Accelerating Leadership One Book at a Time

This Month’s Featured Read

If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal

by Justin Gregg

If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal overturns everything we thought we knew about human intelligence, and asks the question: would humans be better off as narwhals? Or some other, less brainy species? There’s a good argument to be made that humans might be a less successful animal species precisely because of our amazing, complex intelligence. All our unique gifts like language, math, and science do not make us happier or more “successful” (evolutionarily speaking) than other species. Our intelligence allowed us to split the atom, but we’ve harnessed that knowledge to make machines of war. We are uniquely susceptible to bullshit (though, cuttlefish may be the best liars in the animal kingdom); our bizarre obsession with lawns has contributed to the growing threat of climate change; we are sexually diverse like many species yet stand apart as homophobic; and discriminate among our own as if its natural, which it certainly is not. Is our intelligence more of a curse than a gift? As scientist Justin Gregg persuasively argues, there’s an evolutionary reason why human intelligence isn’t more prevalent in the animal kingdom. Simply put, non-human animals don’t need it to be successful. And, miraculously, their success arrives without the added baggage of destroying themselves and the planet in the process. In seven mind-bending and hilarious chapters, Gregg highlights one feature seemingly unique to humans—our use of language, our rationality, our moral systems, our so-called sophisticated consciousness—and compares it to our animal brethren. Along the way, remarkable tales of animal smarts emerge, as you’ll discover.

narwhal
Available on Amazon

RAC Recommended

The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of CapitalismThe Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism

by Hubert Joly (Best Buy CEO)

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What’s Your ProblemWhat’s Your Problem

by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg

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The Joy of WorkThe Joy of Work

by Bruce Daisley

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Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries.Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries.

by Safi Bahcall

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Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill CampbellTrillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell

by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenburg, Alan Eagle

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The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful GroupsThe Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

by Daniel Coyle

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“A wise leader, therefore, does not see herself as someone who simply makes sound decisions; because she realizes she can never, on her own, be an optimal decision maker, she views herself as a decision architect in charge of designing her organization’s decision-making processes.”

You’re About to Make a Terrible Mistake

“three ways to improve your team’s motive-based trust in you: self-disclosure, demonstrating fairness, and acting with integrity.”

Bankable Leader

“Their whole organisation adapts to this idea that the first part of the day is depth time.”

The Joy of Work

“Many companies are adopting small, autonomous multifunctional teams working in sprints to vastly accelerate decisions and adjustments.”

The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism

“It is far more common for people to allow ego to stand in the way of learning.”

Principles
Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility

by Patty McCord 

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The Undoing ProjectThe Undoing Project

by Michael Lewis

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Drop the BallPrinciples

by Ray Dalio

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Bankable LeaderBankable Leader

by Tasha Eurich

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Business AdventuresBusiness Adventures

by John Brooks

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House of Debt
Thanks for the Feedback

by Atif Mian and Amir Suif

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