Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/438743
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2015 BizEd 19 key areas: play, empathy, creation, experimentation, and reflection. Then they describe classroom exer- cises that build skills in these areas. For instance, students can practice play by building a structure out of spaghetti, tape, string, and marshmallows, which helps them understand that entrepre- neurs "rely on experimentation and iterative learning." The book is both fun and useful. (Edward Elgar, US$145) ANTICIPATE How can someone develop "vision," always listed as a key component of lead- ership? Rob-Jan de Jong, who teaches in Wharton's exec ed program, provides practical advice to would- be visionaries. For instance, they need to take a fresh look at their situations— perhaps by using the Random Entry Idea Generation Tool, which encourages them to connect an unexpected noun with their current situation. While "pizza slicer" might not immediately seem relevant, creative brainstorming opens up connections, which lead to ideas, which lead to new ways to see problems and think about the future. (Amacom, US$27.95) THE SOCIAL LIFE OF MONEY What is money? How did it originate? What part did it play in the global financial meltdown, and how will it evolve? Nigel Dodd of the London School of Eco- nomics addresses these questions and more in his exhaustively researched book. He first seeks to pin down the exact nature of money—"Is it a commodity or a social relation? … In what sense is it a claim upon society?"— and then he examines it from various historical and sociological standpoints. For instance, today's debtors are often viewed as lazy and morally corrupt, but historically creditors have often been viewed as the greater evil. Unexpected and fascinating. (Princeton University Press, US$39.50) LEADING WITH SENSE When managing complex teams in chaotic environ- ments, Valérie Gauthier advocates a leadership style she calls savoir-relier, defined as relational intel- ligence. "It helps managers find common ground between all sorts of things: employees of different races and ages, workers in different functional units, teams in different regions." Gauth- ier details how she employed savoir-re- lier techniques to lead a turnaround of a troubled MBA program at HEC Paris. The result is a warm, practical, and thoughtful book. (Stanford Business Books, US$29.95) THE LEADERSHIP SHADOW Top executives are often supercharged with their successes, but the result- ing hubris comes with a dark side, say Erik de Haan and Anthony Kasozi of Ashridge. Leaders won't be effective for long unless they deal with the physical and psychological challenges of pride, anger, stress, impa- tience, and fear. The answer, the authors write, is "an ever better understanding of what drives us, what informs our responses at the most visceral level, and where our limitations lie when adapting to change." (KoganPage, US$29.95)