\n
<\/p>\n
Hello and welcome to <\/em>Modern CEO! I\u2019m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of\u202f<\/em>Inc.\u202fand\u202f<\/em>Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can\u202f<\/em>sign up to get it yourself<\/em>\u202fevery Monday morning.<\/em> <\/p>\n Though June 21 is still a few weeks away, for many Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. For me, it\u2019s also a time for making a dent in the stack of books on my nightstand. <\/p>\n I asked some avid readers to recommend books they think leaders should check out this summer. Here are their inspired picks:<\/p>\n Who Knew<\/em><\/a> by Barry Diller<\/p>\n Diller is one of the most consequential people in the [media] industry\u2019s history, and he\u2019s also someone I consider a genuine mentor. His memoir,\u202fWho Knew<\/em>,\u202freads the way he actually talks, which means no spin and no flattering self-portrait. He tells you exactly how deals got made and why people behaved the way they did. For anyone trying to understand how real power operates in entertainment, it\u2019s essential reading. <\/p>\n Tailwind: A Compass for Turning Your Setback Story Into Your Comeback Legacy<\/em><\/a> by James T. Olson <\/p>\n Professionally,\u202fmanaging\u202fcrisis\u202fhas a way of sharpening the mind. In our personal lives, it too often derails us. Jim has been in the captain\u2019s seat for both, and in this powerful book he shares the lessons he learned as a top-flight comms exec, and how he turned them inward to\u202fnavigate the most difficult challenge of his life.\u202f <\/p>\n When We Cease to Understand the World<\/em><\/a> by Benjam\u00edn Labatut <\/p>\n This book explores the mathematicians and physicists who, during the first half of the 20th\u202fcentury, worked out how to split the atom and discovered the laws of quantum physics. These findings underpin the whole of nuclear science and form the basis of today\u2019s quantum computing. Labatut explores the thoughts and feelings of these scientists as it dawned on them that their discoveries would change humanity forever.\u202fYou will not be able to put the book down. <\/p>\n The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World<\/em><\/a> by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams <\/p>\n Like many people, I\u2019ve\u202fspent a great deal of my career on the mental hamster wheel of achievement, productivity, and what\u2019s next.\u202fThe Book of Joy\u202f<\/em>reminds us that if we\u2019re not careful, we can build incredibly successful lives without ever fully experiencing them. It\u2019s a beautiful reset around gratitude, perspective, and what actually matters. <\/p>\n The Game Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth With Innovation<\/em><\/a> by A. G. Lafley and Ram Charan\u00a0<\/p>\n I have returned to this book many times because it demonstrates what is possible when we move beyond limiting managerial structures and enable everyone in an organization to contribute creatively to new processes and products.\u202fThrough his experience growing P&G into one of the world\u2019s most powerful consumer products companies, Lafley demonstrates what happens when you seek input from everyone, including customers and competitors, and when you intentionally design an organization to seed, cultivate, harness, reward, and assess innovation everywhere, all the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Connections<\/em><\/a> by James Burke <\/p>\n The author creates fascinating threads from a few early humankind inventions all the way to 21st-century technologies and, in doing so, demonstrates the power of building breakthrough technologies by applying and evolving previously known concepts in new and different contexts. <\/p>\n Last week\u2019s Modern CEO<\/em> newsletter explored the ways CEOs can earn employees\u2019 trust in AI<\/a>, including empowering workers to shape the way AI is deployed. Denis Machuel, CEO of staffing and recruiting company the Adecco Group, reminds CEOs that first they must provide training and upskilling in AI and help employees understand how they can contribute to the organization\u2019s goals. \u201cWhen you don\u2019t believe that you have the skills for the future, how can you trust the organization you are in to protect you or to bring you along?\u201d Machuel says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Indeed, new research<\/a> from the Adecco Group finds that just 22% of business leaders are confident that they\u2019re developing \u201cthe necessary digital and future-ready capabilities\u201d in their workforces, and only a third (36%) say their talent strategy shows that AI will create job opportunities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The report concludes that companies can build trust through an intentional approach to AI training\u2014including teaching so-called human skills such as critical thinking that may become increasingly important when agents can do routine tasks. And developing your people is just the right thing to do. \u201cIf you feel that the company is betting on you, you feel trusted,\u201d Machuel says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s how you create an environment of trust.\u201d <\/p>\n Do you have some additional suggestions for the reading list? If so, I\u2019d love to hear about them. Send me your recommendations: stephaniemehta@mansueto.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n READ MORE: Read more!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nJason Blum, Founder and CEO, Blumhouse <\/h2>\n
Corey duBrowa, CEO, Burson<\/h2>\n
Simon Freakley, Executive Chairman, Alixpartners<\/h2>\n
Lindsay Shookus, Television Producer<\/h2>\n
Steven Tepper, President, Hamilton College <\/h2>\n
Sam Zussman, CEO, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment <\/h2>\n
Trust in AI, Part 2<\/h2>\n
Your Summer Reading Recommendations <\/h2>\n