Interested in reading more? Or simply tired of what I write? Then try checking out some stuffs that I’ve recently read and shared.
- 08/10/09 PHD comic: 'Where would I go?' (by (author unknown))
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "Where would I go?" - originally published 8/10/2009For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
- 08/14/09 PHD comic: 'Post hoc vs. Post-doc' (by (author unknown))
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "Post hoc vs. Post-doc" - originally published 8/14/2009For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
- A Complete Chart of Gay Marriage (by Drea)
- Does Microsoft Stand a Chance? (by Drea)
- The World's Greatest Collection of Lies (by GuyKawasaki)
To get lies, go here:
To get truths, go here:
- The 10 Most Valuable Blogs on the Web (by Drea)
24/7 Wall Street has compiled its annual list of the 25 most valuable blogs. The CS Monitor describes trends in blog valuation, and lists the top 10 on the list:
With the economy spinning, ad dollars evaporating, and the much-covered election over, many wondered how blog appraisals would change. This morning, we found out just how much.
The general trend…showed prices going down. The popular Apple gossip site MacRumors lost 75 percent of its value, slumping from second place to seventh. The culprit? Bad ad atmosphere. Even with 5 million unique visitors a month, MacRumors’s hunt for paying advertisers led it to accept a lot of spots at cheaper prices.
Here’s the Top 10:
1. Gawker Media: $170 million. Last year: $150 million.
2. Huffington Post: $90 million. Last year: $70 million.
3. The Drudge Report: $48 million. Last year: $10 million.
4. Perez Hilton: $32 million. Last year: $48 million.
5. Sugar, Inc.: $27 million. Last year: Not listed.
6. TechCrunch. $25 million. Last year: $36 million.
7. MacRumors. $21 million. Last year: $85 million
8. SeekingAlpha. $11 million. Last year: $15 million
9. GigaOm: $9.5 million. Last year: $8.4 million
10. Politico: $8.7 million. Last year: Not listed.Why the Drudge Report is appraised at a little over half of the HuffPo’s value is anyone’s guess…
- 02/27/09 PHD comic: 'Nights and weekends' (by (author unknown))
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "Nights and weekends" - originally published 2/27/2009For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
- 10 Best Countries for Medical Tourism (by Drea)
In the last decade, medical tourism has hit the tipping point as a viable alternative to overpriced domestic procedures. Why buy a $3,000 dental crown treatment in the United States when you can get the same thing–plus a flight, hotel, and fun tourism opportunities–for less in Hungary?
Here are the 10 best countries for medical tourism, ranked by appeal, specialties, and popularity:
10. Lithuania
If you’re interested in latest-craze stem cell treatment, look to the Baltics for treatment. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which helps cancer patients and people with blood diseases, is all the rage in Vilnius, the capitol of Lithuania. They also do more mundane treatments, like gastric bypass and back surgery.
9. Turkey
Every year, nearly 200,000 people head to Turkey for eye treatments like Lasik surgery. Once your new peepers are intact, tourism companies bus you around to see beautiful sites, like the Blue Mosque. Sounds like a deal!
8. India
Ayurvedic treatments, yoga, and meditation have long been staples of Indian health tourism. Now, millions of people are also taking annual “dental holidays” to India because quality procedures can be as much as 10 times cheaper than at home. For example, a root canal only costs about $100.
7. Israel
Israel is famous for its low-cost cancer treatment centers. Once that marrow transplant takes, you can recover with special therapies that use Dead Sea mineral salts. Much of the population speaks English–an added bonus.
6. Costa Rica
Costa Ricans are famous for growing old gracefully. Now we know why: Costa Rica is leading the world in what they like to call “age management” in beautifully-located “medical spas.”
5. Hungary
Austrians and Germans have been crossing the border here to get work done for years. German influence and an influx of former healthcare professionals have contributed to Hungary’s state-of-the-art medical technology. Dental procedures, from crowns to root canals, cost 40-60% less than western prices. Apparently, the anaesthesia is world class–but you probably won’t remember.
4. Egypt
Prices for plastic surgery in Egypt are 60-70% lower than corresponding treatments in the US or UK. A thigh liposuction, for example, is done for a mere $260 in Egypt. The same procedure can cost up to $2,000 in the US and $3,000 in the UK.
3. South Africa
South Africa specializes in medical safaris. You visit the country for a safari, make a stopover for plastic surgery, and get the chance to see lions and elephants. The first human heart transplant was performed here in 1967, so quality shouldn’t be of concern.
2. Malaysia
Malaysia’s quality of care, low prices, and beautiful beaches attract customers seeking a range of treatments. You can get your knee replaced, face lifted, and cataracts removed, then spend hours recovering on the serene beach.
1. Thailand
Thailand’s King Bhumipol’s father, Prince Mahidol, made it his life’s work to modernize the healthcare system in Thailand. During his time, he convinced the Rockefeller Foundation to fund an American medical education for a group of Thai men and women, leading to the creation of one of the world’s best medical systems. Phuket, Thailand is world renowned for “aesthetic” plastic surgery procedures such as otoplasty and blepharoplasty-your ears and eyelids will look stunning.
