On Leadership: Practical Wisdom from the People Who Know
by Allan Leighton
This tome is more a collection of interviews of Britain's top business executives, quizzing them on what makes a great leader, than a prescriptive system for achieving greatness. Included are the fruits of 20-minute chats with Sir Philip Green, owner of some of the country's largest retailers, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Andy Hornby of HBOS, Justin King of the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, industrial designer Sir James Dyson and Gulam Noon of frozen food maker Noon Foods. The author has also interviewed Britain's top financial journalists.
All Marketers are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World
by Seth Godin
Journalist and marketing guru Seth Godin offers a highly readable and entertaining volume in his profile of what it takes to cut through modern marketing chatter. His theory is that a successful brand does not merely focus on features or benefits, but must tell a great story. The author weaves tales of successful branding based on the ability to tell a tale that feels authentic and consistent, and conforms to what the target audience's view of the real world is - regardless of the lack of any hard, cold facts to back up the story.
