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The halfway mark of an extremely challenging year, it is safe to say that most of the New Year enthusiasm has now evaporated, with many people struggling to find the motivation to find a spot in the company car park – never mind conquering the world and getting ahead at work.
Luckily, 2016 has so far yielded a bunch of inspirational management books that can help to get your groove back.
Grit:The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
The book instantly became a New York Times bestseller after its publication earlier this year.
Over the years Duckworth, a psychologist and academic, noticed that her smartest students were not necessarily the most successful. Often classmates who were not as talented or gifted would go on to achieve much more.
She observed that these achievers all share a special blend of passion and persistence – or “grit”. Duckworth started interviewing top business figures, sport coaches and other leaders and found that a dogged determination (combined with passion) was a great predictor of success – much more than intelligence, creativity or people skills.
Critics may say that this is nothing new, the importance of conscientiousness (a less sexy name for grit) have long been recognised. But for many people the book has been a revelation on the importance of determination.
Also, for parents, it contains handy tips on igniting passion in your child and helping them to thrive when faced with challenges.
IN SHORT:
- To be successful, grit is required – the stamina to persevere in the face of difficulty, and the commitment to keep on improving your skills.
- It is very difficult to have grit if you are not also fired up by passion.
- Grit can be learnt. The more you persevere, the more grit you can build up in yourself to access later.
Originals:How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
A Wharton School professor and management consultant, Grant was approached in 2009 by one of the founders of the US online eyeglass seller Warby Parker to become an early investor.
The founders still had other day jobs, and Grant declined the opportunity because he felt they should be committed full-time to the start-up. He says it was the worst financial mistake of his life. The company went on to become a massive financial hit.
The lesson he learnt was that real nonconformist innovators who are successful in the long run, do not always conform to the bold, risk-taking maverick stereotype.
His latest book (his first, Give and Take, was translated into 27 languages) explores how these visionaries see the world and how you can become more in tune with your innovative side.
IN SHORT:
- The strongest companies encourage dissent and fresh thinking, and do not reward groupthink and conformity.
- Innovators often practise “strategic procrastination” – they put off important decisions, and have a tendency to mull things over, testing and refining different possibilities, before making breakthroughs.
- Your choice of internet browser may predict performance. Grant cites research involving a group of customer service representatives that shows markedly higher job performance and satisfaction levels among those who use Chrome and Firefox, as opposed those with Internet Explorer and Safari, which come pre-installed with most computers. He believes the willingness to take the extra time and effort to download a new browser demonstrates a predisposition for innovation and success.
Superbosses:How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent by Sydney Finkelstein
Finkelstein, a professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, has written a number of business books, including the bestseller Why Smart Executives Fail.
His latest offering focuses on those leaders who succeed – specifically, how the best bosses manage people to achieve success.
The book has gained an impressive following in the few months since its release, with Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric, hailing it as “a playbook to bring out the best in their people”.
It contains a number of practical tips to becoming a “superboss” and achieve more success as a leader.
IN SHORT:
- The best bosses take an active role in helping promising employees to develop their careers and assist as much as possible in creating new opportunities for them. Your interest in and encouragement of those who work for you will not only help to inspire the best possible contribution from them, but also create a bond and loyalty between you.
- Even if the promising employee later leaves the company, the superboss will keep strong ties with protégés, creating a powerful network of business ties in your industry. The book cites the example of Julian Robertson, the billionaire hedgefund manager, who invested with employees who left his firm to start competing funds.
- Superbosses create a strong communal environment at work and inspire employees to be collegial (the “cohort effect”) – but they also encourage internal competition to get the best possible performance.
Deep Work:Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
Newport, an author and academic, defines deep work as the ability to focus on a demanding task without getting distracted.
Deep thought helps you to deliver better work, tackle complex tasks with success and do it in less time.
It is also sorely absent in our mad day-to-day rush of email and social media, and constant chatter in open-plan offices.
The book offers a rigorous training programme to strengthen the skill of focused attention, and is recommended for anyone with personal productivity issues.
IN SHORT:
- Schedule times of strict isolation without any distraction to immerse yourself in a difficult piece of work.
- Limit your email availability during the day, or if you have to look at your inbox frequently – schedule strict curbs (for example, 30 minutes with your inbox open, 30 minutes closed). Even just a glance at your inbox will sabotage your focus on the task at hand, says Newport.
- Meetings are the enemy of time management. Make sure that all meetings have a strict purpose.
This article originally appeared in the 30 June edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here.
