What You Will Learn

This week, Ashto and Jonesy learn how fourteen remarkable companies maintain a successful, profitable business by redefining the conventional business strategies. In Small Giants, veteran journalist Bo Burlingham introduces alternative approaches these companies have taken to stay powerful. By rejecting the pressure to grow revenue, they focus on other fulfilling business goals, including creating a great place to work, providing excellent customer service, or contributing to their local communities. From Small Giants, we can learn how to redefine the meaning of success and understand the benefits we can reap from staying true to our core values. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Jonesy and Ashto learn to define creativity from Walter Isaacson’s Leonardo da Vinci. In this critically acclaimed biography, Isaacson writes a narrative that connects Leonardo’s brilliant artistry to his passion for science. He illustrates how Leonardo developed his expertise based on skills we can improve in ourselves, including passionate curiosity, careful observation, and a playful imagination. Just like many other great innovators, Leonardo’s creativity was born from having wide-ranging passions, the ease of being a misfit, and a willingness to inquire about existing knowledge to acquire new knowledge.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Ashto and Jonesy delve into history’s most turbulent economic and political periods through the New York Times bestseller Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order. In this book, the legendary investor and author of Principles Ray Dalio immerses us in his study of major empires and compares the successes and failures of all the world’s major countries throughout history. With 50 years of experience in studying global economies and markets, Dalio reveals the timeless and universal forces behind these shifts and uses them to predict our future. Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order is an extremely insightful book that offers the practical principles to prepare ourselves for future monumental events. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Jonesy and Ashto venture into Tim Ferriss’ world of rapid learning through the bestselling The 4-Hour Chef. In this book, Ferriss uses cooking methods to explain a process that we can follow to master anything–whether it’s searing a steak in the kitchen or shooting the perfect basketball shot. With tips and tricks from chess prodigies, world-renowned chefs, pro athletes, and more successful figures, The 4-Hour Chef is a helpful guide to mastering life. Ferriss takes you through the art and science of learning through 5 main points that include: Meta-learningThe DomesticThe Wild The ScientistThe Professional See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whether it’s your grandparent, a teacher, or someone older and wise, you’ve probably met an influential figure who understood you when you were young and searching for answers in life. For Mitch Alborn, that person was his old college professor Morrie Schwartz. Mitch was fortunate to have a second chance of gleaning from his wisdom during Morrie’s last months of life. He would visit Morrie in his study every Tuesday, and each visit would turn into a lesson in living life. ‘Taking just makes me feel like I’m dying. Giving makes me feel like I’m living,’ Morrie responded when Mitch questioned his unwillingness to accept sympathy from other people. Tuesdays with Morrie is packed with valuable lessons including how to forgive, be compassionate towards others, and live life live as if it’s your last day. With 15 million copies sold worldwide, Morrie’s presence and lessons continue to influence people through this book.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Atlas of the Heart, Dr Brene Brown takes us on a journey through the 87 emotions and experiences that define the meaning of being human. Drawn from extensive research over the past two decades, Atlas of the Heart provides an overview of the necessary skills and actionable framework for building meaningful connections.The natural gift of cultivating meaningful connections with others involves having an equally deep relationship with ourselves and being able to explore without the fear of getting lost. Brown hopes that Atlas of the Heart can be the map that guides our adventurous hearts back to our truest selves when we have no idea where we are or where we’re going. With insights that have defined what it means to be courageous with our lives, Atlas of the Heart is a must-read for anyone looking to be more emotionally fluent and connected. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Drawn on Milkman’s research and the work of her scientific collaborators, How to Change introduces strategic methods for identifying and overcoming obstacles that hinder change. Habits such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness often hold us back from making positive changes in our lives. Through various case studies and engaging stories, this book will teach you the following points:  •   Why timing can be everything when it comes to making a change  •   How to turn temptation and inertia into assets  •   That giving advice—even if it's about something you're struggling with—can help you achieve moreHow to Change helps you diagnose the internal obstacles you face and explores solutions that may help you succeed in changing for the better. This book reveals a proven path that can take you from where you are to where you want to be.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Surrounded by Idiots shares a groundbreaking new method of understanding the people around you. Ranging from your coworkers to your spouse, this book will change how you interact with everyoneIn this book, Thomas Erikson explains four key behaviour types that define how we interact with and perceive the people around us. Reds who are dominant and commanding, Yellows who are social and optimistic, Greens who are laid back and friendly, and Blues who are analytical and detail-oriented. The purpose of Surrounded by Idiots is to highlight that no group should be composed solely of individuals of the same type. Diversity is the best way to put a group of people together and achieve decent dynamics.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Innovator's Dilemma is the revolutionary business book that has forever changed corporate America. Why is success so difficult to sustain? When you look across the sweep of business history, most companies that once seemed successful would downgrade their position in the market a decade or two later. The Innovator's Dilemma is based on a truly radical idea—that great companies can fail precisely because they do everything right. That's why we call it the innovator's dilemma. The dilemma rears its head when a type of disruptive technology arises at the low end of the market. In the most straightforward and unassuming application, explaining this paradox is the purpose of this book.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Used successfully by thousands of business managers, educators, and government leaders around the world, Six thinking hats is a model that allows your brain to go through practical and unique approaches to make decisions and explore new ideas. Six thinking hats also depersonalise arguments and allow teams to work collaboratively. Named by Dr De Bono as ‘Parallel Thinking’, this method enables each person to look at all sides of a situation and fully explore the subject before coming to a mutual decision. The emphasis here is not on who wins and who loses but on designing a path forward for everyone. In this book, Dr De Bono unscrambles the thinking process with his six thinking hats:WHITE HAT: neutral and objective, concerned with facts and figuresRED HAT: the emotional viewBLACK HAT: careful and cautious, the devil's advocate hatYELLOW HAT: sunny and positiveGREEN HAT: associated with fertile growth, creativity and new ideasBLUE HAT: cool, the colour of the sky, above everything else-the organising

In Doughnut Economics, Oxford academic Kate Raworth lays out the 7 deadly mistakes of economics and offers a radical re-envisioning of the system that has brought us to the point of ruin. Moving beyond the myths of ‘rational economic man’ and unlimited growth, Doughnut Economics zeroes in on the sweet spot: a system that meets all our needs without exhausting the planet.In this week’s episode, Jonesy and Ashto discover the 7 ways of thinking like a 21st-century economist. These ideas don't lay out specific policy prescriptions or institutional fixes, nor do they offer immediate solutions. However, these ideas are fundamental to developing the revolutionary economic mindset that this century demands. In the decades ahead, the task for economic thinkers in the 21st century is to practise these 7 ideas and potentially innovate the list. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Goal is about new global principles of manufacturing. It's about people who try to understand what makes their world tick so that they can make it better. As they think logically and consistently about the problems, they are able to determine cause and effect relationships between their actions and the results. Developed by Eli Goldratt, The Goal contains a serious message for all managers in the industry and explains the ideas, which underline the Theory of Constraints (TOC). Goldratt believes that the goal of an individual or an organisation shouldn’t be defined in absolute terms. A good definition of a goal is one that sets us on a path of ongoing improvement. Pursuing such a goal necessitates more than one breakthrough—if anything, it requires many. In this week’s episode, Jonesy and Ashton identify the breakthroughs that we should have to understand the underlying rules of our environment, and hopefully help us elevate the constraints in our personal or professional life.  See acast.co