- 09/29/08 PHD comic: 'The Economic Meltdown' (by (author unknown))
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "The Economic Meltdown" - originally published 9/29/2008For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
- The Case-Shiller Index: How Much Have Home Values in Your City Fallen? (by Drea)
From the LA Times:
The Case-Shiller index of home prices showed the 10th month in a row of record-setting price declines in July.
Standard & Poor’s, which publishes the monthly index, noted that pace of price declines is slowing, but there is, “no evidence of a bottom” in housing prices. S&P economist David Blitzer: “Little positive news can be found when cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix report annual declines as large as 29.9% and 29.3% respectively, and all 20 cities are still in negative territory on a year-over-year basis.”
I took a look at some data via the S&P index site and the Housing Derivatives blog for more specifics. Here’s a list of the biggest losers, lesser losers, and still-clamoring-onto-hope losers for the period between July 2007 and July 2008:
Biggest losers:
Las Vegas: -29.9%
Phoenix: -29.3%
Miami: -28.2%
Los Angeles: -26.2%
San Diego: -25.0%
San Francisco: -24.8%
Hit hard:Tampa: -19.4%
Detroit: -16.7%
Washington, DC: -15.8%
Minneapolis: -13.1%
Chicago: -10.0%
Still in the Single Digits:Atlanta: -8.2%
Seattle: -8.2%
Cleveland: -7.8%
New York: -7.4%
Portland, OR: -6.6%Sheltered, sort of:
Boston: -5.4%
Denver: -4.7%
Dallas: -2.5%
Charlotte: -1.8%Average, for all 20 cities: -16.3%
Note that the cities deflating most violently are also grew most quickly during the housing bubble. I’m smug, because I live in the Denver area, which, though overbuilt, appears to be falling more gently.
How does your area fare?
- Bí kíp kinh doanh (by Khoa)
Bí kíp kinh doanh
Trồng bởi Khoa Trần, cắt tỉa bởi Dự Trần
Giới thiệu
Sinh là một người thường ôm trong lòng chí lớn, muốn một ngày lột xác thoát cảnh hàn vi, trở thành đại gia. Sinh mơ tới lúc lượn lờ dưới phố thì đi xe Ferrari, khi tung bay trên trời thì đi BD-700 Global Express Jets, lúc nghỉ ngơi thì có mỹ nhân kề cận, khi làm việc thì quyết định vận mệnh cả vạn người. Ấy thế, là người hàn vi, Sinh không biết làm thế nào để đại nguyện tựu thành. Giấc mơ vẫn chỉ là giấc mơ cho tới khi sinh có trong tay kỳ thư về làm giàu trong thiên hạ. Sinh mua được kỳ thư từ Amazon.Com, đem về đọc ngấu nghiến, những tưởng đâu sáng mai thức dậy thì thần tài sẽ gõ cửa. Nào ngờ tiền mất tật mang, lại bị đứa trẻ hàng xóm chê cười là vừa tham, vừa ngu, chẳng khác chi bọn trẻ nhóc mất tiền mua bí kíp võ lâm về đọc nhằm trở thành cao thủ giang hồ như trong phim kiếm hiệp.
Chủ đề về các bí quyết kinh doanh không có gì mới nhưng luôn nhận được sự quan tâm của rất nhiều bạn trên thế giới. Điều này dễ hiểu vì hạng người như nhân vật Sinh trong phần giới thiệu không hiếm. Có khoảng hàng vạn sách về thể loại này, từ thượng vàng đến hạ cám. Trong bài viết này, tôi chủ yếu nói về loại hàng khủng (business bestsellers [1]). Hiển nhiên, đa số dân kinh doanh đã từng đọc sẽ cho rằng những quyển này là kim chỉ nan (bible). Đến cả Steve Ballmer, CEO của đại gia Microsoft, cũng thừa nhận tranh thủ đọc quyển Good to Great, viết bởi Jim Collins [2], trong giờ nghỉ giải lao khi họp bàn về vấn nạn Google.
Vậy loại kỳ thư thuộc hàng khủng này có thực sự hữu ích hay không mà khiến ngay cả bọn nhà giàu như Steve Ballmer cũng ngấu nghiến đọc lấy được? Đã có hàng loạt các bài viết và sách khác được chấp bút để ném đá các sách bí kíp hàng khủng này. Dưới đây tôi sẽ nêu một số thí dụ, tập trung chính vào quyển The Halo Effect của Phil Rosenzweig [3].
Cách đây không lâu, Steven Levitt (tác giả chính của Freakonomics) có viết một bài From Good to Great… to Below Average châm biếm nhẹ nhàn Good to Great. Cụ thể, trong 11 công ty được Jim tặng huân chương trong quyển này vì có tốc độ tăng trưởng chóng mặt trong vòng 15 năm liên tiếp thì đa số làm ăn loàng xoàng kể từ khi quyển sách ra đời vào năm 2001. Cụ thể hơn, nếu năm 2001 bạn đầu tư vào một trong hai hoặc cả hai trong số những công ty trên là Fannie Mae và Circuit City thì bây giờ bạn đã lỗ hơn 80%. Có lẽ Jim Collins đã sai lầm khi viết rằng các công ty good-to-great được dẫn dắt bởi level-5 leaders, những người không chỉ lãnh đạo giỏi mà còn có thể xây dựng một công ty trường tồn (built to last) ngay cả sau khi ra đi. Bây giờ nhìn lại thì bọn lãnh đạo của Fannie Mae được nhiều báo chí nói đến như một lũ sâu mọt. Như Steven Levitt nói, bạn cuối cùng vẫn chỉ có thể nhìn lại quá khứ và nói nhăng cuội về các công ty đã thành công.
