Leaders in general always need to keep themselves updated with the latest technological trends or insightful content. By this, they can keep pace with the ever-evolving management concepts and practices, running their organization to steer past the competition and unlock unprecedented business opportunities.
Therefore, CMC Global has created a list of top management books to ensure that your business management skills keep pace with your IT knowledge.
1. The CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradictions of IT Leadership
Target Audience
CIOs and IT executives.
Book Summary
In order to be successful, CIOs around the world have to make difficult decisions around tons of matters, from technology, and business to resources. They must thereby establish a balance between different aspects of the business. In this process, there are high chances that questions and situations can appear paradoxical in nature, and this book explores these questions around three key areas:
- The role of the CIO
- Their stakeholders
- Their staff.
The book touches on critical issues and dilemmas such as:
- Cutting cost vs. investing in innovation
- Running operations vs. devising a strategy
- Futuristic vs. archivist approach to technology
- Accountability vs. ownership
This is the book that helps you weigh options and understand the implications of each decision in real-world circumstances based on the prevalent paradoxical conditions experienced in many enterprise organizations today.
About the Author
Martha Heller, a prominent influencer in the IT leadership segment, is the founder of the CIO magazine.
2. The Digital Transformation Playbook: Rethink Your Business for the Digital Age
Target Audience
Business and IT leaders who are looking for ways to understand digital transformation in modern business organizations.
Summary
This book provides a contrast between business practices and decision-making in organizations before and after the prevalence of the Internet or digital technologies. It displays the ways that organizations leverage data as a strategic asset and describes how innovation is introduced on a small scale and expanded rapidly and the importance of agility and adaptability.
The book guides on harnessing customers, competition, platforms, and data to innovate and disrupt the industry by leveraging new business models. The playbook works as a step-by-step guide for pre-digital era companies to transform into technology leaders in the modern business segment.
About the Author
David L. Rogers, faculty director at Columbia Business School and advisor to leading enterprises including Google, Toyota, and GE, among others
3. The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations
Target Audience
DevOps professionals and IT executives.
Summary
The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability and Security in Technology Organizations is based on over 25,000 data points collected over 5 years of research. This book is considered one of the masterpieces in the DevOps industry by experts. So, reading it, you will have deep insights into DevOps and how it drives success in leading enterprise IT organizations. The author use 40 case studies from organizations such as Etsy, Google, and Facebook to describe the implementation of DevOps principles.
Moreover, the book provides a guideline on getting started with DevOps SDLC strategies as seen in complex enterprise IT environments. The author also discusses a wide range of common challenges for these organizations as they evolve their IT as DevOps-centric organizations.
About the Authors
Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, and John Willis. They are all pioneers and influencers in the DevOps industry that have transformed years of experience and knowledge from software organizations into actionable guidance for IT leaders pursuing the DevOps methodology.
4. Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future
Target Audience
Business executives, IT leaders, and managers.
Summary
We are no strangers to sci-fi fiction, but what if reality is gradually catching up with our wildest imagination? The book outlines the challenges and opportunities associated with the technologies that are now coming closer to reality, for example, the speed and scope of these technology changes. Today, technology is impacting every business organization and CIOs must understand the underlying principles to take advantage of them. The technology trends are presented as an interesting read that a wide variety of audiences can enjoy and yet hold unprecedented value for CIOs making critical decisions in their organization.
About the Authors
Andrew McAfee, a principal research scientist at MIT, and Erik Brynjolfsson the director of the MIT Center for Digital Business, a leading scholar in the domain of information systems and economics.
5. The Digital Matrix: New Rules for Business Transformation Through Technology
Target Audience
CIOs and business executives
Summary
The book highlights the issue that many legacy organizations operate on antiquated operational models and therefore fail to compete against agile and innovative startup firms. The book helps leaders at these organizations to understand what kind of players are leading the business landscape, the transformation phases legacy organizations must undergo to follow the trajectory to digital transformation, and definitive strategic practices that will ensure long-term business success in the digital era. The book is about capturing the value of human talent, machines, and new ideas to prepare for a successful digital future.
About the Author
Venkat Venkatraman is the Professor of Management at Boston University Questrom School of Business. He has previously taught at MIT Sloan School of Management and London Business School, and earned awards such as IBM Faculty Fellowship for his contributions.
