Boston Consulting Group (BCG) created a reading list that has been greatly influenced by the personal implications of the unfolding global COVID-19 pandemic and profound unrest. The reviewers are a diverse group of BCGers, you can see this undercurrent reflected in almost every suggestion:
- Purpose & Creativity
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Leading in the new Reality
- Personal Wellbeing
- International Relations
It does not matter whether you’re a CEO or a student. You will find something to teach or inspire you, or simply to enjoy.
Purpose & Creativity
Creative BCGers have found that equally creative business leaders often write the most readable books. These books on creativity and purpose may spark your creative fire and get you moving in a new direction.
The Songs of Trees
Ashley Grice, CEO at Brighthouse: “In The Songs of Trees, BrightHouse luminary and Pulitzer-prize nominated author, David Haskell explores the roots of connection; how our biology has shaped our relationships; and the complexity of networks that shape culture, awareness, and being.”
A Business and Its Beliefs: The Ideas That Helped Build IBM
Brad White, Managing Director & President, Europe & Middle East at BrightHouse: “Written in the early 1960s—well before purpose was a business topic—the former CEO of IBM tells the story of IBM’s values and how its refusal to compromise those values became IBM’s primary strength. It is also one of the first books by a major CEO to discuss a corporation’s responsibilities in society, and how firms can meet expanding social expectations while still turning a profit.”
Diversity and Inclusion
BCGers, like many others, are thinking a lot about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and beyond. These books on diversity and inclusion run the gamut from history to parenting to real advice on how to make a difference professionally and personally.
Jayber Crow
Anna Gibson, Consultant: “Berry depicts the benefits and challenges of small-town America beautifully through a series of books centered on the fictional town of Port Meadow, of which Jayber Crow is my favorite. Far from naively idealistic, it is a raw and real portrayal of a vastly different life from the fast-paced, extravagant one in which we consultants live, which I find a compelling challenge.”
97 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
Beth Viner, New York Center Lead, Managing Director & Partner at BCGDV: “I can’t even begin to imagine how the Black community is feeling after the continued murder and violence against Black people in America these past few weeks: Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Chris Cooper. This resource has given me actionable steps I can take to be a more compassionate citizen and ally.”
More books to read during the Covid-19 pandemic can be found here.
Text: Boston Consulting Group
Image: Engin Akyurt/Pixabay
