Are you looking for a gift? These books can turn your career around
Referrals come from not just anyone. My interlocutors included representatives of companies such as the technological giant Amazon Web Services, the financial Mastercard and the fashion brand Revlon.
They all pointed books that influenced their leadership style.
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Sarah Cooper, director of Native AI at Amazon Web Services Sarah Cooper is the director of Native AI at AWS
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AWS's Sarah Cooper said she's rereading it “The Innovator's Dilemma” Clayton Christensen (Polish “The Innovator's Dilemma”). She added that the book is full of principles for leveraging disruptive innovations — lessons that uniquely resonate in today's work environment.
She is also a fan “Emotional Intelligence” Daniel Goleman (Polish “Emotional Intelligence”), which explains why IQ alone does not guarantee success and why emotional awareness is so important. Cooper said that being guided by empathy is especially important at a time when artificial intelligence is transforming the labor market.
“I truly believe that the way we work can change dramatically,” she said.
Jennifer Van Buskirk, head of business operations at AT&T Jennifer Van Buskirk has worked at AT&T for over 25 years
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AT&T's Jennifer Van Buskirk told Business Insider that she's “a bit of an adrenaline junkie” and looks for signs of risk-taking during job interviews. Her book choices reflect this intensity.
She noted that “Extreme Ownership: How US Navy Seals Lead” Jocko Willink and Leif Babin (Polish “Extreme Leadership”) teaches people to take responsibility and get things done.
The second book she recommended is “Get Sh*t Done” (no Polish translation) by Lauris Liberts and the Start-up Vitamins brand. She got it from the CIO of her previous startup. She said the book is full of great quotes that reflect her way of thinking.
See also: At the age of 35 and 40, we achieved financial peace. Here are our five pieces of advice for others
Raj Seshadri, director of commercial payments at Mastercard Raj Seshadri said her leadership style was influenced by the book 'Courage in Leadership'
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Raj Seshadri of Mastercard featured the book “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown (pol. “Courage in Leadership”). Seshadri said the book focuses on courage and vulnerability in leadership, and argues that great leaders are defined by their ability to build trust and lead with empathy — not by their titles.
“It gives you practical tools to create bold cultures where people feel safe to take risks and innovate,” she said.
Michelle Peluso, CEO of Revlon Revlon CEO Michelle Peluso prefers biographies to traditional business books
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Michelle Peluso said she prefers biographies to traditional business books because they “offer a more human perspective.” A few of her favorites are:
- “Team of Rivals” Doris Kearns Goodwin (Polish: “Team of Rivals”)
- “Personal History” Katharine Graham (Polish: “Personal Story”)
- “Leonardo da Vinci” Walter Isaacson (Polish: “Leonardo da Vinci”)
- “Long Walk to Freedom” Nelson Mandela (Polish: “Long Road to Freedom”)
Christina Shim, director of sustainability at IBM Christina Shim is IBM's Chief Sustainability Officer
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Christina Shim said the entire company is centered around the book “The Geek Way”, written by Andrew McAfee (pol. “Think Like a Geek”). She added that IBM CEO Arvind Krishna is trying to build a culture inspired by the book, which focuses on four pillars: learning, responsibility, speed and openness.
Shim also said that another book that shaped her leadership style is “Quiet” Susan Cain (Polish “Quiet please… The power of introversion in a world that can't stop talking). The book explores how to function as an introvert in an extroverted world – and she found it so important that she bought copies for her entire team. She said introverts often make up half of the team, and understanding how to work together effectively is key.
Noura Sakkijha, CEO of Mejuri Noura Sakkijha founded Mejuri in 2013.
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The CEO of jewelry brand Mejuri said that many books influenced her leadership style, but one that stood out to her was “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” Ben Horowitz (Polish “Difficult things about difficult things”).
Sakkijha said the book helped her understand that building a business is rarely a linear process. She added that sometimes other founders' stories made it seem like everything was simple. Meanwhile, Horowitz, who co-founded Andreessen Horowitz, offers practical advice for navigating the most difficult aspects of building a business—based on his own experiences.
“It was very helpful to read his story, how they built the business, the challenges they faced and their determination,” she said.
The above text is a translation from American edition of Business Insider