Nhưng đấy lại không phải là lý do mà nhiều bạn mua sách của Jim Collins hoặc các sách dạy làm giàu khác. Có một câu ngạn ngữ khá phổ biến: mọi sự dự đoán đều rất khó, nhất là khi dự đoán về tương lai. Chính vì lẽ này mà các kinh tế gia thỉnh thoảng bị chỉ trích chẳng làm gì được cho đời vì họ hầu hết chẳng dám dự đoán về cái quái gì cả.
Fannie Mae với Circuit City không phải là lý do tốt để nhận xét về Good to Great, vì nếu thế thì Steven Levitt cũng chỉ là Jim Collins 2.0 beta. Đã có nhiều học giả ném đá Jim Collins ở tầm rộng và sâu hơn, trong đó có Phil Rosenzweig. Do đó tôi xin giới thiệu và bình luận quyển The Halo Effect and Eight Other Delusions that Deceive Managers của ông này. Như một luật bất thành văn, đến một lúc nào đó cũng sẽ có một số công ty nào đó làm phật lòng một tác giả nào đó và rồi sẽ lại có một tác phẩm kinh điển khác ra đời, sành điệu hơn và đọc cũng có lý hơn. The Halo Effect (THE) giúp đọc giả suy nghĩ thấu đáo hơn về 9 ảo tưởng (delusions) thường thấy trong những quyển sách như vậy.
Như Freakonomics, Fooled by Randomness, hay Black Swan [4], THE cũng là một bestseller và tác giả cũng rất thích trò ném đá. The Halo Effect phê phán các lỗi ngụy biện (logical fallacies) và ảo tưởng (delusions) mà những nhà quản lý cũng như nhiều tác giả nổi tiếng thường mắc phải. Phil cho rằng các sách kinh điển gần đây tuy phô trương về mức độ nghiên cứu để gây ấn tượng với đọc giả nhưng thực ra chỉ là giả khoa học (pseudoscience) và vẫn chỉ dừng ở mức giỏi kể chuyện (story telling). Không có gì ngạc nhiên khi Nassim Taleb, tác giả của cả 2 quyển Fooled by Randomness và Black Swan, dành những lời có cánh cho The Halo Effect!
Ảo tưởng nổi cộm nhất, được trình bày xuyên suốt quyển sách, là hiệu ứng hào quang (halo effect). Một ví dụ điển hình của hiệu ứng hào quang được nói đến là các sách dạy làm giàu thường cho rằng khả năng lãnh đạo của tổng giám đốc, định hướng thị trường (market orientation), sự hài lòng của nhân viên (employee satisfaction),… là những yếu tố mấu chốt dẫn đến sự thành công (performance) của một công ty. Nghe cũng hợp lý thật. Tuy nhiên, làm thế nào để đánh giá (measure) khả năng lãnh đạo của một giám đốc hay định hướng của một công ty có tốt hay không? Hầu hết, kể các nhân viên trong công ty được hỏi, sẽ đánh giá các chỉ số này dựa trên chính performance của công ty này. Đấy gọi là hiệu ứng halo - hào quang của công ty khiến người ta nhìn vào và tán thán hệ thống quản lý của công ty đó. Do đó, theo ngôn ngữ của Phil, thành công của một công ty chỉ giúp định nghĩa khái niệm lãnh đạo giỏi chứ không hẳn là hệ quả của yếu tố này.
Tuy nhiên, Phil cho rằng đây là một lỗi rất thường gặp trong các sách kinh doanh. Các sách này thường viết về các tố chất làm nên một công ty vĩ đại; và cách họ nghiên cứu là hỏi hàng loạt công ty những câu kiểu như “anh cho giám giám bao nhiêu điểm về sự thân thiện đối với nhân viên?”, “nếu được chọn lại, chị sẽ chú trọng vào mặt hàng gì?” Những nghiên cứu như thế này, cho dù quy mô đến cỡ nào (phỏng vấn 1 triệu doanh nghiệp, đọc 1 tỷ báo cáo, 30 người làm việc ngày đêm trong 5 năm) theo Phil đều vô dụng vì chất lượng dữ liệu thấp (low-quality data), cụ thể dữ liệu bị lỗi halo.
Một lỗi thường gặp khác là sự nhầm nhọt giữa mối quan hệ tương quan (correlation) và mối quan hệ nhân quả (causality). Một ví dụ thú vị trong kinh doanh là hiện tượng rất nhiều đại gia làm trong ngành công nghệ cao thất học: Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Michael Dell (Dell), Larry Ellison (Oracle) đều chưa tốt nghiệp đại học còn 2 ông chủ của Google thì cũng bỏ học tiến sĩ. Đây thực chất là mối quan hệ tương quan, chứ không phải quan hệ nhân quả - tức là không phải thất học sẽ đem lại thành công. Vì thế nếu bạn có ý định bỏ học vì sẽ dễ trở thành đại gia công nghệ cao thì hãy dè chừng. Trong các sách phổ biến mà Phil bêu đầu, các tác giả đều mắc phải lỗi này khi so sánh các công ty với nhau, tìm các đặc điểm giống và khác nhau rồi đưa ra kết luận về các yếu tố tạo nên thành công (chẳng hạn dám bỏ học). Quay lại trường hợp Good to Great, nếu Apple tiếp tục đà tăng trưởng như hiện nay thì vài năm nữa Jim Collins chắc phải thay đổi khái niệm “level-5 leadership” vì Steve Jobs là một kẻ độc đoán chứ không hề có phong cách lãnh đạo giống như 11 giám đốc được khen thưởng trong Good to Great.
Phil còn đề cập đến 7 ảo tưởng khác mà các bạn có thể tìm hiểu thêm qua quyển The Halo Effect. Như tôi đã nói, một lý do chính khiến sách của Phil nổi tiếng là vì Phil ném đá các bạn viết khác rất kinh, không chỉ ném đá về cách lý luận, nghiên cứu mà còn ném đá cả về giá trị (added value) các quyển sách của họ mang lại. Theo Phil, chúng thường được viết rất hay nhưng thực ra không có gì đột phá và ai cũng biết [5]. Phil viết “Most popular books return again and again to the same fundamentals. From Tom Peters through Jim Collins, the same themes are sounded: companies do well when managers live by deeply held values, pursue a clear vision, care about their employees, focus on their customers, and strive for excellence.” Ấy là theo Phil, còn theo tôi thì nhắc đi nhắc lại những nguyên tắc cơ bản không phải ai cũng thực hiện được bằng lối kể chuyện hấp dẫn thì cũng có giá trị nhất định nào đó. Chí ít nó cũng tạo thêm được một chút hưng phấn cho bạn đọc trong chốc lát.
Một điểm tai hại nữa của các quyển sách dạy kinh doanh nổi tiếng là các tác giả cho rằng nếu bạn tuân thủ các nguyên tắc vàng nêu trên thì bạn nhất định sẽ là người lãnh đạo/quản lý giỏi và theo ngôn ngữ trong quyển The Halo Effect, nghĩa là công ty của bạn sẽ thành công về mặt tài chính. Phil nghiên cứu và đưa ra ví dụ về KMart những năm 1990s. Các nhà quản lý KMart cũng có các phẩm chất tốt và thực tế doanh thu của KMart có tăng mạnh những năm này. Tuy nhiên, doanh thu và lợi nhuận của một đối thủ khác là Walmart lại tăng gấp 10 lần như vậy và cuối cùng KMart cũng phải chết yểu. Tương tự, sẽ rất tai hại nếu suy nghĩ rằng nếu một công ty chưa bao giờ trở nên vĩ đại thì các nhà quản lý của họ còn kém và đáng được thay thế. Nói đến đây, tôi lại liên hệ đến một lỗi logic mà chúng ta hay gặp, đó là hiệu ứng “thấy chưa” (confirmation bias). Confirmation bias có thể hiểu sơ sài qua ví dụ sau: ông Dự đặt cược 2 tạ thóc rằng Barack Obama sẽ thắng cử tổng thống Mỹ và nếu tay này thắng thật, hắn sẽ la lên “thấy chưa” như thể hắn có khả năng dự đoán (trong trường hợp ngược lại Paris Hilton thắng, ông Khoa sẽ là người la lên “thấy chưa”). Bác Hưng đã viết khá chi tiết về Confirmation Bias trong bài Black Swan nên tôi sẽ không nói thêm về lỗi này. [6]Nhìn chung, cách trình bày của Phil tương đối rối rắm nhưng The Halo Effect có nhiều luận điểm thú vị. Tôi không cho rằng THE là sách phải đọc của các bạn mong muốn làm nhà quản lý trong tương lai. Tuy nhiên, nếu bạn nào đã từng gối đầu giường một sách dạy các bí quyết kinh doanh hoặc quản lý nào đó thì cũng nên đọc thêm THE… để tham khảo.
Chú thích[1] Bạn có thể tham khảo thêm danh sách 25 sách kinh doanh kinh điển nhất qua mọi thời đại được soạn bởi Business Putdit cách đây không lâu.
[2] Jim Collins cũng là đồng tác giả của một quyển *kinh điển* trước đó là Built to Last.[3] Chú ý: nếu bạn là dân nghiện game, sách này không phải viết về game Halo bạn vẫn hay chơi trên XBox![4] Bác Ngô Quang Hưng đã có bài review thú vị về quyển Black Swan.
[5] Tôi có một niềm tin thế này: khi đọc sách, nếu bạn gật gù với các ý tưởng trình bày trong quyển sách đó thì bạn chỉ đọc lại hoặc cần thêm niềm tin cho những gì bạn biết; còn khi bạn thốt lên “aha” thì lúc đấy bạn mới thật sự học được một cái mới và cũng đồng thời thú vị.
