Business

Best management reads of the year announced

Not Knowing scoops national management book award as it demonstrates how to turn uncertainty into opportunity

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has announced the results of its Management Book of the Year awards with Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner’s Not Knowing scooping the top prize.

In an age of fast-paced change and data overload, the book smashes the orthodoxy that managers can – or should – be all-knowing and challenges leaders to think differently to succeed.

The award, which is run in association with the British Library and sponsored by Henley Business School, is judged by a panel of the UK’s top business and management leaders. D’Souza and Renner’s book, published by LID Publishing Ltd, won the Commuter’s Read category before being chosen as overall award-winner.

Diane Lees, Director-General of the Imperial War Museum and CMI competition judge, explained why the book impressed the judging panel:

“Managers can feel huge pressure to know everything and to always have the answer to a problem. This book goes against the grain and offers reassurance that ‘not knowing’ can be a force for good decisions, as it allows for open questions and curiosity.

“This book could inspire managers to rethink how they tackle all sorts of complex challenges, and how they approach business planning. It challenges the reader to think deeply about themselves and ask questions, which in turn will allow for better and more informed decisions to be made.”

Commenting on their success, winning authors, Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner, said:

“The inspiration for the book comes from our own lives, from our own stories and from those who have shared their stories with us from around the world. We dedicate this book to anyone who’s been to the edge. We wrote it in honour of courage, curiosity and compassion and hope it inspires managers to take their teams into the unknown.”

Ann Francke, chief executive of CMI, which runs the competition said:

“The managers who succeed in the 21st century economy are those who learn to embrace change and uncertainty, not fight it. This book shows why and should have managers asking themselves some big questions about how they lead. CMI’s Management Book of the Year is all about finding the ‘Management Gold’ that really makes a difference, and that’s exactly what this book does. If you only read one management book this year, make it this one.”

Phil Spence, Chief Operating Officer of the British Library, which supports the competition, said:

“The winner of this year’s competition reflects the need for impartial advice and information in the sometimes uncertain journey of a manager or business leader.

“We at the British Library specialise in providing practical support and information to the business and management community through channels like our Business & IP Centre – now being extended to city libraries across the UK – and our Management and Business Studies Portal. We were thrilled to celebrate the best of management writing in all five categories of the competition at the 2015 awards ceremony held at the British Library last night.”

Launched in 2010, the CMI Management Book of the Year competition was created to uncover some of the best books on management and leadership, and help raise the profile of the great management writing published in the UK.

The Management Book of the Year category winners were announced as follows:

The Commuter’s Read:

Not Knowing by Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner

Published by LID Publishing Ltd

Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

Customer Innovation by Marion Debruyne

Published by Kogan Page

Management Futures:

The Key by Lynda Gratton

Published by McGraw Hill Education

Practical Manager:

The Little Book of {Big} Management Theories by James McGrath and Bob Bates

Published by Pearson

Management and Leadership Textbook:

Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context by Zeynep Aycan, Rabindra N Kanungo and Manuel Mendonça

Published by Sage Publications

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