Loading
Rockwell Automation Home
  • Industries
    • Industries Chevron RightChevron Right
      • Automotive & Tire
      • Cement
      • Chemical
      • Entertainment
      • Fibers & Textiles
      • Food & Beverage
      • Household & Personal Care
      • Infrastructure
      • Life Sciences
      • Marine
      • Metals
      • Mining
      • Oil & Gas
      • Power Generation
      • Print & Publishing
      • Pulp & Paper
      • Semiconductor
      • Water Wastewater
      • View All
    Industries
    Case StudyRockwell Automation's case studies Case Studies DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
  • Capabilities
    • Capabilities Chevron RightChevron Right
      • The Connected Enterprise®
      • Consulting & Integration Services
      • Cybersecurity
      • Digital Transformation
      • Industrial Analytics
      • Industrial Automation & Control
      • Industrial Maintenance & Support
      • Industrial Networks
      • Lifecycle Services
      • Machine & Equipment Builders
      • MES Solutions
      • Process Solutions
      • Safety Solutions
      • View All
    Capabilities
    Blogs DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
  • Products
    • Hardware Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Software Chevron RightChevron Right
      • Circuit & Load Protection
      • Condition Monitoring
      • Connection Devices
      • Distributed Control Systems
      • Drives & Motors
      • Energy Monitoring
      • Human Machine Interface
      • Independent Cart Technology
      • Industrial Computers & Monitors
      • Input/Output Modules
      • Industrial Control Products
      • Lighting Control
      • Motion Control
      • Motor Control
      • Networks Security & Infrastructure
      • Packaged Solutions
      • Power Supplies
      • Programmable Controllers
      • Push Buttons & Signaling Devices
      • Relays & Timers
      • Safety Instrumented Systems
      • Safety Products
      • Sensors & Switches
      • Signal Interface
      • View All Hardware Products
    • DesignSuite
      • Dynamic Digital Twin Software
      • Studio 5000 Design Software
    • OperationSuite
      • FactoryTalk Edge Gateway
      • FactoryTalk Batch
      • FactoryTalk Historian
      • FactoryTalk View - HMI Software
      • FactoryTalk Metrics
      • Factory Talk Analytics Augmented Modeler
      • FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI
    • MaintenanceSuite
      • FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices
      • FactoryTalk AssetCentre
      • FactoryTalk Emonitor
      • FactoryTalk Network Manager
      • FactoryTalk TeamONE
      • Fiix CMMS
    • InnovationSuite
      • Augmented Reality
      • FactoryTalk Analytics
      • MES
      • ThingWorx IIoT Platform
      • FactoryTalk Analytics Edge ML
    Products
    Find Products by Our Brands: Allen-Bradley FactoryTalk
  • Support
    • Product Support Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Documentation Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Knowledgebase Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Training Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Downloads
      • 2D & 3D Drawings
      • Activations
      • Add-on Profiles
      • Application Code Libraries
      • Compatibility & Downloads
      • Drivers & Firmware
      • Electronic Datasheets
      • EPLAN Macros
      • Sample Code Library
      • Software Patches
      • View All
    • Selection & Configuration
      • Integrated Architecture Builder
      • Control Systems Configuration Tools
      • Procurement Specifications
      • ProposalWorks Proposal Builder
      • Global Short-circuit Current Ratings Tool
      • View All
    • Compatibility & Migration
      • Migration & Modernization
      • Lifecycle Status
      • Product Replacement Lookup
      • View All
      • Technical Documentation Center
      • Technical Specifications
      • Product Certifications
      • Product Drawings
      • Release Notes
      • Literature Library
    • Support Center
      • Support Options
      • Search for Answers
      • Chat Online
      • Call Us
      • View All
    • Online Forum
      • My Inbox
      • My Favorites
      • My Subscriptions
      • View All
    • My TechConnect
      • Chat History
      • Service Ticket History
      • Manage Your Favorite Answers
      • Field Service Request
      • View All
      • E-Learning Courses
      • Instructor-led Courses
      • Training Workstations
      • View All
    Support
    Contact Us HelpHelp Get Support LaunchpadTools and applications View All Tools
  • Company
    • Events Chevron RightChevron Right
    • News Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Careers Chevron RightChevron Right
    • PartnerNetwork Chevron RightChevron Right
    • About Us Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Featured Events
      • Automation Fair
      • Process Solutions User Group
      • Rockwell Automation On The Move
      • Rockwell Automation TechEd
      • ROKLive
      • PACK EXPO CONNECTS
      • View All
    • Webinars
      • Live
      • On-Demand
      • View All
      • Blogs
      • Case Studies
      • Automation Today
      • Podcasts
      • Press Releases
      • View All
      • View Jobs
      • Teams & People
      • Hackathon
      • Employee Video Spotlight
      • View All
