6 Favorite business reads

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com

I’ve done a lot of background reading this year, preparing 52 blogs a year, much of it to do with research studies, trend analysis and futuristic business projections. Of those hundreds of articles, a few remain top of mind because they inspired me to think outside of the box or to view the global business world a little differently. Here’s a quick review of six that I bookmarked, in no particular order, which you might want to add to your reading list, too:

  1. Inc. editor-at-large Kimberly Weisul published “10 Global Trends That Will Transform Your Business” in February. In the article, futurist Erica Orange outlined emerging interest in inner-space, the growing importance of managerial competence in design, and a new focus on adult play, among other topics. It’s an intriguing read, showing the greater need for managers to better understand human psychology as well as financial spreadsheets.
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  3. Business Insider writer Madeline Stone revised a story penned earlier by Max Nisen and Eric Goldschein to give us “19 of the most inspiring rags-to-riches stories in business” this October. She lists successful people who have overcome great obstacles to reach their pinnacles. Examples include Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, who was raised in poverty in Chicago and John Paul DeJoria, who sold Christmas cards at age 9 to help support his family; as an adult, DeJoria lived in his car before borrowing $700 to launch John Paul Mitchell Systems. Do Won Chang worked as a janitor, gas station attendant, and in a coffee shop – all at the same time – before opening his first Forever 21 store, which now is a 480-store empire.
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  5. In another thought piece, Kjaer Global’s Trend Snaphots 2015+ discusses self-tracking on human-centric platforms, among other emerging trends. Like Erica Orange, this source predicts that a circular economy is emerging, and it talks about the role of “betrapreneurship”, defined as “Disruptive Innovation + Female Power.” It sounds very high-brow, but it’s actually very interesting and great reading for managers across diverse business lines.
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  7. Recently I read “Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2016” published by ITBusinessEdge. I don’t recommend the post for readability, because of the technical terms and odd phrasing, but the sections on artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, mesh aps, etc. are mind-boggling.
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  9. In August, I bookmarked “17 Best New Business Ideas for 2015”, in part because I was interested in box subscription services as a viable business model (think of the pet box that’s delivered to your door monthly featuring lots of treats for Fido). Business News Daily also included ideas such as food trucks, which are growing in popularity, traveling salons and other emerging entrepreneurial pop-up businesses.
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  11. The winner, though it has little translation for business perhaps, is Business Insider’s “20 fascinating facts that make you think twice.” I don’t know about thinking twice, since I’d never known most of the facts in the first place. For example, I didn’t know that dead people can get goosebumps or that a mantis shrimp can swing its claw so fast it boils the light around it and creates a flash of light. But I did know that you can eat 3,000-year-old honey. What on this list might surprise you?

I hope you’ve found something here of interest to you, or maybe a new blog or source to follow. In turn, I’d enjoy hearing your favorite picks from 2015; what made you think differently for 2016?

About Jody Glynn Patrick

Jody is President of Glynn Patrick & Associates, which provides management consulting, executive coaching and strategic planning services. She is Publisher Emeritus of In Business magazine, which she published for 17 years. Selected as the “U.S. Business Journalist of the Year” in 2007 in Washington, DC, by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Jody has been a business reporter, editor, radio talk show host , and has won other state and national journalism awards. At the same time, she has helped corporate clients grow their businesses -- the basis for her practical coaching advice here. She also was the 2005 Athena Award recipient for her leadership role in mentoring other professional women. Jody will be talking with you weekly on TDS’ blog to share her insights and tips from the C-Suite perspective. Follow on G+.

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