GlobalGyan Academy CEO shares 5 books that helped him strategies, identify breakthrough ideas

The GlobalGyan Academy CEO has been an avid reader since childhood; he says everyone would gift him only books.

Srinivasa Addepalli, CEO – GlobalGyan Academy, is currently reading ‘Stand Out’ by Dorie Clark. He came across Clark’s research on how leaders develop breakthrough ideas and become recognised in their field.

He told ET Panache, “I have always believed that just like businesses use strategy and marketing to win in their competitive markets, even individuals need to build their personal strategy. This book is helping me learn some of the best practices in the area of ‘standing out of the crowd’, useful for my teaching work as well as for my own personal positioning.”

Sharing his must-read list, Addepalli has ‘How Will You Measure Your Life’ by Clayton Christensen, James Allworth, Karen Dillon among the top five. “Applying management concepts to one’s personal life may sound strange, but the connections created by Christensen and his co-authors are delightful. This book played a huge role in my decision to leave my corporate job and embark on a journey in entrepreneurship,” he explained.

‘Competitive Advantage’ by Michael E. Porter is also on the list for him. “The definitive book in strategy; it is not just an academic text. I find myself referring to it regularly to bounce off my ideas with the concepts shared by Prof. Porter. While his recent articles have updated and refined the ideas contained in this book, the core principles of competitive advantage are timeless,” the CEO said.

Chetan Bhagat’s Winning Formula: Bestselling Author Reveals 5 Success Tips

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‘Determination’ Is Key

25 Sep, 2018

Banker-turned-author Chetan Bhagat is ringing his 45th birthday today. The ‘5 Point Someone’ author, who quit his 11-year-old high-paying job to follow his passion for writing, credits his success to determination that kept pushing him to never give up. At an Alibaba Foundation event in 2018, while shared a few anecdotes from his childhood, Bhagat recalled the time when money was in short supply.”My friends from rich families got nicer school-bags and pencil-boxes, and came to school in luxury cars. Being born in a middle-class family, money was always in short supply. Instead of feeling jealous, I decided to achieve all of it myself,” he said.As the ‘2 States’ author turns 45, here are some more winning formula tips from his journey.

A Sharp Mind

25 Sep, 2018

“In a jungle, a lion’s cub, initially fed by his/her mother, eventually has to learn how to hunt. He/she needs to sharpen the claws and learn how to use them. For humans, claws represent the mind,” Bhagat said.According to Bhagat, a sharp mind can do wonders in any situation. And for those with no material wealth in life, education is the stepping stone to sharpen one’s mental faculties, and rise above one’s station, he shared with the audience.While he loves surfing the Internet (he has a sizeable social media following), chatting with friends and watching cute puppy videos, his mantra is very clear: ‘Work first, fun later’.

Good Habits Stay

25 Sep, 2018

If ol’ habits die hard, good habits stay. And that’s why the bestseller writer feels that it’s essential to inculcate good habits that will see you through life. And if you’ve ever been lazy or lacked discipline to complete a task, fret not: what matters most is getting back on track. Bhagat said that as a child he would seek refuge in the local, video game parlours for Re 1 instead of studying. But, somewhere, good sense prevailed and he didn’t let that become a (bad) habit. “Good habits are hard to develop and can seem like a pain, but are worth it,” he added.

Empower Yourself

25 Sep, 2018

When Bhagat decided to choose a college, he started preparing for the IITs because it would make him employable and independent. In other words, empowered to look after himself. And his message to the audience was: Equip yourself to one day not be dependent on anyone – this applies to everyone, but especially to girls, and women. As more women break barriers and assume non-conventional roles, they are setting new limits for themselves, he said. And this is becoming possible because women are feeling empowered to take on challenges and excel in roles that were previously dominated by men.

Be A Positive Person

25 Sep, 2018

Failure, often, pulls one down, and pushes a person to the brink of taking an extreme step. Bhagat revealed that he, too, once wanted to end his life in school because he didn’t fare well in Chemistry exams. “Anxiousness and failure can play mind games with you. But, it is up to you to learn from your experiences and move on,” he shared. In an increasingly cynical world, it’s important to hold one’s stead, and stay positive.

‘The Content Trap’ by Bharat Anand is another book that the education business head uses as a personal strategy guide. “In a world where content is easily and freely available, how do you build valuable digital business models around content? Bharat Anand shows us not to fall into the content trap but to focus on the connections that add value to content,” Addepalli opines.

Also on the list is ‘The Creation of Wealth’ by RM Lala which he was asked to read when he joined the Tata group. He worked with the company before he started his own business. “Not only is it fascinating to read about the journey of the Tatas over 150 years, it is a huge learning on how the creation of wealth and the building of communities can go hand in hand. Undoubtedly, the Tata group pioneered the idea of sustainability and responsibility much before they entered corporate jargon,” he explained.

‘The McKinsey Mind’ by Ethan Rasiel and Paul N. Frigga rounds up the list. “A practical guide that probably every consultant has read to learn the methods and tools that have been shaped by the foremost consulting firm in the world. But, it is not just for consultants. Every manager who has to solve complex problems would benefit from the structured, yet expansive approach to problem solving that this book teaches,” he ended.

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