      • Authorized Distributors
      • Digital Partners
      • Licensed Developers
      • OEM Partners
      • Strategic Alliance Partners
      • System Integrator Partners
      • Technology Partners
      • PartnerNetwork Portal
      • View All
      • Our Brands
      • Our Community
      • Our History
      • Integrity & Sustainability
      • Investor Relations
      • View All
    Company
    ProductivityProductivity Investor Relations
  • Sales
  • Sales
  • View All Industries
  • View All
  • View All
  • View All
  • View All
  • Automotive & Tire
  • Cement
  • Chemical
  • Entertainment
  • Fibers & Textiles
  • Food & Beverage
  • Household & Personal Care
  • Infrastructure
  • Life Sciences
  • Marine
  • Metals
  • Mining
  • Oil & Gas
  • Power Generation
  • Print & Publishing
  • Pulp & Paper
  • Semiconductor
  • Water Wastewater
  • View All
  • The Connected Enterprise®
  • Consulting & Integration Services
  • Cybersecurity
  • Digital Transformation
  • Industrial Analytics
  • Industrial Automation & Control
  • Industrial Maintenance & Support
  • Industrial Networks
  • Lifecycle Services
  • Machine & Equipment Builders
  • MES Solutions
  • Process Solutions
  • Safety Solutions
  • View All
  • Circuit & Load Protection
  • Condition Monitoring
  • Connection Devices
  • Distributed Control Systems
  • Drives & Motors
  • Energy Monitoring
  • Human Machine Interface
  • Industrial Computers & Monitors
  • Input/Output Modules
  • Industrial Control Products
  • Lighting Control
  • Motion Control
  • Motor Control
  • Networks Security & Infrastructure
  • Packaged Solutions
  • Power Supplies
  • Programmable Controllers
  • Push Buttons & Signaling Devices
  • Relays & Timers
  • Safety Instrumented Systems
  • Safety Products
  • Sensors & Switches
  • Signal Interface
  • View All Hardware Products
  • View All
  • View All
  • Technical Documentation Center
  • Technical Specifications
  • Product Certifications
  • Product Drawings
  • Release Notes
  • Literature Library
  • View All
  • E-Learning Courses
  • Instructor-led Courses
  • Training Workstations
  • View All
  • View All
  • Blogs
  • Case Studies
  • Automation Today
  • Press Releases
  • View All
  • View Jobs
  • Hackathon
  • Employee Video Spotlight
  • View All
  • Authorized Distributors
  • Digital Partners
  • Licensed Developers
  • OEM Partners
  • System Integrator Partners
  • Technology Partners
  • PartnerNetwork Portal
  • View All
  • Our Brands
  • Our History
  • Investor Relations
  • View All
  • iTRAK Intelligent Track Systems
  • MagneMover Lite Intelligent Conveyor System
  • QuickStick Intelligent Conveyor System
  • View All
  • Dynamic Digital Twin Software
  • Studio 5000 Design Software
  • FactoryTalk Edge Gateway
  • FactoryTalk Batch
  • FactoryTalk Historian
  • FactoryTalk View - HMI Software
  • FactoryTalk Metrics
  • Factory Talk Analytics Augmented Modeler
  • FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI
  • FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices
  • FactoryTalk AssetCentre
  • FactoryTalk Emonitor
  • FactoryTalk Network Manager
  • FactoryTalk TeamONE
  • Fiix CMMS
  • Augmented Reality
  • FactoryTalk Analytics
  • MES
  • ThingWorx IIoT Platform
  • FactoryTalk Analytics Edge ML
  • 2D & 3D Drawings
  • Activations
  • Add-on Profiles
  • Application Code Libraries
  • Compatibility & Downloads
  • Drivers & Firmware
  • Electronic Datasheets
  • EPLAN Macros
  • Sample Code Library
  • Software Patches
  • View All
  • Integrated Architecture Builder
  • Control Systems Configuration Tools
  • Procurement Specifications
  • ProposalWorks Proposal Builder
  • Global Short-circuit Current Ratings Tool
  • View All
  • Migration & Modernization
  • Lifecycle Status
  • Product Replacement Lookup
  • View All
  • Support Options
  • Search for Answers
  • Chat Online
  • Call Us
  • View All
  • My Inbox
  • My Favorites
  • My Subscriptions
  • View All
  • Chat History
  • Service Ticket History
  • Manage Your Favorite Answers
  • Field Service Request
  • View All
  • Automation Fair
  • Process Solutions User Group
  • Rockwell Automation On The Move
  • Rockwell Automation TechEd
  • ROKLive
  • PACK EXPO CONNECTS
  • View All
  • Live
  • On-Demand
  • View All
  • #ROKLive Podcast Series
  • ROK Talk on Safety, Sensing Connectivity Podcast Series
  • ROK Talk on Industrial Components Podcast Series
  • ROK Talk on Drives Podcast Series
  • View All
  • Students & New Grads
  • View All
  • Cisco Partnership
  • Endress+Hauser
  • FANUC
  • Microsoft
  • Panduit
  • View All
  • Our Focused Giving
  • STEM Education
  • Lifelong Learning
  • View All
  • Sustainability Report
  • Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Environmental, Health, & Safety
  • Ethics & Compliance
  • Global Supply Chain & Sourcing
  • Product Environmental Compliance
  • Quality Management Systems
  • Trust & Security
  • Workforce of Tomorrow
  • View All
Case StudyRockwell Automation's case studies Case Studies DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
Blogs DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
Find Products by Our Brands:
Allen-Bradley FactoryTalk
Contact Us HelpHelp Get Support LaunchpadTools and applications View All Tools
ProductivityProductivity Investor Relations
  • Literature LibraryLiterature Library
    Literature Library

