Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, once said that “not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”, and if there’s one thing CFOs do is read. Not only spreadsheets and data but also news articles, publications, and even some blogs so that they can stay up to date on all the latest trends and topics in the finance world. But what about books?
The best books for CFOs are different from the ones you would expect. Don’t get us wrong; there are some great books on finance, market trends and growth strategies. But as the CFO’s role shifts in this modern digitised world, so do the books they should keep on their bedside table because knowing how to be a great CFO is knowing how to be a great leader.
That’s exactly what you can take from Mike Michalowicz’s book, “All in”, a guide to building a thriving workforce and avoiding high turnover rates. But if you’re looking for how to reach higher grounds with your business, then John Rossman’s book is the one to keep on your bedside table. Rossman takes from his experience at big companies such as Amazon or Google to explain how you need to be fierce and take risks to achieve outstanding results.
So, if you’re searching for the next big launch or want to read a new book this year, save this article in your bookmarks for your next trip to the nearest bookstore.
Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society
As the world faces crises, Gupta, George and Fewer bring hope. In Venture Meets Missions, this entrepreneurship and innovation expert group explains how businesses, governments, and individuals must collaborate to tackle climate change, cybersecurity, and more.
The book, first launched in January 2024, uses the authors’ experiences in Silicon Valley innovation and venture capital to tell engaging stories of successful entrepreneurs who combine mission and venture to solve critical problems within today’s society.
Retire by 30: Achieve Financial Freedom through the FIRE Movement and Live Life on Your Own Terms
Achieving financial independence that allows you to retire as early as 30 has gained popularity amongst younger generations over the last few years. The FIRE Movement, Frank Niu states, is no longer wishful thinking but something achievable with the right strategy.
In this book, launching on March 26th, Niu, who retired from the corporate world at 30, shares his insights on the FIRE Movement and explains how he achieved financial independence.
All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams
Building the right team is essential for Finance leaders, especially CFOs, who need to find the right talent to help them take the organisation to the next level. And, as Mike Michalowicz states in his new book, published on January 2nd, “It’s never been harder building successful teams.”
Throughout the book, Michalowicz reveals his tips and tricks to build a thriving workforce and avoid turnover. “All in” will help leaders find the right talent, match individual abilities to client and company needs, and even transform struggling employees into superstars.
Big Money in Franchising: Scaling Your Enterprise in the Era of Private Equity
The private equity landscape is shifting, and it can be a game changer for up-and-coming businesses. In “Big Money in Franchising”, board advisor and private equity consultant Alicia Miller explains how franchisors and franchisees can benefit from private equity’s investment and guidance.
By using recent case studies and thoughtful exploration of financial strategies, Miller’s book, launching March 12th, 2024, reveals how to build brands and unlock value by learning private equity’s growth playbook and shows how these businesses can attract and work successfully with private equity investors.
Big Bet Leadership: Your Transformation Playbook for Winning in the Hyper-Digital Era
In today’s business world, where AI is changing how we work, the workforce is ageing, digital transformation is on the rise, and competition is becoming more intense than ever, leaders need to find ways to mitigate the risks to their businesses. The latest book by John Rossman promises to be just that.
Drawing from his experience at Amazon, Google and the Gates Foundation, Rossman believes that to be a leader, “you need to be a shark”. And for that, he presents us with a framework of concepts, rules, techniques, and resources, equipping business executives to become Big Bet Leaders.
Scale-up Navigator
Since the internet boom, European companies have been playing a game of catch-up to their US counterparts. Technology companies are rising but still need to scale to the scale of big Silicon Valley names like Google, Apple, or Meta. But the rise of AI might lead to a shift, and European start-ups need to start scaling up. To achieve this, meeting the increased social and environmental sustainability requirements and corporate governance (ESG) is essential.
Scale-up Navigator, launched on February 14th and written by professors and lecturers in Entrepreneurship departments, provides the necessary guidelines for founders, employees, investors, and other key stakeholders to help them achieve rapid and sustainable growth. They better understand the various challenges involved in scaling their company, such as the development and management of their team or the evaluation of growth.
The Valuation Book: How to value businesses and shares – an introductory guide for investors, managers and more
Let’s face it: the valuation world can be challenging to grasp. And if you’re still trying to understand valuation principles, this book is for you.
Written by a group of academics who have also worked in valuation, The Valuation Book will be out in October 2024 — yes, we know it’s still a long way down the road, but it will be worth the wait — and it provides a unique mix of theory and practical application of valuation principles. It will help investors, managers, accountants and more to understand everything they need to value their business and even how ESG can be integrated into the mix.
