The rather drab cover of this book belies the content between the covers: an unusual opportunity to gain an overview of strategic insights from 20 of the world’s business leaders.
The author, Tim Burt, is an award-winning Financial Times journalist and strategic consultant, and is well-qualified for this task. Refreshingly free of jargon, the book is structured as a series of articles based on interviews with leaders in Europe, the US and Asia, combined with analysts’ views. While the latter are less successful and are largely surplus to requirements, the real interest of the book is in the views of the leaders themselves. This is what will make it of interest to chief executives, strategists and leaders in numerous sectors.
The subjects of the book include luminaries such as Jac Nasser, Sir Martin Sorrell, Jacob Wallenberg and its success is down to having the thoughts of so many leaders assembled in one place. Four are female, three are from emerging markets and four are in service industries.
Overall, they come across as open, optimistic, concerned, in some cases customer-focused – and in some cases not, curiously – visionary and operational. In other words, virtually the whole gamut. There are some who really stand out including: Sir Martin, Mr Nasser, Beth Comstock and Baroness Lane Fox.
The main themes? Digital/big data is changing everything in virtually every industry. One describes Google as a “frienemy” and the sentiment is general; emerging markets are the growth engines of the future; geo-politics is a major concern; responsible business in various forms is an integral part of the business model, particularly among businesses operating in emerging markets – a challenge, perhaps, to developed market businesses seeking to break into new markets.
Less prominent, again curiously, is the importance of talent and governance in achieving bold visions. And few mention climate change, an obsession of many leaders a few years ago and somewhat at odds with the agendas of forums such as Davos.
Worth a read.
Julian Ide is chief executive of Old Mutual Global Investors
