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In the age of Twitter, many of us have become averse to reading much over 140 (well, now 280!) characters. But there's nothing quite like the feeling of cracking open a new book — and the satisfaction when you finish reading the last page. With holiday travel just around the corner, what better time to dig into a new book than when you're camped out at the airport?
One of the key characteristics of Trailblazers is that they are lifelong learners. On the ninth day of our 12 Days of Trailblazing series, we put together a list of nine different books to foster that thirst for knowledge. Check it out and let us know what's on your reading list! Tweet us @salesforce.
This book certainly gets points for creativity with the title! Written by Leonard Sherman, a faculty member at Columbia Business School, he examines how businesses can survive — and thrive — in industries embroiled in “dogfights” (aka intense competition among established companies for the small piece of the market). Sherman doesn't just look at different case studies — he presents a three-part growth strategy developed from his years consulting for a slew of Fortune 500 companies.
In 2017, workplace equality and issues such as sexual harassment were brought to the forefront — and there's no better time to pick up Ellen Pao's book detailing her legal fight against a powerful Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Pao's suit, alleging discrimination and retaliation against women and minorities, sent shock waves through the tech world. She lost her suit, but the tech world hasn't been the same since. In her new book, she tells the full story.
Bet you weren't expecting this one! Allow our Salesforce employee who recommended this book from Walter Isaacson (New York Times bestselling author of “Einstein” and “Steve Jobs”) to explain:
“Walter Isaacson's Leonardo da Vinci biography has made me think about how to approach my work in a whole new way. For instance: to paint the Mona Lisa, he didn't just study painting, he actually studied the muscles in a human face that makes someone smile. With that information, he was able to imagine the musculature of her face, which created her famously intriguing smile. I think innovation comes from studying not just our areas of expertise, but also tangential ones. Then create relevant analogies and takeaways and apply the learnings to our jobs.”
In businesses spanning across different sizes and industries, technology such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things are powering new trends and innovation. In this book, author Arlindo Oliveira predict's humanity's digital future by looking to biology for clues. Read this book and be prepared to dazzle audiences at your next dinner party.
Another employee recommendation — this book is authored by Brené Brown, New York Times bestselling author and Ted Talk extraordinaire (you may have been one of the 7 million people to watch her talk “The Power of Vulnerability” on YouTube). In an age of increased polarization, Brown searches for the experiences that bring meaning to our lives. The moments of courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame, and empathy that draw us closer to those around us — and Brown introduces four practices for achieving the feeling of true belonging.
The original version of this book was published in 2016, but was updated and expanded this year (disruption moves quickly, after all!). In this book, Thomas L. Friedman acknowledges what we're all thinking — the world is changing so fast, in so many different ways. Our lives are being reshaped, and it can be quite disorienting. Friedman seeks to help explain how to get the most out of these transformations, while preparing for the negative outcomes. His thesis? If we dare to slow down and “dare to be late,” we can overcome the many stresses in the age of accelerations.
Maybe you're a marketer, or maybe you're just curious what forces make things popular (here's a hint: it's not just advertising). Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger reveals the secret science behind the power of word-of-mouth, and the six basic principles that make things “contagious.”
You use Salesforce at work every day — ever wonder how Salesforce went from a startup in a rented San Francisco apartment to the world's fastest-growing software company? Hear directly from founder and CEO Marc Benioff as he tells the Salesforce story and provides a playbook for every aspect of the business — including creating buzz-worthy events, cutting through the noise with marketing, and energizing customers with sales.
In this Wall Street Journal bestseller, author Liz Wiseman simply describes two types of leaders: there's the leader who drains the intelligence, energy, and capability from those around them. The type that always has to be the smartest person in the room – Wiseman calls them the Diminishers. Then there's the leader who amplifies the intelligence and capabilities of those around them, who inspires others to stretch themselves and deliver fantastic results. These leaders are the titular Multipliers. Wiseman lays out her five disciplines that distinguish Multipliers from Diminishers, crafted through her work analyzing data from hundreds of leaders.
Want to share your book recommendations with fellow Trailblazers? Tweet us @salesforce! Happy reading!
