What We’re Reading from the Sept. 15, 2011 Issue for CIO Magazine

Higher Ambition

By Michael Beer, Flemming Norrgren and co-authors

Book Want to make the world a better place? Start with your workplace. Beer and Norrgren say that by keeping one eye on the greater good, you can improve your company while producing benefits for society at large. This book synthesizes the experience of 36 CEOs, many of whom inherited failing companies, and explains how they ran their companies in socially responsible ways, became more approachable leaders, and still kept shareholders happy. Harvard Business Review Press, $29.95

Credibility

By James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

Book Getting people—both above and below you on the organizational ladder—to listen to you takes credibility. The authors of The Leadership Challenge have expanded on that book by updating this one. Originally published in 1993, Credibility provides new insights and interviews from leaders who have built trust and used it to acheive great things. Kouzes and Posner don’t just talk to leaders, though, but also their constituents. One hundred thousand people were asked what qualities they look for in those they follow,­ and Kouzes and Posner came up with some surprising tips. For example: Build hope by acknowledging reality but refusing to accept that bad predictions will inevitably come true. Jossey-Bass, $27.95

@Enderle

By Rob Enderle

Blog If you need a go-to source for news about consumer devices and technology research, follow analyst Rob Enderle. He tweets frequently, but nearly all his updates include informative links, so he won’t clutter your Twitter stream. He has a sense of humor and is willing to engage other users, so if you respond to him, you’ll probably get an answer. Sample tweet: “Is Web OS the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Love that bit.” twitter.com/Enderle

@TomCatalini

By Tom Catalini

Blog Here’s one recent tweet from the CIO of William Gallagher Associates, an insurance brokerage: “Babson student panhandling for a fall internship in [Post Office Square in Boston] this a.m. Like the hustle, but is that an economic indicator?” Catalini shares ­technology news, leadership advice, and writing and social media tips a few times a day. twitter.com/tomcatalini

Streamlined Process Improvement

By H. James Harrington

Book If you feel like you’ve tried every business process management system out there and none of them worked as well as you’d hoped, Harrington thinks he has the answer for you. His theory is that existing ­methodologies focus too much on continuously making small ­improvements without necessarily making any dramatic ones. He lays out, in great detail, his ­Streamlined Process Improvement strategy to improve your processes in ways that produce real benefits. McGraw-Hill, $40