishi mashuhuri zaidi wa biashara ya kisasa, na Poker ya Liar ni historia ya kuvutia ya Wall Street (na ulimwengu mpana wa kifedha) katika miaka ya 1980 na hadithi ya tahadhari kwa viongozi wachanga wa biashara kuhusu vishawishi, changamoto, na kukatishwa tamaa (bila kusahau wahusika wa kupendeza) ambao wanaweza kukabiliana nao katika taaluma zao.
Jim Collins, Mzuri kwa Mkuu: Kwa Nini Baadhi ya Makampuni Huruka...na Nyingine Hazifanyi . Je, inachukua nini kutengeneza kampuni kubwa, na wafanyabiashara wachanga watahitaji sifa gani ili kuwaongoza? Jim Collins alianzisha ukali mpya katika tathmini ya uongozi wa biashara katika toleo lake la awali la Good to Great, pamoja na timu ya watafiti kukagua "makala 6,000 na kutoa kurasa 2,000 za nakala za mahojiano." Matokeo yake ni risala ya utaratibu juu ya kuifanya kampuni kuwa nzuri, yenye matokeo ya kuvutia hasa kuhusu kile ambacho Collins anakiita "Uongozi wa Kiwango cha 5" ambacho kimebadilisha sura ya biashara ya kisasa.
Robert Cialdini, Ushawishi: Saikolojia ya Ushawishi . Ushawishi ndio kiini cha biashara, ambapo viongozi lazima wafikie wateja, wateja, wasambazaji na wafanyikazi. Classic ya Cialdini juu ya kanuni za msingi za ushawishi ni mfano bora wa matumizi ya msalaba wa kanuni za kisaikolojia kwa maisha ya biashara. Kulingana na uzoefu wake wa kibinafsi na mahojiano - na kila mtu kutoka kwa wauzaji wa magari waliobobea hadi wauzaji wa mali isiyohamishika - kitabu cha Cialdini kinasisimua na, ndiyo, kinashawishi. Inatumika kama utangulizi mzuri wa kazi zingine za waandishi wa kisasa kama Malcolm Gladwell na Steven Levitt, ambao hutafsiri nadharia kutoka kwa sayansi ya kijamii na kimwili hadi maisha ya kila siku.
Richard Tedlow, Giants of Enterprise: Seven Business Innovators and Empires They Built .Richard Tedlow alifundisha mojawapo ya madarasa ya shule ya biashara ninayopenda zaidi, The Coming of Managerial Capitalism , na kitabu hiki ni kitu kama mseto wa baadhi ya mambo ya juu ya darasa hilo.Giants of Enterprise inasimulia maisha ya baadhi ya wafanyabiashara - Carnegie, Walton tunaishi leo katika ulimwengu wa Mashariki, Ford. Ni utangulizi mfupi wa takwimu na makampuni ambayo yalijenga biashara ya kisasa kwa kiongozi wa biashara kijana anayetaka kuunda siku zijazo.
Niall Ferguson, Kupanda kwa Pesa: Historia ya Kifedha Duniani . Mtaji wa kifedha ndio kiini cha ubepari. Kijana yeyote anayewania uongozi wa biashara anapaswa kuelewa ulimwengu wa kifedha tunamoishi. Ferguson ni mmoja wa wanahistoria maarufu wa zama zetu, na The Ascent of Money hufuatilia mageuzi ya fedha na masoko ya fedha kutoka ulimwengu wa kale hadi enzi ya kisasa. Ni kielelezo muhimu cha historia na hali ya sasa ya fedha.
Clayton M. Christensen, Mtanziko wa Mvumbuzi: Wakati Teknolojia Mpya Inasababisha Mashirika Makuu Kushindwa . Clay Christensen hivi majuzi aliorodheshwa kuwa mwanafikra mkuu zaidi wa biashara duniani na Thinkers50 , na kitabu chake cha machapisho mafupi kilikuwa mada ya kufikiria juu ya uvumbuzi na "usumbufu" unaoitwa The Innovator's Dilemma. Vitabu vyote vya Christensen ni vya usomaji muhimu, lakini hii labda ndiyo msingi zaidi kwa kiongozi yeyote mchanga anayejiuliza jinsi ya kuendesha uvumbuzi wa biashara na kupambana na washindani wanaotishia kuvuruga mtindo wake wa biashara kwa teknolojia mpya.
