A peek into successful businesses
An untutored eye peering into the world of business books would likely sight a wondrous concoction of highly wrought jargon, allegorical snippets, zoomorphic metaphors and vividly subtle ego trips; wrapped ornately in boundless optimism. The untutored eye could be forgiven for approaching the business world through glasses hued with a liberal tinge of rosiness. The transition from this world to the real, however, is often beset with disappointment. Generally, this fleeting emotion may be dispelled by embarking on a renewed errand in the company of another business book.
Such word offerings tend to be an ode to the exception, a successful business. Best-selling author, business speaker and management guru Jason Jennings’ The Reinventors joins this crowded world of dedications scampering for a reader’s mind space. In this book, Jennings endeavours, through laborious research and rigorous study, to unearth common threads running through businesses that qualify as luminary examples of reinvention.
Citing plentiful instances, he emphasises the need for constant reinvention, to stay relevant in today’s rapidly changing world. Looking askance at the stodginess that ensnares many businesses, pushing change for change’s sake ought to be welcomed. Persistent business growth, often through acquisitions, is viewed as a key catalyst for reinvention. However, the emphasis seems to rest on growth at any price, with profitability warranting modest reference.
The idea of spreading the net wide and making small bets is put forth as a critical concept. The pursuit of change is accompanied by a fervent focus on systematising processes; an example of a mutually exclusive idea that sits well within the reinvention concept. The Indian concept of Jugaad also finds mention. The pages offer business leaders a set of how-to indicators on setting big picture goals and charting a roadmap.
Organised along nine chapters and at fewer than 250 pages, The Reinventors is undemanding on reader attention spans. As a trade-off, the book does a laudable job of providing a glimpse into the landscape without zooming in for a closer view. Its complexion is a blend of self-help and a Malcolm Gladwellesque picking of an idea and buttressing it with numerous examples. The book is somewhat richer in its utility value in the latter part.
Even as some concepts warrant a pause for absorption, many of The Reinventors’ broad brush findings are likely to strike a chord of familiarity with regular readers, business practitioners and the vast ranks of management aficionados. A palpable absence of the Wow! factor, non-differentiated, largely repackaged content could cause The Reinventors to struggle to stand out amid the swarming shelves of business tomes.
— hemant.sreeraman@gmail.com