Executive training. Ten books to get you through the winter

The life of a manager has never been as convulsed as in recent times: war in Ukraine, instability and uncertainty in the world and a convulsed Argentine context. Faced with these situations, what to read that will serve us and allow us to deepen the current problems of the world and organizations? Below is a list of recommended books to spend the winter.

The global shock resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine is generating new alignments that impact companies, both because of their ability to sell in certain territories and to understand where it is convenient to produce. The logistics and supply chain was seriously affected for those companies that had plants or suppliers in Asia and close to the conflict zone. In this sense, the current manager must be able to understand the ups and downs of international politics, geopolitics and history.

For an in-depth look at the causes of the war in Ukraine, journalist Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize winner for Gulag and National Book Award finalist for the iron curtainAccount in red famine (Penguin Random House, 2019) the revealing story of one of the worst crimes of the Soviet era. In 1929, the great collectivization launched by Stalin forced millions of peasants to give up their land. The result was an unprecedented famine; at least five million people perished between 1931 and 1934 in the USSR, of whom four were Ukrainians. Applebaum argues that these deaths were not accidental, nor collateral consequences of bad public policy, but absolutely deliberate and planned. A closer view of the current war and its geopolitical impact can be found in the book by the journalist and specialist in Eastern Europe, Ignacio Hutin, Ukraine/Donbass, A renewed cold war (Areté, 2022), a book where history, geopolitics and the global impact of the war open our minds about the consequences of the war in the world order. And finally, for those who want to inquire about Putin and his leadership, Hinde Pomeraniec’s book Putin’s Russians (Ariel, 2019) is already a classic for those who need to learn and deepen about the Russian leader.

Those interested in organizational leadership, the recent title of the consulting firm McKinsey CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest (Scribner, 2022), is a necessary book for all those who want to climb the rungs of the corporate career. In a major research effort, the authors (Dewar, Keller, and Malhortra) identified, over the past 20 years, CEOs of companies that performed strongly while in office. 7,800 CEOs of 3,500 publicly traded companies in 70 countries and 24 industries. The result? A six-responsibility model that includes: aligning the organization, setting direction, engaging the board, connecting with stakeholders, mobilize through other leaders and manage personal effectiveness.

An author who seduces with his sincerity and clarity is Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at the Stanford University business school. Pfeffer just posted 7 Rules of Power (Matt Holt, 2022). Is power something dirty or the secret of professional success? Both, says Pfeffer. And, although power carries a negative connotation, it is a very strong tool to make things happen, improve performance at work, and take off in your professional career.

A book that does not stop selling (more than 3 million copies) is atomic habitss (Paidós, 2019; Penguin Random House, 2018 in its English version) by the expert James Clear. Clear’s thesis is that changes in personal or professional life are the products of hundreds of small decisions that, in the end, generate an impressive change. The author calls these habits atomic. Neurosciences, psychology, healthy habits or, simply habits, are mixed in this book that, above all, is a practical one for daily life.

The pandemic not only affected us all, it also affected organizations as it relentlessly accelerated technological processes. One of the issues that was promoted during the pandemic and with a critical effect on the future of company strategies, is online commerce and the value of online platforms for growth. Damián Di Pace wrote a key book for any company that wants to understand the effect of technology and trading platforms. The future of commerce to come (Active Company, 2022) offers a master class about the future: artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and new trends in commerce. An unmissable guide for entrepreneurs and business lovers.

If the pandemic did anything, it is to allow us a time for personal reflection to be able to understand how we want to live. The economist and journalist Sebastián Campanario published The future of wellness (Sudamericana, 2022) where he explores the wellness agenda and scientific innovations to improve our quality of life. Technology, biotechnology, robotics and genetics are some of the topics that Campanario investigates with precision and allows us to understand how we can optimize the path that remains for us to travel. The pandemic, like a Pandora’s box, unleashed a process of introspection that Campanario takes as the starting point for his book. A must for those who are interested in understanding what the future holds.

To allow managers and professionals to rest from the daily whirlwind, the list is completed with two novels that offer the possibility of reflecting on current and historical issues. infinity red dot (Planeta, 2022) by Marcos Pereyra, is a novel that vertiginously describes realities about which little is known and never talked about: that of abuse. Loneliness, crime and violence surround the protagonist who must discover if she has enough strength to face and twist her destiny.

Finally, Osprey (Azul Francia, 2022) by Nerea Liebre, from Entre Ríos, an editorial gem that challenges us about the past. When it comes to reinvention strategies, no organization is considered dead if there is the ability to resize skills, but mainly the decision not to bow down in the face of the worst crises. In the novel, the protagonist leaves nothing to chance, she follows her enemies so closely that she can recreate even the scents of her past. Same preaching that any good administrator should apply. A novel that excites us and leaves our hair standing on end.

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