What are the new books every manager should read this year? Thinkers50, the global ranking of management thinkers, today announced its Best New Management Books: Top 10 New Titles for 2022.
The Thinkers50 Best New Books list offers an insight into what’s uppermost in managers’ minds. The Conversation, for example, by Harvard psychologist Robert Livingston is based on his extensive experience working with diversity and inclusion and offers guidance on how to tackle systemic racism within organizations. Erica Dhawan’s book Digital Body Language, which is also on the list, examines how people working virtually can build trust and connection with colleagues.
On this year’s list, too, are Net Positive by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston, which argues that companies must be courageous and go beyond net zero and make a positive contribution to the planet; Impact Players, by Liz Wiseman, which explains how individuals can make a bigger impact in their organizations; and Deep Purpose, by Ranjay Gulati, an in-depth examination of corporate purpose. Making the list, too, is The Burnout Epidemic, by Jennifer Moss, which charts the rise of chronic stress in the workplace and what we can do to fix it.
Whitney Johnson’s book Smart Growth looks at how companies can grow their people to grow the business, and Built to Innovate, by Ben Bensaou, explains how successful organizations bake innovation into their cultures. The Human Element, by Kellogg professors Loran Norgren and David Schonthal, is a guide to overcoming resistance to new ideas. Making the list, too, is The Unspoken Rules, by up-and-coming thinker Gorick Ng, which is an invaluable guide to starting your career on the right foot.
‘The Best New Management Books are the ones that have the potential to change the way people think about and practice management,’ explains Thinkers50 co-founder Stuart Crainer. ‘They offer a fresh perspective on how organizations are managed.’
As part of the selection process, Thinkers50 sought opinions from within the Thinkers50 community, gathering nominations from eminent business thinkers and practising managers. Nominations were invited for books that excelled in the 3Rs: Relevance: does the book address a current and pressing issue or challenge? Rigour: is it well-researched and based on real-world examples? And Readability: is it accessible, insightful, and inspiring? The only rules were that books had to be published after January 2021 and participants were not allowed to nominate their own books.
‘This is a list of the new books influencing how managers do their jobs today and, in the future,’ adds Thinkers50 co-founder Des Dearlove. ‘To help us curate the list, we reached out to managers and management thinkers to ask which books they were reading and found most useful. The titles are a barometer of what managers are thinking about, with topics such as diversity and inclusion, working virtually, corporate purpose, and sustainability represented. Managers are also concerned about burnout and the stress caused by the pandemic, and other challenges, including geopolitical shifts, economic disruption, and the future of capitalism itself.’
The Thinkers50 Best New Management Books: Top 10 New Titles for 2022 are (in alphabetical order):
1. Built to Innovate: Essential Practices to Wire Innovation into Your Company, Ben Bensaou (with Karl Weber), (McGraw-Hill).
2. Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies, Ranjay Gulati, (Penguin Business).
3. Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance, Erica Dhawan, (Harper-Collins).
4. Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger and Multiply Your Impact, Liz Wiseman, (Harper Business).
5. Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take, Paul Polman and Andrew Winston, (Harvard Business Review Press).
6. Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company, Whitney Johnson, (Harvard Business Review Press).
7. The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, Jennifer Moss, (Harvard Business Review Press).
8. The Conversation: Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations, Robert Livingston, (Penguin Books).
9. The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas, Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal, (Wiley).
10. The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right, Gorick Ng, (Gildan Media).
In May 2022, Thinkers50 launched the Thinkers50 Booklists: a curated guide to the very best books on management. A neat shelf of must-have books for busy managers.
The series was launched with 10 Management Classics for 2022 — a collection of management books that have stood the test of time. The Thinkers50 Best New Management Books: Top 10 New Titles for 2022 is the second list of the series.
Courtesy: Thinkers 50