Here is a short list of the books that mean the most to me.
Seeing What’s Next. Using the theories of innovation to predict industry change. by Clayton M. Christensen, Scott. D. Anthony and Erik. A. Roth.
Although this book was already published in 2004, it felt very relevant as I read it recently. It offers an excellent summary and some further development of Christensen’s earlier work published in The Innovator’s Dilemma and The Innovator’s Solution. Already in the first chapter, he plunges into the signals of change!
Dual Transformation. How to reposition Today’s Business While Creating the Future. This book is by Scott D. Anthony, Clark G. Gilbert and Mark W. Johnson. Scott Anthony is one of my favourite authors on innovation. He is also famous for his little black book on innovation. I like this book because it explains how leaders must maintain and strengthen their existing cores while building potential new cores. Now, for anybody who has actually tried to figure out what their current core capability is, this book is a must. I found that many leaders that I speak to actually have little idea about their current core competence, never mind having any framework that they can use to develop a promising new core.
I bought this book because it has a foreword by Clayton Christensen (who recently passed away). Christensen’s work has profoundly affected my thinking about innovation, creating the future and change. Anybody endorsed by him must have something important to say. The preview on Amazon convinced me that I had to get this book.
The decision support and Sense-Making reading list:
Of all the books on my shelf on this topic, the two that I recommend most often are:
By Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe.
Just looking at the table of contents will give you an idea of what this book is about. The authors explore five principles that I have used almost daily in my coaching and decision-support work.
Seeing What Others Don’t. The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights.
By Gary Klein.
This is the book that explained to me what it is to make sense and what it takes for teams and leaders to become better at gaining insight. Klein’s book will also introduce you to the topic of naturalistic decision-making.