[6] Có một ảo tưởng cũng phổ biến trong giới đầu tư mà The Halo Effect không đề cập đến là hiệu ứng chuyên gia (Self-Fulfilling Prophecy) mà tôi đã từng viết sơ qua trong bài “Tại sao các chuyên gia được gọi là chuyên gia“. Tôi chợt nhớ đến Self-fulfilling Prophecy bởi vì mới cách đây vài ngày, tôi có nói chuyện với một anh bạn khá nổi tiếng và có tài nhưng lúc nào cũng lo lắng về vấn đề kiếm bạn gái và lấy vợ :). Có lẽ các bạn gái quen với anh ta cũng thấy được sự bồn chồn này. Anh ta tâm sự với tôi rằng “thầy bói bảo rằng số anh ế vợ nên anh lo lắm”. Anh bạn này rất thích nghiên cứu Tử Vi vì “anh thấy Tử Vi nói rất đúng”. Còn tôi thì cũng đã hiểu tại sao Tử Vi lại đúng. - Is Google a Media Company? (by (author unknown))
Knol, Google’s new site where experts share knowledge on a variety of topics, has rekindled fears among some media companies that Google is edging in on their turf. - From Good to Great … to Below Average (by Steven D. Levitt)
I almost never read business books anymore. I got my fill of them years ago when I was a management consultant before I went back and got a Ph.D. Last week, however, I picked up Good to Great by Jim Collins. This book is an absolute phenomenon in the publishing world. Since it came out in [...] - 25 Best Business Books Ever (by Drea)
What makes a business book the “best”? Best-selling? Most influential? Timelessness? Categorical relevance?
Business Pundit sifted through numerous categories and resources to come up with this list of the 25 Best Business Books Ever. We didn’t concern ourselves with categories (management, sales, etc.) or timeliness of subject matter. Instead, we focused on the following question: Based on prominent reviews, academic use, and popularity, which business books would be considered “classics?” Of those, which are the best?
We think that really smart, successful businesspeople know that their education is lifelong and diverse. Nevertheless, while many corporate leaders will cite Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince as invaluable business tomes, we stuck with books written for a business-minded readership.
25. The Wealth of Nations
by Adam Smith
1991
First published in 1776, this broad-ranging exploration of commercial and economic first principles laid the philosophical foundations for modern capitalism and the free-market economy. Smith’s central thesis is that capital can best be used to create both individual and national wealth in conditions of minimal government interference. He believed that free-market competition advances both the vitality of commercial activity and the ultimate good of all a nation’s citizens.
24. The Functions of the Executive
by Chester I. Barnard
1968
This collection of Barnard’s lectures on management, though dated in its language, remains relevant, notably in his promotion of clear, short communication channels and managerial morality. A successful executive himself as well as a theorist, Barnard broadened the managerial role from one that assesses, controls, and supervises, to one that nurtures the organization’s values and goals, and translates them into action, thereby defining a purpose and moral code that pervades the organization.
23. The Principles of Scientific Management
by Frederick Winslow Taylor
1911
In its day, this book advanced management as a discrete field requiring formal training, and systematized human work into rigorously measured, optimizable processes.
Arguing that the “inefficiency in almost all of our daily acts” can be remedied by “systematic management, rather than in searching for some unusual or extraordinary man,” Taylor aimed to determine the best practices for every job. His principles influenced working methods and managerial attitudes for most of the 20th century, particularly in mass-production industries—companies that emphasize quantity over quality.
22. The Human Side of Enterprise
Douglas McGregor
1960
Psychologist McGregor revolutionized human relations management by distinguishing the two ways managers view employees and consequently manage them, ultimately producing the accordant behavior in them. Theory X assumes that workers are inherently lazy and need to be motivated and supervised; Theory Y assumes that people are self-motivated and self-directed. “McGregor’s fundamental principles,” says author Gary Hamel, “underlie the work of modern management thinkers from Drucker to Deming to Peters, and the employment practices of the world’s most progressive and successful companies.”
21. Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the Industrial Enterprise
by Alfred D. Chandler
1962
A business historian, Chandler was one of the first scholars to systematically examine the corporate structure of large companies. Considered a theoretical masterpiece, this book—namely, its now-debated conclusion that strategy should drive structure—played a leading role in the profitable decentralization of leading corporations in the 1960s and 1970s.
20. Organizational Culture and Leadership
by Edgar H. Stein
1992
Organizational development pioneer Schein introduced, into the management debate, culture as a constantly changing force in an organization’s life—and one that must be understood for there to be successful change. In successive editions of this book, the author draws on contemporary research to redefine culture, including the notion of subcultures, and shows how to transform this abstract concept into a practical tool for understanding and influencing organizational dynamics.
19. The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations
by James Surowieki
2004
First developed in his “Financial Page” column of The New Yorker, Surowieki’s ideas contradict the long-held distrust of masses and groupthink: “Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant—better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.” The author animates his rigorous argument with pertinent anecdotes and case studies from business, social psychology, sports, and everyday life. Author Po Bronson insists, “This book should be in every thinking businessperson’s library. Without exception.”
18. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
by Thomas L Friedman
2005
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman presents this timely, indispensable update on globalization, its successes and shortcomings, with the same urgent curiosity, panache, and illumination that has earned him three Pulitzer Prizes. With his incomparable ability to elucidate complex foreign policy and economic issues, Friedman explains how the flattening of the world happened at the beginning of the 21st century, and what globalization—both an opportunity and a threat—means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals. In his 2006 hardcover update, with 100 pages of revised and expanded material, Friedman makes specific recommendations about the technical and creative training he believes will be needed to compete in the New Middle class.
17. Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
1990
This narrative has been called one of the most influential business books ever, as the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history at that time: the landmark leveraged buyout of the RJR Nabisco Corporation for $25 billion in 1988. Cinematic and gripping, yet remarkably judicious, this book by two skilled journalists has sold more than 500,000 copies and inspired an HBO movie. Its graphic portrayal of how financial operations at the highest levels are conducted is considered must-reading for those who want to know how the world really works.
16. My Years with General Motors
by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr.
1963
Sloan’s “as told to” opus still stands as the most cogent expression of the managerial philosophy that dominated American business for most of the 20th century. With insightful authority, this fabled CEO chronicles General Motors’ resurrection, under his leadership, from a nearly bankrupt enterprise in the early 1900s to the world’s greatest industrial corporation when he retired in 1956.
Particularly striking is this book’s unintentional expression of a value system: a relentless commitment to the engineering worldview of efficiency as paramount. Sloan’s simultaneous decentralization of manufacturing and centralization of corporate policy and financial controls became the basis for an organizational model that dominated American industry for more than half a century.
15. The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization
by Peter M. Senge
1990
Based on 15 years of experience putting the ideas into practice, this bestselling classic popularized the concept of the learning organization, a holistic approach that prioritizes learning—new and expansive patterns of thinking—as both an individual and a group experience. Senge argues that “changing individuals so that they produce results they care about [and] accomplish things that are important to them” faster than the competiton does is, in the long run, the only sustainable competitive advantage.
Because the learning organization requires managers to surrender their traditional spheres of power and control, and because it demands trust, involvement, and the allowance for experimentation and failure, it has rarely been converted into a reality. Nevertheless, Senge’s ideas have affected the rewards and remuneration strategies of many companies.
14. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Business Don’t Work and What to Do about It
by Michael E. Gerber
1985
This underground bestseller dispels the commonplace assumptions surrounding starting and running a successful small business. Two of Gerber’s most incisive observations are that (1) many entrepreneurs know considerably more about producing what they sell than about operating their business, and (2) the entrepreneur must “work on your business, not in your business.” This book intelligently and comprehensively charts an approach to systematizing a new business so that it grows beyond the capacities of its creator.
13. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell
2000
Drawing on a fascinating array of research findings and real-world examples, Gladwell presents a concise, elegant, erudite analysis of mass behavioral change that is strikingly counterintuitive. Regarded among marketing and sales professionals as one of the best books on the economics of popular culture, this entertaining read is, says author Jeffrey Toobin, “one of those rare books that changes the way you think about, well, everything.”
12. Competing for the Future
by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad
1994
This definitive book on contemporary business strategy criticizes the narrow mechanistic view of strategy and calls for an approach that is multifaceted, emotional as well as analytical, and concerned with meaning, purpose, and passion. The authors say their work “provides would-be revolutionaries with the tools and concepts they need to challenge the protectors of the past.” They argue that too many leaders, stuck in the day-to-day details of running their businesses, fail to prepare their companies for the future, and that crafting a strategic architecture around a company’s core competencies is the solution.
11. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins
2001
Measuring sustained results over a period of 15 years, Collins identifies, from an original list of 1435, 11 well-established companies that made the leap from being “good” to being “great.”
Applicable to entrepreneurs as well as corporations, this carefully researched book singles out what Collins calls Level 5 Leadership—“a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will”—as the critical factor in those transformations. Such natural leaders “channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company,” which begins with getting the right people—those with discipline and resolve—in the right positions. Challenging the conventional notion of the outgoing, high-profile CEO, an effective leader moves with selfless determination, inspiring average performers to become great producers.
There’s been a lot of controversy about this book on Business Pundit. Is Good to Great too general, too philosophical? Is its research flawed? Have Fannie Mae and Circuit City proven Level 5 principles wrong?
The book still found its place on this list based on our selection criteria. When we compiled these books and scrutinized Good to Great, we realized that it’s not the only classic subject to pointed—and valid–critiques. If we removed Good to Great from the list based on BP’s prior post, we’d have to remove a whole bunch of other books, too.
10. Out of the Crisis
by W. Edwards Deming
1982
This classic on quality management reflects Deming’s experience introducing statistical methods for quality measurement and improvement to Japan in the 1960s. Aiming to transform the U.S. style of management and governmental relations with industry, the author blends statistics and common sense to challenge American business practices at almost every point, launching the quality revolution here. Citing poor management, not lazy workers, as responsible for most quality problems, this book, in simple, direct language, offers a theory of management based on Deming’s notable 14 Points of Management, and explains how to apply them to boost quality.
9. Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution
by Michael Hammer and James Champy
1993
Though based on the relatively dry field of operations research, this book became a prominent bestseller in its heyday, replacing much of the received wisdom of the last 200 years of industrial management with a radical prescription for rebuilding businesses wholesale to achieve dramatic performance gains.
Unfortunately, this pioneering book garnered some controversy, largely because corporate cost-cutters used the concept of reengineering to justify mass layoffs. Acknowledging that reengineering can be difficult to launch and to sustain, the authors provide clear and specific guidelines, numerous examples, and in-depth case studies.
8. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras
1994
Drawing on six years of innovative research, Collins and Porras identify 18 exceptional, long-lasting companies and directly compare each with one of its top competitors, over time. With entertaining case histories, they discredit the longstanding beliefs that a successful business is founded by a charismatic, visionary leader and begins with a great product. Rather, they argue, enduring organizations demonstrate core values and a core purpose that remain fixed, while their business strategies and practices adapt endlessly to a changing world. Organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, this book provides a master blueprint for building a great and enduring company.
7. The Practice of Management
by Peter F. Drucker
1954
Considered the foremost management and business thinker of the 20th century, Drucker was the first to depict management as a distinct function, a separate responsibility in the workplace: the work of getting work done through and with other people. This still-relevant book holds that management was one of the major social innovations of the last century, and it poses three now-classic business questions: What is our business? Who is our customer? What does our customer consider valuable?
According to author Gary Hamel, “No other writer has contributed as much to the professionalization of management as Peter Drucker. … [He] bridges the theoretical and the practical, the analytical and the emotive, the private and the social more perfectly than any other management writer.”
6. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors
by Michael E. Porter
1980
Now in its 63rd printing in English, with translations in 19 languages, this modern classic filled a void in management thinking, transforming the theory, practice, and teaching of business strategy. Strikingly accessible, Porter’s analysis of industries captures the complexity of industry competition in three generic strategies and five competitive forces that have been internalized and applied by managers, investment analysts, consultants, students, and scholars throughout the world.
This seminal book changed conventional thinking around strategy, offering a method whereby a company can examine not just its particular industry but its place in it, that is, its essential differentiation from its competitors that can be sold to the customer. Author Gary Hamel says, “[I]t is an unfailing guide to whether some particular strategy, once articulated, can be counted on to produce worthwhile profits.”
5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
by Stephen R. Covey
1989
Having developed the concept of this groundbreaking, long-term bestseller by studying literature going back more than 200 years, Covey bases his approach on relatively immutable personal human values. Unlike many a self-improvement author, however, he doesn’t promise a quick fix; rather, he calls for a paradigm shift—a revolutionary change in one’s perceptions and interpretations of how the world works. And with different thinking comes different actions that will profoundly affect one’s productivity and effectiveness.
Be proactive. Begin with an end in mind. Put first things first. Think win/win. Seek first to understand. Synergize. Renewal. With penetrating insights and cogent anecdotes, Covey presents a highly structured, holistically integrated methodology for creating balance, and hence success, in one’s personal and professional lives.
4. The One-Minute Manager
by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
1981
Millions of managers in Fortune 500 companies and small businesses around the globe have followed the timeless principles of this first mega-bestselling business book, presented as a parable. Concisely elegant, this narrative reveals three practical management secrets: One-Minute Goals, One-Minute Praisings, and One-Minute Reprimands—a concept that has spawned numerous “One-Minute” titles, for endeavors from parenting to golfing.
Blanchard and Johnson ground their ideas in studies in medicine and the behavioral sciences to explain why the one-minute techniques work with so many people, in so many environments.
3. How to Win Friends & Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
1937
Having sold more than 15 million copies, this seminal self-improvement book continues to guide managers in the universal challenge of face-to-face communication.
A master of human nature, Carnegie advises that “[w]hen dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity.” He argues that success is only 15% professional knowledge; the remaining 85% is “the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people.”
2. The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
by Clayton M. Christensen
1997
Examining a variety of leading well-managed companies that have failed to capitalize on innovative technologies, Christensen explains, with striking clarity and style, how to manage breakthrough products successfully when customers may not be ready for them.
His argument that overdependence on customer needs, or on the most profitable products, can damage a company’s success challenges the marketing and customer service books that put customer focus at the top of the corporate agenda. Considered a paradigmatic marketing visionary, Christensen highlights the problems inherent in what appears to be sound decision making, and rigorously demonstrates that companies will fall behind if they fail to adapt or adopt new technologies that will meet customers’ unstated or future needs.
Illustrating his points with anecdotes of historical figures, business leaders, and ordinary folks, Carnegie instructs the reader in how to change people, how to win them over to your way of thinking, without causing offense or resentment, and without making them feel manipulated. He teaches these skills through the underlying principle that people want to feel important and appreciated. Carnegie was the first to create a flourishing, credible, long-term business out of his ideas.
1. In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies
by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.
1982
Highly influential when global competition, largely from Japan, had brought Western business to a low, this quintessential business book describes eight enduring management principles that made the forty-three companies surveyed “excellent.” The authors focus exclusively on big companies, namely big manufacturers, but ironically condemn the excesses of modern management practice and advocate a return to simpler virtues. They have since come to feel that their ideas are better embodied in smaller companies.
