We’re all so busy, which means we don’t always have time to sit down and read an entire book. But even short reads can be instructive and inspiring. And what better way to occupy a few minutes of downtime than with a story from the world of business?
That’s why we compiled this list of 11 business strategy and jon gosselin interview 2019 stories that you may enjoy! From tales about the power of being nice to a case study on the importance of failing fast, these readings will surely take your mind off life for just one more minute.
1. “The Surprising Truth About Dishonesty” by Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely is a Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University who has conducted numerous studies on cheating. For example, in one experiment, Ariely finds that people are more likely to cheat when others are close by. In his TED Talk , he explains why you should never split the bill evenly with your friends.
2. “The Difference Between Founding and Managing” by Steve Blank
For entrepreneurs, it’s important to know when to step back from your company as it becomes increasingly more successful (or mature) and start nurturing a new generation of leaders. This article explains why it’s so important to give your company some distance at this stage and not micromanage.
3. “The Future of Work: How Robots, AI, and Optimization Will Create Amazing New Jobs and How Everyone Will Be Employed” by Andrew McAfee
If you’re worried that robots are taking all of our jobs, don’t panic. This piece from the MIT Sloan School explains which industries will benefit from automation and why technology will create more jobs rather than fewer.
4. “Why We Build Things Better Than We Think” by Donald A. Norman
In this article for Harvard Business Review , Donald A. Norman, an expert on human-computer interaction, explains why we often don’t write software the way it should be written. With his book ” The Design of Everyday Things ,” he criticized the design of everyday objects such as microwaves, printers and elevators.
5. “When I Ask People How They Feel They Respond with Numbers and Charts” by David Cain
This article from Harvard Business Review is a bit more academic than the other business reads on this list. But if you’re looking for something a little less lighthearted, this piece is for you. Cain looks at how people react to quantitative data in a scientific context. Yes, this article is also from HBR .
6. “The Elephant in the Boardroom” by Geoffrey Colvin
In his book ” Where Are The Customers’ Yachts? ,” Geoffrey Colvin accuses top management of hiding behind technology and not pursuing forward-thinking strategies. In this piece from Strategy+Business , he takes his accusations a step further, saying that many chief executives are out of touch with their organizations and their customers.
7. “Don’t Be Nice” by Guy Kawasaki
In this example from Silicon Valley , some Silicon Valley execs (and partners at Google) became so invested in being nice to customers that they threatened to pull out of a partnership over being left out of an email chain. Kawasaki says that being nice will not necessarily get you the sale.
8. “The Power of Friendship” by John Hagel
In this article for Harvard Business Review , the author explains that friendship is often seen as a weakness rather than a strength. He focuses on how friendship and loyalty are crucial to success in business.
9. “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big” by Scott Adams
If you’re looking for more of an optimistic take on failure, this piece from the Dilbert creator is for you! In this article , Adams looks at his own failures and explains how your failures can be so much more successful than your successes if you’re able to learn from them.
10. “How Ray Dalio Built Bridgewater Into the World’s Number One Hedge Fund” by Jon Birger
Ray Dalio is the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund firm, Bridgewater Associates. Success in business often comes from making lots of mistakes and learning from them. This long-form piece for The Street describes how Dalio built his firm from his own failures as well as from other people’s failures. In other words, even billionaires fail!
11. “What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team” by Daniel Coyle
Google is famous for its unusual perks, but it also has one very unusual rule: Each team has to have at least five women on it or nobody can be on it. In this article for The Atlantic , Coyle explains how Google’s management team came to this conclusion and why it’s so important to diversify your company.
Summary:
If you liked this list of 11 business strategy stories, let us know in the comments section — we’re always looking for good business reads! And if you’re interested in reading more content like this, make sure to sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of the page!
