“What we have done for ourselves alone die with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal” – Albert Pike
Entrepreneurship is one of the most challenging ways to make a living. Done right, however, it can be the most rewarding, allowing one to fulfill one’s dream, vision, purpose, and mission.
Weird is the new normal. Mass is dead.
And the rich, who is anybody who can afford to buy stuff or do stuff for fun, are no longer embracing the mediocre middle of the bell curve.
Jerry Newman of University of Buffalo (courtesy of UB Faculty Experts)
Imagine a 57 year old management professor donning the uniform of an undercover fast food worker for 14 months. Opting for this “hardship” research project during his sabbatical, he goes through seven jobs in burger chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s.
Along the way, the professor discovers “powerful truths about what makes businesses great” and provides lessons from behind the counter “guaranteed to supersize any management style”.
Are you a struggling entrepreneur trying to juggle it all, but find it a tremendous challenge?
Well, perhaps it’s time for you to stop, take a step back, critically evaluate where your business is going, and read The E-Myth Revisited.
“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?
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.
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: