You make thousands of decisions each day. Some are more important than others. Research by many academics (for example, Daniel Kahneman, Gary Klein and Amos Tversky) has shown that the way you think, and your emotional state, play an enormous role in your decision-making ability. In their latest book,’Decisive’ Chip and dan Heath argue there four reasons […]
Author Archives: Max
June
02
Can leadership be defined? Part 1 by Max Eskell
posted by Max
Is it useful, or even possible to define leadership? If you do define leadership, what assumptions do you make and what are the potential consequences? Keith Grint is sceptical that leadership can be defined. In his fantastic book (Leadership: A Very Short Introduction), Keith argues that most leadership definitions fit into four general categories: position, person, result, and […]
May
29
Blue Ocean Strategy by Can Kim and Renee Mauborgne (2015, 224 pages)
posted by Max
How do you prepare for disruption? How to you continue to grow when everyone else is fighting for the same customers? Can and Renne argue that companies need to find new customers and new markets to order to avoid being caught up in ever increasing competition in existing markets. The authors present the following framework as a […]
May
24
How you can get faster by using speed reading and auto-summary tools
posted by Max
Whether you are studying or working, one area of research that takes up a lot of time is being able to read and analyse piles of written information. I have found that two approaches help. Speed reading and auto-summariser tools. I have found that the best speed reading tool is spreed (http://signup.spreedit.com/). A Chrome add-on, […]
May
23
What can you learn from ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’ by John Maxwell (2007, 268 pages)
posted by Max
There has always been something alluring about a list. A quick online search reveals a huge number of leadership articles with lists. For example: 12 Things You Can Do Starting Today to Be a Better Leader 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Be A Real Leader 4 Simple Things You Can Do To Be A Better […]
May
17
How to stay on the leading edge – Part 4. My top money podcasts by Max Eskell
posted by Max
In 2008, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth attended an event at the prestigious London School of Economics. When the discussion turned to the financial crisis, the Queen asked, “why did nobody notice?”. The gathered economic professors, as well as the great and the good from many public and private financial institutions, could not answer her. The following […]
May
11
What you could learn from ‘Leaders Eat Last’ by Simon Sinek (2014, 216 pages)
posted by Max
Why are so many people miserable in their jobs? Why does job engagement remain so low in the western world? In Simon’s book, he argues that there are two fundamental rules of corporate culture: Company outcome is dependent on culture Company culture is dependent on the leader Simon argues that leaders are so important as it is their behaviour which […]
May
11
Staying on the leading edge – Part 3. My top science and technology podcasts
posted by Max
The pace of technological advancement is still increasing. In some industries, digitisation has crushed incumbent giants and spawned thousands of new entrants. While some industries are emerging from this digital apocalypse, others are just starting to see that change is on the horizon. The following podcast will help you keep up-to-date with the latest science and the […]
May
04
Staying on the leading edge – part 2. My top leadership and philosophy podcasts by Max Eskell
posted by Max
Leaders are required to make difficult decisions involving trade-offs between equally good or equally bad options, always under time pressure and rarely with complete information. Therefore, leadership is as much about thinking, as it is about doing. The corollary of this is that thinking is central to what leaders do and how they add value, and […]
May
03
What could you learn from ‘What you really need to lead’ by Robert Kaplan (2015, 179 pages)
posted by Max
“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” – Harry Trueman There is a lot of evidence to support Trueman’s opinion that reading increases your leadership ability and potential (see this HBR article). However, with so much material available, it is difficult to know where to start. In ‘What you need to Lead’ […]
May
02
Staying on the leading edge, my top business podcasts by Max Eskell
posted by Max
As more and more knowledge is created, people have adapted by becoming increasingly specialised – developing expertise in narrower and narrower areas. The inherent danger of specialisation is that as you lose perspective and context. I am sure you have heard of the story of the blind men and the elephant. One man feels the trunk and […]
April
29
What could you learn from ‘Superbosses’ by Sydney Finkelstein? (2016, 220 pages)
posted by Max
While the definition and even the concept of leadership remain contested, it is clear that some individuals are widely considered to be exceptional leaders. What separates these leaders who leave their mark on the world, with the countless others who vanish with little or no trace? In ‘Superbosses’ Sydney Finkelstein argues that exceptional leaders (superbosses) […]
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