GrabCar and Uber has disrupted taxis in Singapore and around the world (Courtesy of GrabCar)
Have you wondered how innovations can be “disruptive”? Or why entire industries can be wiped out with new entrants?
Last night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the impact of disruptive innovations during the National Day Rally Speech.
Keen to change the world? Want to transform your “caterpillars” into “butterflies”?
Well, former Apple chief evangelist Guy Kawasaki’s Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions may show you a trick or two.
“Policies are organisational scar tissue. They are codified overreactions to situations that are unlikely to happen again. They are collective punishment for the misdeeds of an individual”
With excerpts like that, you can be sure that Rework by founders of 37Signals Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson isn’t an ordinary book on entrepreneurship. Divided into 12 short chapters on various aspects of business – from progress to productivity and competitors to culture – Rework is a compelling read.
Why does pain sometimes feel like pleasure? Why do we enjoy music and art even though there aren’t any adaptive advantages? When does “one man’s meat” become “another man’s poison”?
The answers to these human behavioural puzzles (and more) can be found in How Pleasure Works. Written by Yale’s evolutionary psychologist Paul Bloom, the book uncovers the “new science of why we like what we like”. By delving into the fields of anthropology, evolution, history, biology and psychology, the book investigates why we humans are so different compared to our fellow earthlings.
Have you wondered what works (and doesn’t) in Facebook?
Or how you can undo an ill conceived tweet let loose in a fit of anger?
Image of girl courtesy of Children’s Education Zone
Life as a parent of schooling kids isn’t a bed of roses.
After a hard day’s work, you’ve got to become teacher, coach and mentor to your precious ones. You need to find ways and means to nurture in him or her the joy of learning while fighting fatigue. Exams. Tests. Music. Dance. Sports. CCAs. The list appear to never end.
Why do some companies succeed in turbulent times while others fail?
Is there a “secret sauce” to enduring corporate performance?
“I have become a number… And if you are even slightly active on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, you have become a number too…”
So begins Return on Influence – The Revolutionary Power of Klout, Social Scoring, and Influence Marketing, a slim volume delving into the world of social scoring.
We’ve seen it happen time and time again.
A company starts off with great fanfare, led by a charismatic and visionary leader. She or he brings it to new heights. Growth is healthy and flourishing – year after year.
There is crystal clarity in what the company does. It attracts a loyal tribe of customers and fans.
From its first animated feature Toy Story to Finding Nemo, Up, and Cars, Pixar Animation Studios is probably the world’s leading producer of animated features. Renowned for producing cartoon movies that stir the imagination and touch the heart, Pixar’s ability to allow “artists and geeks” to flourish makes it one of the world’s most innovative organisations.
The secrets behind Pixar’s success is ably captured in “Innovate the Pixar Way – Business Lessons From The World’s Most Creative Corporate Playground“. Written by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson of The Disney Way, the book relates how Ed Catmull, Alvy Ray Smith and lengendary animator John Lasseter created a company which captures the imagination of childhood while making dreams come alive. The terrific trio did this by embracing four key principles: