As an IT leader, you’ve previously experienced disruption – but nothing compares to last year. It takes expertise and experience to overcome challenges, develop strategies, and adjust goals.
As we look toward the future, I’m reading everything I can find that analyzes the potential post-pandemic business environment or imagines a future of disruption. Here are five books that attempt to do just that for CIOs and CTOs who are helping to build a new digital future.
Truth from the Valley: A Practical Primer on Future IT Management Trends
By Mark Settle
Written by a seven-time CIO, the book covers how people, process, and technology management challenges have been addressed by IT leaders in Silicon Valley. It gives you insights into the trends that will shape IT management practices in the next decade. Better yet, it pushes you to think about these challenges as opportunities that will help your organization increase efficiency, improve impact, and ensure business relevance in the future.
My biggest takeaway from this book? It pushes IT leaders to not only understand trends, but also think about the practical implications of those trends on their leadership and management style.
[ Read also: 9 must-read books to make you a stronger communicator and 10 leadership books to stretch your skills in 2021. ]
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World
By Fareed Zakaria
According to McKinsey, COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of digital technology by several years. But it’s not only digitization or digital transformation that happened overnight. CNN host and best-selling author Fareed Zakaria sorts out the shape of the world to come.
I loved the way this book covers diverse topics, from the risks of the rise of “digital life” to an emerging bipolar world order. If you’re seeking insights on how to prepare your organization beyond the immediate impact of the virus outbreak, Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World should be on your desk.
Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity
By Scott Galloway
New York Times bestselling author Scott Galloway explains how the pandemic has not been a change agent, but an accelerant of ongoing trends. Researchers confirm this, stating that organizations are now at the point where they had previously expected to be in two to six years. With his signature humor and sharp style, Galloway discusses the crisis and opportunities it brings.
My primary takeaway: We cannot necessarily predict the tendencies that will shape the future, but we can prepare to respond to change with agility, and as the title implies, quickly turn crisis into opportunity. Post Corona can be a guide in your strategy development for the upcoming 24 months and beyond.
Goliath’s Revenge: How Established Companies Turn the Tables on Digital Disruptors
By Todd Hewlin and Scott Snyder
This practical guide, citing real use cases, will teach leaders and innovators to master the digital disruption game. As technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, Internet of Things, blockchain, and immersive experiences are changing the basis of competition in nearly every industry, the book describes how new rules help companies win over competitors, provides insights into investments in innovation, and advises on successful digital innovation strategy development.
Though it was written pre-COVID, this book is seamlessly applicable to the post-pandemic world. Digital transformation was merely accelerated by the pandemic, and established companies are now in a much better position to turn the tables on digital disruptors than they were only a year ago.
Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization?
By Aaron Dignan
Aaron Dignan explains that organizations are not machines but complex human systems and discusses how this impacts operations. He’ll guide you to reinvent the way you work, from overcoming common frustrations like lack of trust, bottlenecks in decision-making, siloed functions and teams, tiresome budgeting, short-term thinking, and more. Dignan’s advice is supported by success stories and works well for both small businesses and large enterprises.
The book’s thesis – that organizations are complex human systems – really struck home with me as I’ve spent time thinking about how to inspire my team in the face of an entirely new working environment. As we reimagine a post-pandemic work culture, this book can really walk you through the gritty details of organizational success.
IT leadership in 2021
Being a great leader is not only about thinking strategically and taking risks. It’s about ensuring you foster a healthy culture, coach your team to optimize their efficiency, and adjust to an ever-changing environment to help your company thrive. I hope these five books will equip you with the knowledge and insights to make the post-pandemic IT environment a place of opportunity for yourself, your team, and your organization.
[ Get exercises and approaches that make disparate teams stronger. Read the digital transformation ebook: Transformation Takes Practice. ]