Through lively case studies, this very readable classic forces a look at the fundamentals, at “first principles” that give a company its soul: Attention to customers, an abiding concern for people (productivity through people), the celebration of trial and error. A driving force in the subsequent deluge of business books, this trailblazer established customer service as a key form of differentiation and advantage, and launched the author-as-consultant/speaker/celebrity phenomenon.
Sources: Perseus Publishing’s The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Management Books You’ll Never Have Time to Read, Forbes, Business Week, U.S. News & World Report, a variety of lists located around the Web, and our own subjective reading experiences.
- 05/28/08 PHD comic: 'Exclusive focus' (by (author unknown))
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "Exclusive focus" - originally published 5/28/2008For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
- 03/31/08 PHD comic: 'Good news' (by (author unknown))
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "Good news" - originally published 3/31/2008For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
- 05/05/08 PHD comic: 'Your Life Ambition' (by (author unknown))
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "Your Life Ambition" - originally published 5/5/2008For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
- The Ultimate Top Ten List For Small Business (by Lela Davidson)
In an effort to bring you a fabulous Top Ten List, I found that there were quite a few worthy lists out there already. And so I present to you – the mother of all small business top ten lists. These resources touch on many of the skills and characteristics it takes to be an entrepreneur.
1. Top Ten Marketing Blogs
Marketing is a subject you can never learn enough about. The market’s always changing, and if you don’t sell stuff you’re out of business quick. Make your continued marketing education a daily habit at one or more of these excellent blogs identified by Michael Stelzner at Writing White Papers.2. Top Ten Skills of Effective Operations Managers
Joanna Wyganowska at Recreation Management has put together a nice list of the skills that will make you effective in any operations. Take a look at the list and give yourself a score from 1-10 in each area. Anything less than an 8 deserves attention. Invest in yourself and watch your business grow.3. Top Ten Small Business Payroll Solutions
If you have even one employee you know the pain of payroll. Keeping up with government reporting, taxes, and checks can be a nightmare that repeats monthly, if not more often. HRWorld has put together a nice, current list of outsourcing options. Whatever it costs, it’s worth it.4. Top Ten Best Presentations Ever
This compilation from KnowHR highlights a diverse selection of presentations from Martin Luther King to Steve Jobs. Next time you need to get up in front of people, use these for inspiration, or just copy the good stuff. Now go out and get you some venture capital.5. Top Ten Bookkeeping Mistakes By Small Businesses
Accounting is rarely exciting, but mistakes can end your business before it starts. SCORE has identified the top bookkeeping made my small businesses so that that you don’t have to learn from your own mistakes.6. Top Ten Tax Deductions for Professionals
Tax attorney Stephen Fishman doesn’t want you to pay more in taxes than you need to. He’s put together this list of deductions many professionals miss. It’s not too late to create good record keeping habits for 2008.7. Ten Tips For Time Management in a Multitasking World
We’ve all got the same 24 hours in a day. Your competitive advantage just may lie in your ability to get more done in that time than your competition. This list from Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk is unique and thought provoking. Consider checking it every week for ten weeks and building your cache of time management skills gradually.8. Top Ten Business Plan Mistakes
So many entrepreneurs are afraid to put their big ideas into writing. Maybe that’s because according to Entrepreneur.com, the vast majority of plans are ‘hardly worth the paper they’re printed on’. Make sure your plan’s a winner by comparing it against this list.9. Top Ten Legal Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs
Harvard Business School associate professor Connie Bagley shares the most common legal mistakes made by start up businesses. She says entrepreneurs have a tendency on to delegate too much to the lawyers. “Lawyers tend to be risk averse, and if you delegate to them you will usually stay out of legal trouble but can often compromise your business objectives.”10.Top Ten Internet Home Business Ideas You Can Start and Run in Your Underwear
Business Pundit's recommendations for the best credit cards to get your business moving.
Wendy Piersall at eMoms at Home provides a great list of low barrier to entry work at home options along with pracitical reality checks: there’s is no such thing as instant results, you must learn the basics of SEO, and stick to your niche.
- Things you don't understand (by Seth Godin)
Could you make a list? A list of things that you probably could understand if you put your mind to it, but don't.
Things like:
- How the Federal Reserve works
- Why things from China are so inexpensive
- How Google Analytics works
- Why kids like using FaceBook
- How the guys in the factory make the widgets you sell
- Six ways to make your web browser work better
- How to make a great spaghetti sauce
- Editing a wikipedia entry
- Selling stuff on eBay
Has there ever been a better time to learn what you don't know? It's faster, easier and cheaper now than ever before (and, of course, there's way more stuff now that we don't understand). If I don't learn it now, when will I?
- Waiting until the last minute (by Seth Godin)
In a nutshell: don't.
Bad situations to wait until the last minute:
- Catching a transcontinental flight
- Asking your secret crush to the prom
- Applying for a summer internship
- Setting customer expectations
- Studying for the SATs
- Saving for retirement
- Giving up smoking
- Asking for a raise
- Teaching ethical behavior to your kids
- Winning a primary
- Asking for directions
- Sharing an idea
And, for balance, two times when it pays:
- Bidding in an eBay auction
- Giving up hope