CEO Material - D.A. Benton

Sometimes I think I read books to get recharged. It is like fuel for my soul and inspiration for my mind. This must be the gazillionth book on leadership and how to be a CEO and yadda yadda that I've read. And the principles stated within are vaguely familiar to me, having read so many books of the same genre. However, I still ended up gobbling the book like it was the first time I'm seeing the content. I did feel very recharged after reading the book.

It's packed with useful advice - nuggets of wisdom to help me make those small decisions each day.

Especially given the circumstances that I'm in right now as a very green junior manager, many of the issues resonated strongly with me. Nothing like reading the theory and then putting it into practice the next moment, and then to come back again for inspiration. Here are some thoughts:

1. As a manager, one has to think fast, think well, think clearly and think decisively. So far I think I've been doing ok on this front. I don't change too many of my decisions, and I generally make the correct decisions quickly. (Generally correct, that is!) However, I think there were a few times when I did not communicate my ideas or decision as well as I should have. This is one area to further work on.
   
2. Stand and walk tall. I think I haven't been doing this as well as I should! I had been so tired on some of the days that I looked like a mess. I don't think that creates alot of confidence in the people I work with. Have to do better here.
   
3. Having fire in my belly. Energy and time management are but two sides of the same coin. I have no time and no energy just 2 months into my job! And my energy is rather unstable - probably due to all the stimulants that I use to stay "on top". So there are times when I space out quite a bit and times when I'm on cloud 9. Perhaps eating healthier and exercising more will be a solution to this.
   

What on earth happened? - Christopher Lloyd

Wanted to learn a little more about History, and hence picked up this book. I got the condensed version and it was a very fast read - finished it within a couple of days.

It was quite a humbling experience to be reading about the whole of earth's history and realising that humanity (and also my life) are but an extremely small blip in the whole scheme of things.

And looking at everything in a greatly condensed timeline also made me realise how transitory events, people and countries' destinies are. No one stays at the top forever, and when one's fortune changes, nothing seems to be able to stop it.

I think I live in a fortunate time - at a time when Singapore as a country is doing great, my family background is decent, and I've been given opportunities to do the things I want. At the very least, I'm not born into an era where people's lifespans are a mere 30 years - otherwise I'd be near the end of my life!

Chris Patten - What's next?

One of my forays into international relations, politics and (most) things concerning the globe. All in all, this was a great read. Patten writes very eloquently, and with style to add too. His thoughts are lucid and well presented, and he does not hesitate to take a stand and give his own view of issues.

But it is a thick book, and it sure took me a really long time to finish reading it.

Some of my key takeaways from the book:

1. At the personal level, it is often said that it is the way we choose to react to an issue that says more about our character and has more impact on the future than the issue itself. The same goes for larger and more complex entities such as the nation state. In this regard, the way that the US and the rest of the world chose to react to the Sep 11 attacks has brought the world inevitably down this path of an ever-growing fissure between the West and Islamic world.
   
2. Dealing with issues on your own terms and never compromising on your principles, even if the enemy is ruthless. Democracies should live by their principles when fighting terrorists - in this regard the previous administration has lost much of its credibility in the eyes of countries that look to it as model, and increased cynicism amongst those who believe democracy is but a hypocritical veil for what ultimately are unbridled pursuits of self-interests.
3. I never knew this connection existed - the drug consumers in NYC and the rest of US are indirectly financing the military in Afghanistan. (Drug trade is about 40-60% of its GDP.)
4. "Solutions to the problems of global warmings are primarily issues of politics, not economics or environmental policy, and politics should be the answer..."
5. Chinese leaders face an existential crisis with regards to their centrally managed industrial economy. If they give the industry too much rein, the party may lose control of the state. On the other hand, if they continue to hold on to these industries with an iron fist, they also risk foreign investment flagging and leading to a slowdown / loss in competitiveness in their economy. The failure on the part of the party to fulfill its end of the social contract will result in it losing control of the state.
   
6. The world is built along the boundaries of nation-states. However, the issues that face the world are increasingly global in nature. (Disease, drugs, terrorism, etc) How nations can work together to deal with these issues will be critical in how the world develops in the new millennium.