The World's Best Book Summaries
Why do you need to develop your competitive edge in the work world? How can you be more competitive and stand out? To stand out in any career field, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha suggest you develop a unique competitive edge. This is something that makes you different and better than other people. Let’s look at how to be more competitive, with advice from The Startup of You.
What are some ways to test the waters before you put your product on the market? How can you protect your reputation while you experiment with new things? To be an innovator, you have to take creative risks. Experimentation—and failure—come with the territory. In Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman shares four ways to lower the stakes for inevitable failures on the road to innovation and success. Continue reading to learn how to mitigate risk as you learn and create.
Why do you need multiple plans for your career? How do you make a career plan? Because the job landscape is always changing, you need backups in case your original career plan doesn’t work out. In The Startup of You, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha say that you need three possible career paths to ensure that you won’t fail. Check out how to make a career plan for every possible scenario.
What kind of people can help you elevate your career? Do you deliberately develop relationships that help you reach your goals? Behavioral science expert Grace Lordan explains how you can change your life by identifying who you want to become and then making a plan to turn your ideal future self into a reality. One step is to find people who can support your career goals and actively foster relationships with them. Keep reading to learn how to build career relationships that are mutually beneficial.
Why are supporters and advisers important for career development? How do you build a network of strong connections? Making connections is an essential part of business, especially for those looking for new opportunities. As Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha state in their book The Startup of You, job-seekers should surround themselves with people of similar interests so they can learn to be like them and follow their path. Below you’ll learn how to build a network that will help you build the career you want.
Why are the greats often not so great at teaching others what they know? What’s the best way to learn from them? In Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman says that doing great work requires learning from the greats in your field. But, you’ll find that many of them make poor teachers and coaches. Friedman explains why this is and shares strategies for getting the most out of your interactions with them. Keep reading for Friedman’s guidance on how to learn from experts.
How do you build professional relationships that will benefit your career? What does a strong network look like? Without supporters and advisors, you can only make decisions based on your limited perspective and knowledge. A network, however, exposes you to many different perspectives that can help you make professional decisions. Continue reading to learn how to build and strengthen your professional relationships.
What is a continuous improvement culture? Why should IT departments deliberately introduce faults and design flaws into the production line? In their book The Phoenix Project, Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford stress the importance of continuous growth in a company. Without growth and the ability to make mistakes, the workplace becomes toxic and stagnant. Here’s how and why you should create a culture of continuous improvement in your company, IT or not.
Has your career come to a halt? Where you can find advice that is worthwhile? Making a change in your career is a big step, and having other people’s insight can help you navigate tricky decisions. In The Startup of You, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha suggest looking for advice within your professional network because those people may have gone through the same thing. Here’s how to get advice that is worth your time and will get you the best results.
What would you like to know how to do well? What would you try if you had a plan to succeed? You could have the best ideas in the world, but they’d amount to nothing without execution. Implementation takes skills, and Ron Friedman shares three strategies for developing skills: practice effectively, track your progress, and mitigate your risks while experimenting and innovating. Read more to learn how to improve a skill and, ultimately, implement your ideas.