Story Details - Alumni - Harvard Business School

01 Mar 2012

Faculty Books

By: Professor Bill George; Professor Joseph L. Bower; Professor Herman B. Leonard; Professor Lynn S. Paine; Professor Howard Stevenson; Professor Noam Wasserman

Topics: Information-Books Business Ventures-Business Startups Economics-Economic Systems Entrepreneurship-General Leadership-Leadership Development Personal Development-General Philanthropy-Giving Impact

True North Groups: A Powerful Path to Personal and Leadership Development

by Bill George and Doug Baker
(Berrett-Koehler Publishers)

Incorporating recent research in psychology and sociology, George and his coauthor explain why a True North Group—a small group of people where one can have in-depth discussions about the most important things in life (like happiness and sadness or hopes and fears)—is critical to helping develop the self-awareness, compassion, emotional intelligence, and authenticity required to be inspired human beings and inspiring leaders. They cover every detail from choosing group members, establishing norms, and dealing with conflicts to evaluating progress and deciding when it’s time to restructure.

Capitalism at Risk: Rethinking the Role of Business

by Joseph L. Bower, Herman B. Leonard, and Lynn S. Paine
(Harvard Business Review Press)

Capitalism’s future is far from ensured. In the face of teetering European economies, income inequality, resource depletion, mass migration from poor to rich countries, religious fundamentalism, and other threats to continuing prosperity, how can capitalism be sustained? The authors argue that while governments must play a role, businesses should take the lead. They explain how business must serve as both innovator and activist, developing corporate strategies that effect change at the community, national, and international levels. (See their opinion piece on page 22.)

Getting to Giving: Fundraising the Entrepreneurial Way by a Billion-Dollar Fundraiser

by Howard Stevenson with Shirley Spence
(Timberline LLC)

Philanthropy is a powerful force in society, but the challenges are great, particularly during an economic downturn that has dampened contributions even as the demand for services escalates. Professor Emeritus Stevenson offers practical techniques and real-life stories about the art and science of asking for money. Topics include what motivates donors to give; the four donor questions one must be able to answer; how to craft compelling messages about an organization and cause; how to think and act like an entrepreneur; what the role of a fundraising leader entails; and why and how fundraising can be rewarding and fun.

The Founder’s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup

by Noam Wasserman
(Princeton University Press)

One important decision entrepreneurs face when starting a new business is whether to bring in cofounders, hires, and investors to help build it. Drawing on a decade of research, the stories of founders of companies like Twitter and Pandora, and data on almost 10,000 founders, Associate Professor Wasserman reveals the pitfalls founders face and how to avoid them. He explains how to anticipate, avoid, or recover from disastrous mistakes that can strip founders of control and leave them without a financial payoff for their hard work and ideas.