Stephen R. Covey, Tabia Saba za Watu Wenye Ufanisi Sana . Kitabu cha Covey kinawakilisha bora zaidi katika kujisaidia. Ushauri wake - kuhusu kuweka vipaumbele, huruma, kujiweka upya, na mada zingine - ni wa utambuzi na wa vitendo. Tabia Saba zinaweza kuwa muhimu kwa maendeleo ya kibinafsi na kitaaluma ya mtu yeyote anayepanga kazi katika biashara.
Bill George, True North: Gundua Uongozi Wako Halisi . Alama mahususi ya viongozi wa biashara wa kizazi kijacho ni kuzingatia uhalisi. Bill George ameanzisha mkabala wa ukuzaji wa uongozi halisi uliofafanuliwa vizuri katika kitabu chake cha pili, True North. George (ambaye, ufichuzi kamili, nilioshirikiana naye hapo awali ) alifanya mahojiano zaidi ya 100 na viongozi wakuu katika kuunda kitabu, na kutoa ushauri kwa viongozi wachanga juu ya kujijua na kutafsiri ujuzi huo katika seti ya kibinafsi ya kanuni za uongozi.
Kwa hivyo chaguo lako ni nini? Kando na orodha ya "viongozi wachanga wa biashara," kuna wengine ambao ungependekeza?
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It matters. If you don't understand why, then I think you're one of those who "just doesn't get it."
what does it matter the author being male or female?? what matters should be whats being said or written
First thing I noticed, that so many other people did as well, not a single feminine voice in your lineup. Obviously, a universally applied maxim that this list be good for all young leaders would reflect more diversity. It calls into the question the merit of the whole article. Who is recommending this list, and how much does his worldview have any bearing upon mine, that his advice would even be applicable? I recommend this one:
"Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War" By Lehmah Gbowee. Proven leadership and a contemporary voice in world affairs.
Carol Bly - "Changing the Bully Who Rules the World".
You left out the world's longest best seller about wisdom and relationships...the Bible!
thought exactly the same thing-have we really moved into the 21st Century and carried gender inequality with us-I gave you more credit than this
I thought exactly the same thing-have we really moved into the 21st Century and carreid gender inequality with us-I gave you more credit than this
What an incredible short sighted perspective- the first thing you noticed was no women authors!
How about reading the books and deciding if they are the best books before you choose what you are going to read based on your preconcieved ideas of what must be good.
Such blinkered view on life can only lead to recreating exactly the same kind of world we now live in rather than something new.
This is not meant to be a fair list but the best list, don't try and make it into your own little list of what should be read by nice people.
Funny that the author isn't allowed to have his own list. The tolerance police are very intolerant of those are not exactly like them. I quote, "But if I had to focus on a short list for young business leaders, I'd choose the 11 below." When someone gives you a list of their favorite anything it is their list. Take what you can and move on.
This list hardly mentions books about how business can be a force for social good - the future of business has to be about how to navigate and help solve society's challenges - from climate change to education to helping the world's poor make a better life. The future is also going to be about how to work within complex systems so skills in collaboration and networks are key. Here are several books I highly recommend:
- Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows
- Owning the Future - Journey to a Generative Economy by Marjorie Kelly
- The Responsible Business by Carol Sanford
Here are several of my favorite books written by women: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eislner, and Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. These are great reads and will always be in my library.
Would have loved to see some more diversity of authors on this list!
I find it interesting and sad not even one of the 11 books listed is written by a woman. I wonder if at least one of the authors is poor, or a minority .... It is interesting what is considered the best: helpful to know the background of 'the decider's.
Haters doing their job! instead of criticizing share some titles.
every one of those books was written by a man, and probably a white man, at that. don't you think we could be a little more diverse in what we call the "must read" books for this generation? there's gotta be important books written from a variety of cultural perspectives.
Why did Coleman choose to exclude women from his list? Sexism is, sadly, alive and well . . .
Besides "The Princessa: Machiavelli for Women" by Harriet Rubin, I also recommend Scholastics' "The Royal Diaries" (my 4 year old daughter loved the movie)
A shame that there isn't any woman's book amongst these 11 books....