Last year I could not read as much as I wanted. Even though “I had time” because of the pandemic, I struggled to focus and get into a book. Any book.
This year has been different and even though I’m not back to my regular 2 books per month, I have read a solid 13 books. As usual, I’m reflecting on the things I learned and the best books I had the chance to read this year.
The Substance of Leadership by David Robinson
Throughout my career I have been lucky enough to meet a lot of really smart people, but only a handful of leaders. As I reflect and learn on what makes a great leader, I have come across this book by former marine David Robinson who delivers a simple yet effective framework to understand how to build trust with your team, be accountable and deliver great results, while inspiring the people around you.
Play Nice but Win by Michael Dell
I don't think Michael Dell gets enough credit for everything he has done. Most of the time, the media will choose other businessmen to illustrate the self made success story, but after reading Dell’s book, I have nothing but utter respect for everything he has done. From a very young age, Dell has managed to build a brand, an American icon and a community of employees, customers, partners and collaborators like no other. Dell went public quite early and then it went private again, this book illustrates those weeks and the early days of the IT giant.
My Life in Full by Indra Nooyi
This story is truly inspirational. Indra Nooyi is a force of nature, full time mum and a brilliant strategist and leader who led Pepsi for years as its first female and non-American CEO.
Her commitment, clarity of thought and Performance with Purpose framework are truly outstanding - just look at the numbers Pepsi achieved and all the initiatives the American company undertook under Nooyi’s guidance to understand her impact.
This book is caring, detailed, insightful and so well structured, you can’t stop until the very last page.
Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts
When I first came to London - actually in my 2nd year - I would go to work at Westminster and each day, after leaving the tube, I would acknowledge and nod to Churchill’s statue.
His immense influence in the world’s history is remarkable, his character, sense of humour and determination are unmatched. It took me a while to get done with the book - as I was watching series, movies and documentaries about him - but when I did, I had the pleasure to understand one of the most astounding men to ever live.
Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener
The "uncanny valley" is the creep factor you feel when robots and animated characters look ALMOST human. This book is not exactly about that but about Wiener’s experience living in the west coast to pursue a job in the tech industry. The book is intimate, raw, funny and satirical all at once. Even though I have briefly work for a startup - I could fully relate to many dark jokes she tells on the book, from sloppy founders to the eternal promise of being acquired or IPOing (for lack of a better word). On and off, a really good book on the new gold rush the west coast is going through and everything in between.
That’s all for now. For more books, let’s connect on Goodreads
