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Summer vacation may look a little different this year, but it doesn’t mean that private equity professionals can’t continue to expand their knowledge of change management, dealmaking, and leadership while still enjoying a view of the beach.
In this article, we review the top five books for dealmakers who are looking to increase their industry knowledge, enhance their management and leadership skills, and stay on top of private equity and investment topics while simultaneously riding the COVID wave away from the office this summer.
- Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by John Kotter
So far in 2020, dealmakers have had to adapt to all types of change – market uncertainty, changes in relationship management, working from home, and more. Based on the award-winning work of Harvard Business School’s John Katter, this book provides a practical eight-step process for managing change with positive results and a powerful framework for helping teams successfully adapt to new circumstances.
- What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence by Stephen A. Schwarzman
In this New York Times bestseller, Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Blackstone, shares his life experiences to show readers how to build, transform and lead thriving organizations. He provides insight applicable to all financial professionals striving to make a greater impact at their firms. Ray Dalio, Founder, Co-CIO and Co-Chairman of Bridgewater Associates describes this book as “the real story of what it takes from a man who could turn dreams into realities.”
- Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter
Author and Harvard Business School professor, Michael Porter, analyzes what creates competitive advantage in different industries. Since many dealmakers spend their days analyzing companies, industries, and strategies, Competitive Strategy provides an ideal starting point. Dealmakers can gather Porter’s ideas and apply them to assess industries, understand competitors, and choose competitive positions.
- Investment Leadership: Building a Winning Culture for Long-Term Success by Jim Ware, Beth Michaels, and Dale Primer
In this book, the authors offer tools executives can use to be better leaders and ways they can contribute to sustainable growth in their firms. In addition, they offer ways to diagnose a firm’s culture and reveal ways to replicate best practices being implemented at leading firms. The book contains practical advice from industry leaders, case studies, and tools to explain why the status quo in the financial services industry isn’t working anymore and ways private equity professionals can achieve long-term success.
- Lessons from Private equity Companies Anyone Can Use by Orit Gadiesh and Hugh Macarthur
Now more than ever in today’s landscape it is important for private equity professionals to be strategic when sourcing deals in order to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage. In this book, the authors cover in whole the private equity firms and the five disciplines then need to have and retain in order to make the equity perform better than traditional registered public equity.