    Access technical and commercial publications for hardware and software products, applications, services and solutions.

    PCDCProduct Compatibility and Download Center
    Compatibility & Downloads

    Find downloads including firmware, release notes, associated software, drivers, tools and utilities.

    KnowledgebaseKnowledgebase Support Center
    Knowledgebase

    Browse the database of questions and answers on a variety of products and technologies.

    Product ConfiguratorProduct Configurator
    Product Configurator

    Configure and select products rapidly.

    Software SubscriptionsSoftware Subscriptions
    Software Subscriptions

    One stop shopping for software and subscription services.

    2D & 3D Drawings Bill of Materials CrossWorks Electronic Datasheets Motion Analyzer My Equipment My Training E-Learning Portal Product Lifecycle Status Product Registration Product Selection Toolbox Repairs Sample Code Library Software Activations View All
    Tools
    UserUser Sign In/Create an Account
  • User Account User
Tools
Literature LibraryLiterature Library
Literature Library
PCDCProduct Compatibility and Download Center
Compatibility & Downloads
KnowledgebaseKnowledgebase Support Center
Knowledgebase
Product ConfiguratorProduct Configurator
Product Configurator
Software SubscriptionsSoftware Subscriptions
Software Subscriptions
2D & 3D Drawings Bill of Materials CrossWorks Electronic Datasheets Motion Analyzer My Equipment My Training E-Learning Portal Product Lifecycle Status Product Registration Product Selection Toolbox Repairs Sample Code Library Software Activations View All
Blog
Recent ActivityRecent Activity

These Books Will Change the Way You Look At Industry and Leadership

Share This:

LinkedInLinkedIn
TwitterTwitter
FacebookFacebook
PrintPrint
EmailEmail
Main Image

I like to read a few books at a time, usually one about management and another about innovation. And rather than look for opinions that align with my own, I prefer to have my assumptions challenged, my point of view broadened, and discover completely new ways of seeing the world.

Several recent reads fit this category – they delivered the unexpected, created conversation and made me think differently. 

These are my top six, with at least one of the lessons I took from each.

Focused on the future of smart manufacturing, this podcast, hosted by the author of this blog, explores the impact of disruptive technologies; workforce issues; and global business trends.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari wrote this book as if he was observing humankind from another realm. His ideas are unexpected and sometimes controversial.

How did humans develop so far and wide when primate groups usually cap at 150 individuals? (Hint: shared myths). An interesting element of this book is the concept of imagined realities – money, religions, relationships and jobs work for us because we share a universally accepted truth about them.  Shared myths allow us to organize in teams, sometimes of a billion people or more. But when that truth changes so do our realities.

