These are the best business books of 2021

Uncharted: How to Map the Future – Margaret Heffernan

a How to draw the future Heffernan fans do not disappoint: he is able to change the way we think again. With all the uncertainty we face, it quickly scoffs at our reliance on predictions.

Why not accept the obvious? We don’t know what will happen in the future, and perhaps continued grand planning is a waste of our scarce resources.

An alternative is experimentation at the “local” level. A story about a BBC journalist who convinces shops in a small English village for a plastic exemption, and shows how such steps can lead the way. In this particular case, lawmakers demonstrated that this was possible and inspired a worldwide ban on plastics. The book offers plenty of practical advice, but we’re not talking about a simple “how-to” book. Instead, it’s a great idea book that forces us to re-examine how the world works.

The Imagine Machine: How to Unleash New Ideas and Create Your CompanyFuture – Martin Reeves and Jack Fuller

Large strategic consulting firms are known for their rigorous analytical approach. So it’s a little surprising that a partner at Boston Consulting Group would embrace humility and playfulness. But Reeves is not your usual type of advisor. He had previously worked with mathematicians and biologists and had come up with refreshing new insights. This book should be read with the same eye, acceptance and support of creativity and imagination. fantasy At the same time, it remains practical and practical, without contradicting the data-driven and analytical approach that managers prefer. enrich it.

A book that prepares you for the systemic challenges and unknown consequences of new technologies.

Human Democracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Within – Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini

The last thing we can accuse Hamel is that he’s boring. All of his books and sermons are clear, provocative and relentless. From this he wrote a new book with Zanini, humanity is no exception.

Organizations are called upon to stop bureaucratic procedures that hamper the ingenuity of employees.

The potential things become clear from stories like that of Chinese white goods champion Haier, who created a system in which entrepreneurial initiatives have great autonomy. This approach solves his two biggest problems. For starters, it brings new critical thinking into an unpredictable realm – and that fits well with Heffernan’s hypothesis. It also gives meaning to employees and helps companies attract and retain talent.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know – Adam Grant

(Think again in English! Published by HVG Books)

aCan you apply the methods used in science to everyday life and business situations? Frederick Winslow Taylor attempted something similar to engineering principles in his 1911 book. Despite the obvious flaws in the Academy of Management principles of scientific managementHe chose it as the most influential leadership book of the twentieth century. So Grant certainly came up with something when he suggested a natural approach for scientists: rethink.

More specifically, they formulate hypotheses, use data to test them, and discard them if the evidence does not support their hypotheses.

This helps them stay curious, rethink, and set boundaries for their current thoughts. With this way of thinking, you can also be ready to discover new knowledge. Not surprisingly, the book is a great read, but it is so highly regarded that some of the most influential research, such as Carl Wick’s Glenn Gulch article, has been incorporated into the think again! in his narration.

The remote work revolution: success from anywhere – Tsedal Nelly

A year ago, many of us thought remote work would come to an end with the end of the pandemic. But when organizations discovered the cost advantages and employees were reluctant to leave their daily commute, the paradigm shift became more urgent. Who can we turn to better than Neely, a Harvard professor who has spent his career researching how organizations stay connected from a geographical distance?

His book provides the guidance you need to navigate the new reality. The telework revolution It provides evidence-based answers (not just direct advice) to managers trying to lead with digital tools and thinking about how to stay connected with everyone without in-person interactions and making sure their work-life balance doesn’t suffer from this shift.

Better, Simpler Strategy: A Value-Based Guide to Exceptional Performance – Felix Oberholzer-J

This book takes you back to the basics of strategy: Businesses win when they increase their customers’ willingness to pay and their employees’ willingness to sell. The best and simplest strategy It is unlike the way many other business books see the world. While the first three books on the list promote chaos and complex thinking, the main idea here is to simplify the strategy-making process.

It is also important to understand what different books can offer. Experience and imagination will be especially powerful if we look for differences, that is, many new ideas. The Oberholzer-G approach can promote convergence, that is, bring everyone together.

The Data Lab: Ten Easy Rules for Understanding Statistics – Tim Harford

(Hungarian Data Informant – 10 Simple Rules for Not to Be Tampered Published in the patronage of HVG Books)

Leaders love the certainty of stats and numbers. It’s not entirely surprising when you consider that 22% of CEOs in the Financial Times 100 rankings began their careers in finance, 17% in engineering and 11% in accounting. Unfortunately, like everyone else, they are prone to stimulating thinking. Jay Myraz, a behavioral economist at Oxford University, conducted an experiment in which he divided participants into groups of farmers and bakers. The former benefited from higher wheat prices and the latter from lower prices. When participants were asked to predict future wheat prices, farmers expected prices to rise and bakers expected them to fall.

As Harford points out, the starting point for data interpretation is knowledge of such motivating reasoning. Harford is a Gladwell-like storyteller who takes you on a journey from forgery to Florence Nightingale while offering 10 simple rules for overcoming such prejudices.

The Conversation: How Finding and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Transform Individuals and Organizations – Robert Livingston

Social justice is one of the biggest systemic problems that many companies prefer to avoid, but still fail to do. This book is intended for organizations who are really interested in this topic. Like other hard-to-understand questions, the starting point is to put everyone to one side. Here, beliefs, not facts, drive behavior.

The book does not offer a quick fix equivalent to a panacea, but it is sometimes a painful exercise to discuss a serious topic. Livingston’s long academic life provides a solid foundation for the book.

Winning the Right Game: How to Scramble, Stuck, and Get Away in a Changing World – Ron Adner

There was a time in the ’90s that General Electric was the most admired company in the world (yes, it’s hard to imagine today). Legendary CEO Jack Welch of Winning. He described his ideas in his book, but as Adner points out, that book is no longer enough: you have to win the right game.

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Rethinking the recurring story of Kodak’s fall shows why. Contrary to what many of us think, Kodak has not been left out of the “digital” future. It is investing billions and controlling the new source of revenue that came when customers started printing their photos at home or in US retail stores. Unfortunately, digital printing itself was short-lived. Soon people consumed the images in a different way. Kodak won a bad match.

The book will help you avoid the same fate. This is a smart book on ecosystems that takes into account the less obvious – but arguably more important – aspects of disruptive technology.

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment – Daniel Kahneman and Olivier Sibon

(Noise in Hungarian – Published in the patronage of HVG Books)

In a much-cited article, Harvard economist Fisher Black argues that many small events often have a stronger effect than a small number of large events. It is, of course, easy to ignore small events. As Kahneman and Siboney have shown, this has profound implications for important decisions. In the same courtroom, two judges issue two different rulings on nearly identical cases. In fact, even the same referee will make different judgments depending on the time of day or the football team’s performance the night before.

Of course, the same biases apply to managers. You can use a number of simple tips in this book to make better decisions. Obviously not to be missed.

Cover photo: Becca Tapert / Unsplash