Positioning reveals that advertising has entered a new era: The Positioning Era. Having the best product or the most creative ads is no longer the key to success. To succeed in today's overcommunicated society, a company must create and claim a position in the prospect's mind. A position that will take into account not only the company's strengths but also its competitor's weaknesses. In Positioning, advertising gurus Ries and Trout explain how to:Make and position an industry leader so that its name and message wheedles its way into the collective subconscious of your market and stays therePosition a follower so that it can occupy a niche not claimed by the leaderAvoid letting a second product ride on the coattails of an established one.In this week’s episode, Jonesy and Ashto investigate important strategies that may position your business brand in the mind of your prospective customers and make it a household name. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Lying, best-selling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie. Lying is almost by definition a refusal to cooperate with others. It condenses a lack of trust and trustworthiness into a single act. It is the failure of understanding and willingness to be understood. To lie is to recoil from a relationship. How would your relationships change if you resolved to never lie again? What truth about yourself might suddenly reveal itself? What kind of person would you become? And how might you change the people around you? Is it worth finding out? In this week’s episode, Jonesy and Ashto explore the underlying reasons why we lie and the impacts of lying on ourselves and those around us. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Upheaval is the third book in Jared Diamond’s Civilisations Rise and Fall series. Upheaval reveals how successful nations recover from crises while adopting selective changes. Diamond presents and compares how 6 countries have survived major crises–from the forced opening of Japan by U.S. Commodore Perry’s fleet to the Soviet Union’s attack on Inland to a murderous coup or countercoup in Chile and Indonesia to the transformations of Germany and Australia after WW2. Upheaval reveals factors that influence how both whole nations and individual people can respond to big challenges. In this week’s episode, Jonesy and Ashto discover that successful crisis management requires selective change. The challenge is for a nation or individual to reflect on their identities, recognise what’s functioning and what’s not, and take imperative actions to improve the situation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How Will You Measure Your Life? is full of inspiration and wisdom that will help students, mid-career professionals, and parents alike forge their own paths to fulfilment.In this book, the world’s leading thinker on innovation and New York Times bestselling author of The Innovator’s Dilemma Clayton M. Christensen suggests a series of questions: How can I be sure that I'll find satisfaction in my career? How can I be sure that my personal relationships become enduring sources of happiness? How can I avoid compromising my integrity—and stay out of jail? Using lessons from some of the world's greatest businesses, Christensen provides incredible insights into these challenging questions.  In this week’s episode, Jonesy and Ashto discuss Christensen’s approach to finding happiness in our careers, relationships and family. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do great companies fall? Can we detect a potential decline earlier and avoid it? How far can a company fall before the path towards doom becomes inevitable? Is this something reversible? How the Mighty Fall offers responses to these questions, which offer leaders a well-founded hope that they can learn to prevent decline or alter their course. The author Jim Collins conducted a research project on this topic for four years and discovered the ultimate 5 step-wise stages of decline—in hope of providing a guidance to leaders on reducing their risks of falling all the way to the bottom. As long as we never get entirely knocked out of the game, hope always remains. The mighty can fall, but they can often rise again. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Skin In The Game is about the distortions of symmetry and reciprocity in life. If you have the rewards, you must also get some of the risks and not let others pay the price of your mistakes. In Skin In The Game, Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains how the willingness of accepting one’s own risks is an important quality of heroes, saints and successful people in all walks of life. Utilising examples from Hammurabi to Seneca and Antaeus the Giant to Donald Trump, Taleb shows us that having skin in the game is the backbone of risk management. No muscles without strength. No friendship without trust. No Teaching without experience. No life without effort. Skin in the game applies to all aspects of our lives because it helps us to learn and understand the world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Screw It, Let’s Do It, the Virgin Group founder Richard Branson shares all the important lessons, good advice and inspirational adages that have helped him along the road to success. An ultimate lesson that Branson learned is the following motto: ‘If you want something, just do it.’ From starting a student magazine to forming a chain of record stores and launching an airline, Branson managed to establish the Virgin Group that we all know today. The Virgin Group is one of the world’s most valuable brands, spreading across several industry sectors like travel, telecommunications, health, banking, music and leisure. Branson never went into business to make money. Whenever anyone asks Branson how they can make money, he always tells them the same thing: ‘There is no secret, and there are no rules to follow in business. You just have to work hard. Believe that you can do it and have fun!’ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.