Lesson for industry: If the ability to create and share myths allowed Homosapiens to thrive and organize, what could happen with an enforceable trust mechanism like blockchain? How would it permit and change us by reducing the friction of interaction?

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?

Actor/author Alan Alda talks about the challenges faced by technologists and scientists who must communicate ideas to people unfamiliar with the concept. (He’s the host of Scientific American Frontiers, where he met and talked with so many scientists working to get their ideas across).

Everything from how projects get funded to selling your idea to the world – it all relies on how well you convey what you know.   If the idea of sending scientists to improve classes seems ridiculous, you need to open up your mind a little.

Lesson for leadership: Based on the concepts in this book I am changing the way we do project reviews with this directive: Explain your concept to me the way you would explain it to your grandparent or an 11-year-old. You do not score extra points for complexity.

Related blog: AI Extends Human Capabilities and Helps People to Achieve More.

Humans + Machine, Reimagining Work in the Age of AI

I am fascinated by how authors Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson portray the future of how we’ll work. There certainly are fears growing around if and how AI will replace workers. This book helps alleviate those fears because while AI will reduce the need for repetitive, non-value-add work, the result is also an increase in better jobs for those people.

Lesson for leaders: Use the arguments in this book to help your teams prepare for and adapt to the future, reduce fear and take advantage of the opportunities in the future of work.

Ready Player One

For anyone who wants to “see” the future, author Ernest Cline does a great job creating a virtual world and describing how we’ll interact within that world.  His views of virtual shopping malls and virtual schools are truly insightful. 

It will be easier for people to connect and collaborate virtually but the quality of those interactions will diminish. We’re already experiencing the benefits of virtual interaction in manufacturing, as technicians can open a cabinet and look at a part in 3-D in real-time without the need to travel.

What’s coming: the blurring of human and machine interaction. If you get robocalls you already know how difficult it is to tell when you’re talking to a human or to a machine. (Hint: ask the suspected robocaller to repeat a word for you).

Lesson for industry: For every technology, there’s an upside and a downside. Understand both.

Permission to Screw Up, How I Learned to Lead by Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong

When author Kristen Hadeed started her apartment cleaning service, she had 50 employees – and 40 of them quit the same day. She shares everything she did wrong, and she helped me look at mistakes in a new way.

Lesson for leaders: People who are trying their best and making decisions with good intent deserve help and mentoring, not job termination. 

Delivering Happiness, a Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

This is a comic book from Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos. He’s also run a worm farm and a pizza business.

He stresses that as leaders, we owe it to our teams to be precise and direct, and to align what we say and what we do with our values. This book reinforced the power of corrective feedback. We all need it; we don’t all get it, or deliver it.

Lesson for leaders: This book made me more aware of the culture I am trying to create, and how I communicate what I expect and what I value.

What are your standouts? How have they changed you, your assumptions of the world and how you see the future? 

Published May 1, 2019


Dave Vasko
Dave Vasko
Director of Advanced Technology, Rockwell Automation
Connect:
EmailEmail
Subscribe

Subscribe to Rockwell Automation and receive the latest news, thought leadership and information directly to your inbox.

Subscribe

Recommended For You

Loading
  • Technical Question
  • Chat Technical Support
  • Phone Support
  • Contact Sales
  • General Questions
  1. Chevron LeftChevron Left Home Chevron RightChevron Right
  2. Chevron LeftChevron Left Company Chevron RightChevron Right
  3. Chevron LeftChevron Left News Chevron RightChevron Right
  4. Chevron LeftChevron Left Blogs Chevron RightChevron Right
Discover
  • The Connected Enterprise®
  • Create Your Account
  • Case Studies
  • Events
Information for...
  • Distributors
  • OEM
  • System Integrators
  • Technology Partners
  • Investors
  • Career Seekers
  • Avoid Unauthorized Sources
Contact Us
  • General Questions
  • Technical Questions
  • How to Buy
  • Local Sales & Service
  • Pricing & Availability
  • Report Ethical Concerns
Site Information
  • Legal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Preferences
  • Terms of Use
  • Trademarks
Change Country Site SelectionChange RockwellAutomation.com site selection to a different country, region or language Change Country
Puerto Rico/English

Keep Updated With Us

Sign up to receive our latest headlines for free.

Stay Informed Now
Follow Us
BlogRockwell Automation's Blog
Copyright ©2021 Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Home