Leading the Future: 6 Must-Read Innovation Books for CEOs

This year has already brought myriad changes to the workforce. Many business professionals I’ve interacted with agree that the CEO landscape is going through a significant transition. Chief executive officers stepped down in record numbers in 2023, and PwC predicts that even more will do so in 2024. With things like artificial intelligence creating new opportunities and challenges in the workforce, it is more important than ever to focus on what keeps your business growing, adapting, and competing: innovation. The titles below offer unique perspectives on how CEOs can innovate in the year ahead. Reading is one of the best tools to grow and expand your knowledge base as you work toward a better version of yourself. These six reads are worth adding to your personal development planning for 2024. 1. Design Driven Data Science: Integrating Design Thinking With Machine Learning for Business Solutions by MJV Technology & Innovation Design Driven Data Science: Integrating Design Thinking With Machine Learning for Business Solutions by MJV Technology & Innovation With the aforementioned appearance of AI on the scene, business leaders have more data on their hands than ever. Prioritizing data analysis is a prudent next step, but many CEOs are still left wondering how to wade through the vast amounts of data to develop the best next steps. Design Driven Data Science is an excellent tool to help business leaders navigate large amounts of information to make data-driven decisions. MJV Technology & Innovation has helped businesses foster innovation for 25 years. As the digital age transforms how companies do business, MJV helps to demystify the data universe by examining what data is and how it can improve organizations. 2. Monetizing Innovation: How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price by Madhavan Ramanujam and Georg Tacke Monetizing Innovation: How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price by Madhavan Ramanujam and Georg Tacke In Monetizing Innovation , authors Ramanujam and Tacke argue that to survive, businesses must innovate. However, companies obsessed with creativity and innovation still fail to make money after designing and building products. Many accept this failure as part of doing business. Their book challenges this approach, claiming that companies can take the guesswork out of their processes by designing products around the price. By putting customer demand and desire to pay at the forefront, CEOs can replace the uncertainty of monetizing a product with confidence. 3. Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice by Clayton M. Christensen, Karen Dillon, Taddy Hall, and David S. Duncan Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice by Clayton M. Christensen, Karen Dillon, Taddy Hall, and David S. Duncan Viewed as the leading authority on growth and innovation, Clayton M. Christensen and colleagues deliver years of research showing how companies can make innovation a sure thing. This gives customers what they want and are willing to pay a premium for. Through much research, the authors found that businesses focus on understanding the customer when they should prioritize what the customer wants to accomplish. In Competing Against Luck , they argue that customers hire a service or product to achieve things. In turn, companies can improve their records in innovation by focusing on what a customer wants to hire. 4. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel In a time when many believe we have hit technological stagnation, Peter Thiel presents a contrary view: that we continue to create in information technology and beyond. Innovating can be done in any industry and any business, he contends. Zero to One gives a fresh look at the future of progress in the United States and a new way to view innovation. He believes that there are still uncharted frontiers and inventions waiting to be unearthed. Thiel argues that innovation starts by asking questions that help us find value in unexpected places. 5. Innovation Management by Jan Van Den Ende Innovation Management by Jan Van Den Ende Innovation Management introduces new business development by focusing on new services and business models, not just new products. Its interactive format allows the reader to self-test and reflect with exercises and discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Author Van Den Ende provides evidence-based content with practical examples and ensures readers keep up with contemporary knowledge on innovation, covering design thinking, lean innovation, and open innovation. It’s an essential textbook for undergraduate students and executives. 6. Innovation Leadership by David G. Gliddon and William J. Rothwell Innovation Leadership by David G. Gliddon and William J. Rothwell If you want to build success in your organization with new ideas, authors Gliddon and Rothwell provide a comprehensive resource in their book Innovation Leadership . They posit that leadership in discovery and implementation is crucial for adapting to changing technology and customer desires. It can enhance employee creativity, help develop products, and support competition. An Innovation leader plays a key role in building an innovative culture. But views of what that concept means abound. Gliddon and Rothwell argue that everyone can be viewed as an innovation leader. Get Reading and Start Innovating The role of a CEO is diverse, and many challenges could present at any moment in time. Getting stuck in the same repeated cycle is easy, but doing so puts CEOs at risk of getting left in the dust in today’s fast-paced business environment. So how exactly do CEOs drive innovation? A great start would be choosing books like these that draw upon the expertise of seasoned leaders. With this tested advice, you should be able to keep your business competitive for years to come.