As said ‘books are our best friends’. It’s true, in addition we can also say that books are our teachers, companions and a deep ocean of knowledge. Just we need to dip ourselves into this ocean and grab as much as we can. From MBA books, I do not mean the books that are as per your curriculum; oh ,not at all. There are far other good collection of books rather than just your text books, written fantastically just to provide a wide perspective to your vision.
If you are not a reader then I must suggest that you must develop a habit of reading whether it is books, articles or blogs. There is a very famous phrase “ YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ”. This means that your personality says a lot about your mindset and also do tell that to which type of content you are aware. Coming back to topic, MBA students must consider reading some of the most brilliant pieces of writing out there, books that will help you understand how business – and how life – works and how to succeed in both.
Victims of Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes by Irving Janus
A management classic describing the consequences when a group’s desire to maintain the harmony among members interferes with its ability to engage in thoughtful, rational decision-making. Irv Janis takes the reader through policy decisions from Pearl Harbor to the Watergate break-in to make the case that group cohesiveness can reinforce faulty assumptions and insulate the group from challenging information, all of which overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. The term “groupthink” is now well established in the management lexicon; now visit the fascinating and highly readable book that first focused our attention on the prevalence of this problem … and the ways in which it can be avoided.
“TALENT IS OVERRATED: WHAT REALLY SEPARATES WORLD-CLASS PERFORMERS FROM EVERYBODY ELSE”
Although innate talent obviously does help, this book argues that it is overrated in today’s society and that greater focus needs to be placed on the ability to deliberately practice as this is what differentiates the mediocre from the great. Regardless of how much innate talent you may have, if you do not cultivate it in this way, it will go to waste. This book also touches upon the fact that overnight sensations are not truly overnight and that they are almost always the result of hard work done over several years.
How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer
From Super Bowl quarterbacks, to the Israeli Mossad, to the World Series of Poker—and from serial killers to airline pilots — Johan Lehrer analyzes the cognitive science of decision-making. He is an engaging storyteller that uses well known decision contexts to convey how we handle the complexities of decisions that we face in business and in life. Highly readable and entertaining, yet remarkably faithful to the scientific literature. Like your favourite novel, it’s a page turner.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
What do Mozart and Bill Gates have in common? In short, success.
Gladwell’s fascinating Outliers tells the stories of some of the most successful people this globe has seen.
Some took advantage of opportunities in front of them while others simply got lucky. Most worked hard, too.
This is a great read for those looking into why some people succeed and some people just never reach their full potential.
“THE HARD THING ABOUT HARD THINGS: BUILDING A BUSINESS WHEN THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS”
Earning an MBA can sometimes lead you to focus more on the theory of business than on what the actual experiences will be like. Ben Horowiz, an author and success entrepreneur, talks about the most challenging moments of his career such as doing things like hiring, retaining and letting people go and doing his best to balance the interests of people such as co-founders, executives, investors and managers.
“NEVER EAT ALONE AND OTHER SECRETS TO SUCCESS, ONE RELATIONSHIP AT A TIME”
Surely, you understand the value of networking in the business world. Well, this book takes it another step, describing in more detail how being social can improve that aspect of your life and how to make that happen. However, the author also speaks about how your focus needs to not be on what you may be looking to get out of a lunch with a client or a relationship with somebody and that having a more selfless outlook on the relationships in your life pays greater dividends.
Give start to your reading with any of these book. Read as much as you can. At last
“With more information and understanding, it should be easier to take a little more risk and say no to Goldman and McKinsey, and instead do something for a living that you actually enjoy”
