Tag: leadership

Latest Read: Spies, Lies, and Algorithms

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 30, 2023

Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence by Amy Zegart. Amy holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University. Dr. Zegart is an associate professor at UCLA’s School of Public Affairs.

Amy previously served on the Clinton administration’s National Security Council staff in 1993 and as a foreign policy advisor to the Bush-Cheney 2000 presidential campaign.

She has testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and has provided training to the Marine Corps, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

So, it is no surprise US intelligence does not publicly address their embrace of AI for obvious reasons. Amy is documenting the use of technology including AI in the world of espionage. US intelligence has the challenge of confronting the James Bond 007 effect when confronting both public opinion and the growing role misinformation.

Amy is providing a historical view of US intelligence and their embrace of technology. She is also offering a future view of American espionage in a world of advanced AI. This is a very interesting read to discover an overview to US intelligence and the history of fatal biases and misunderstood analytics. Yet, Amy is outlining how today’s technology empowers both old 3rd world and new enemies. Technology has also empowered citizens to use web services to track nuclear threats. This was unheard of during the Cold War.

Tags algorithms, Amy Zegart, Artificial Intelligence, digital transformation, espionage, leadership

Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: Competing in the Age of AI

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 23, 2023

Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World by Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani

Marco Iansiti is Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He is a co-director of the Laboratory for Information Science at Harvard and of the Digital Initiative at HBS. Marco holds a PhD and an AB in Physics from Harvard. He is an advisor at KeystoneAI.

Karim R. Lakhani is a Business Administration Professor at Harvard Business School. He is co-director of the Laboratory of Innovation Science at Harvard’s Institute of Quantitative Social Science. He is Chair of the Harvard Business School’s Analytics Program. Karim holds bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Management from McMaster University, a masters degree in Technology and Policy from MIT and a PhD in management from the MIT. He previously served as a Lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

This is certainly one of the better books addressing AI and business innovation. A must read for any organization now confronting AI challenges regardless of their respective markets. In industry after industry, the core elements of data, analytics, and AI-driven processes have certainly transformed business.

Tags Artificial Intelligence, business planning, Competing in the Age of AI, Karim R. Lakhani, leadership, Marco Iansiti, Strategy

Education Reading

Latest Read: Good Boss, Bad Boss

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date May 10, 2022

Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best…and Learn from the Worst by Robert Sutton. Robert is a professor of management science at Stanford University and a researcher in the field of evidence-based management.

Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best... and Learn from the Worst by Robert I. Sutton PhD

In 2017 he published The No Asshole Rule. I must admit it was a book that leaves an impression upon readers. Good Boss, Bad Boss does reference this work but is a much better delivery.

Robert also previously published Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less, which reveals how to strive for excellence and not allow your organization to become just mediocre.

Basically, Robert shares the difference that good bosses are certainly connected with the teams they lead. This is based upon research proving performance and humanity make all the difference. Robert’s research certainly displays case studies with leaders who both struggled or overcame challenges to lead their teams.

One of the strongest impressions is understanding that regardless of industry or work demands, a good boss will be a shield to their teams from within their organization — often this means leadership. Robert is also delivering a real world view.

Tags leadership, management, Robert Sutton

Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: The Culture Code

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date July 25, 2021

The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
by Daniel Coyle. Daniel is the author of The Talent Code, a New York Times bestseller and a contributing editor for Outside Magazine. He has certainly written an insightful book that easily holds your attention around building successful groups.

This is unique because his lessons flow beyond the common idea that ‘groups’ are only within a workplace. On the other hand, it would be a mistake to narrow your view of this book to just the workplace. Daniel delivers impactful lessons for community, academic, and volunteer groups. Almost anyone gathering with others for a common cause can benefit.

The Culture Code is direct in establishing the key building block to group success. Hence, a dedicated, honest, and holistic leadership is key. Moreover, this type of leader allows individuals to feel safe and grow to become loyal to their group’s mission.

Daniel writes an intriguing story in Chapter 4: How to Build Belonging around a group of highly dedicated and successful jewelry thieves. As you can see, this is somewhat weird at first glance. Yet, so committed to this group, each member of this criminal gang selflessly went to prison rather than rat out any member of their group. In fact, this group actually developed plans to free anyone in their group arrested….by actually breaking to the prison. Wow.

Daniel provides many examples of successful groups. There are a number of lessons from military groups focusing on war. While all Americans can identify to the group that killed Bin Laden, military culture is very elite. In comparison, this may be a bit distant for everyday groups striving to succeed.

Tags culture, Gregg Popovich, groups, leadership, Leading Change

Education Innovation Reading TED

Latest Read: Quiet

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date May 1, 2021

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Susan’s efforts in revealing insights addressing introverts are remarkable. In the age of COVID, Quiet offers all readers a refreshing though process to strengthen ourselves and all of our relationships by better understanding introverts. At the same time, it may be indeed revealing that readers are rediscovering their own quiet demeanor while working at home.

Susan’s stories of Rosa Parks, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak, and Eleanor Roosevelt are certainly well researched and serve as insightful lessons to their daily behaviors.

As a result, one of the strong and revealing topics across the opening three chapters address how leadership is impacted by extroverts. However, this is sometimes not for the better.

Traditionally extroverts certainly carry a group’s ideas. Susan is proving this to be a wrong approach.

Any unchallenging loud voice in the room seemingly is ‘defining’ a project or sales ‘success’ for the gorup, can certainly be where the train goes off the tracks. When this is a CEO or senior Vice President there can be uphill challenges to organizational success. An introvert attending a Tony Robbins event was interesting to say the least as Susan attests.

Tags behavioral economics, introvert, leadership, Quiet, Susan Cane