BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : AUGUST 28, 2000 ISSUE
THE 21ST CENTURY CORPORATION -- THE NEW LEADERSHIP Essential Reading for Modern Managers Among the plethora of business advice books, here are several standouts--from the classic to the cutting edge For all the promise and all the possibilities of the 21st century, there are also plenty of business books out there to befuddle the best and brightest managers. Publishers surely know there's a need for guidance. They've been working overtime to cram the shelves with all kinds of ''New Economy'' and ''Digital Era'' titles. Sadly, most of these books fail to deliver on their jacket blurbs. Not only do they offer little help but they are often dreadful reads, filled with language as tortured as pretzel dough. There are, however, some very good and thoughtful exceptions, books that make sense of the confusing patterns around us. If you're seeking a lighthouse or two in this perfect storm of change, you'll be well served by the selections below. Think of them as essential reading for the 21st century leader. Self-Renewal by John W. Gardner (W.W. Norton, 1995). In the new world of work, trust and integrity assume even greater importance as knowledge workers gain more responsibility in their organizations. Gardner's elegantly written classic is nothing less than a guide to survival in the rough seas ahead. The author reminds us that the key to learning and growing lies in our willingness to risk outright failure. It's one of many important lessons for an uncertain time. You'll find yourself turning down the corners of many of this book's pages and underlining numerous passages. Managing in the New Economy, edited by Joan Magretta (Harvard Business School Press, 1999). This volume of essays by such discerning thinkers as B-school stars Henry Mintzberg, Michael E. Porter, and C.K. Prahalad is a great handbook for the digital future. Among the gems within is the best interview ever done with Michael S. Dell on the powers of his virtual-integration business model. Profiles of the Future by Arthur C. Clarke (Warner Books, 1985). Best known for his science fiction, Clarke's visions for the future have been remarkably prescient. Originally published in 1962, this book is the perfect reading matter to jump-start your brain for the 21st century. At the very least, Clarke continues to stir our imagination about the possibilities awaiting us. The Social Life of Information by John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid (Harvard Business School Press, 2000). So much has been written about intellectual capital in the New Economy that it's a wonder anyone can say something new or worthwhile. These two Silicon Valley players manage to do so without resorting to bombastic predictions. They distinguish between ''sticky'' knowledge, the wisdom that stays inside organizations, and ''leaky'' knowledge, the insights and perspectives that somehow fall into the hands of potential rivals. The idea here is that the context of information, a company's culture and processes, may be more important than the actual creation of knowledge. Why? Organizations that block the transfer of knowledge may encourage insiders to spill it outside their walls. Being Digital by Nicholas Negroponte (Vintage Books, 1996). You simply can't find a more lucid or illuminating handbook for the Digital Age than this one, written by one of the founders of the Media Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Negroponte untangles the technical complexities of this era in entertaining prose, and he provides a useful distinction between atoms, or physical assets, and bits, or the digitized pieces of information that have assumed so much value in the New Economy. The Practice of Management by Peter F. Drucker (HarperBusiness, 1993). Some things never change. That's why this 46-year-old classic by the legendary management philosopher is well worth rereading. Although it's dry by today's hyperbolic standards, this book is the single best introduction to managing ever published. You'll find that Drucker was way ahead of his time in recognizing the importance of knowledge workers. By JOHN A. BYRNE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					RELATED ITEMS The New Leadership The Boss in the Web Age TABLE: The Boss in the Web Age TABLE: Now and Then: How CEOs Will Change over the Next 20 Years See the World, Erase Its Borders TABLE: Going Global: The Growing Importance of Worldwide Markets Up from Bean Counter TABLE: Desired Skills An Executive Whose Time Has Gone From Gearhead to Grand High Pooh-Bah TABLE: Not Just Any CIO Mining a Company's Mother Lode of Talent TABLE: What Does a Knowledge Manager Do for a Living? 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