Choosing leaders
Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (and how to fix it) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (Harvard Business Review Press, £13.76 [Amazon], hardback) may seem self-evident from the title, but it’s actually more about how we choose leaders, and how we could do it better, than it is about giving the male of the species a bashing. One of Chamorro-Premuzic’s main points is that leaders are often chosen largely on the basis of their perceived charisma and self-confidence, when abilities such as technical competence should be accorded more value. Companies need to rethink how they appoint leaders, he argues – not just ask them whether they could do the job, but get them to prove it.
Economic drama
Now out in paperback, Talking to My Daughter About the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis (Vintage, £6.47) is a series of letters by the Greek economist addressed to his daughter Xenia. “Why is there so much inequality?” she asks. His answers draw on childhood memories and well-known tales ranging from Oedipus and Faust to Frankenstein and The Matrix. Varoufakis explains why economics is the most important drama of our times – and how he wants to make it better.
The making of Malone
Jo Malone: My Story (Simon & Schuster, £20, hardback) recounts how the founder of the eponymous beauty company made the journey from modest beginnings as a teenager struggling with dyslexia and leaving school with no qualifications, to international brand and successful entrepreneur. Malone had an early fascination with smell, which combined with her natural talent for innovation to help her to create world-famous blends such as lime, basil and mandarin. But she’s faced her share of challenges, including being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37 and told she only had nine months to live, and her decision to go it alone with a new venture after selling the original Jo Malone brand to Estée Lauder in 2006.
Startup falls down
Also just out in paperback is Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (Picador, £9.99). This is the account of the downfall of Theranos, a biotech startup valued at $9bn, that claimed it had invented a revolutionary way to test blood. Billed as the next Apple, with its CEO Elizabeth Holmes touted as the next Steve Jobs, it all unravelled when Wall Street Journal correspondent Carreyrou started to investigate. Not only did the technology not work, but Theranos soon became embroiled in allegations of fraud that resulted in Holmes being banned from running a company for 10 years. Jennifer Lawrence has been lined up for the movie.
PODCASTS
Business Wars
Whether it’s Netflix vs HBO or Nike vs Adidas, business is war. At least that’s the message from this new podcast by Wondery. “Sometimes the prize is your wallet, or your attention. Sometimes, it’s just the fun of beating the other guy.” Business Wars promises the unauthorised, real story of what drives these companies and their leaders, inventors, investors and executives to new heights – or to ruin. Your host is veteran US public radio journalist David Brown. https://wondery.com/shows/business-wars/
The Investors Podcast
The Investors Podcast claims to be the world’s number one stock investing podcast, with more than 25 million downloads. Its specialism is studying self-made billionaires such as Warren Buffett and hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, then sharing their secrets with you. Others featured include Oracle’s Larry Ellison, PayPal founder Peter Thiel, and Annie Duke, world champion poker player. There are also courses and other learning materials on a range of investment topics. www.theinvestorspodcast.com
Local to Global with Nick Hewer
Hosted by Lord Sugar’s lieutenant on The Apprentice, Nick Hewer, Local to Global is backed by the UK government’s Exporting is GREAT campaign. Each episode features a company that’s made it big selling overseas – London startup what3words, which has changed how we map the world; Pavegen, a technology business with a system that converts footsteps into off-grid electrical energy; and Sure Chill, a refridgeration system that can stay cool for 12 days without power. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/local-to-global-with-nick-hewer/id1448461894