Holiday reading recommendations

Pascal Bornet’s book offers a good overview of the current state of Agentic AI, its roots in Robotic Process Automation, its current limitations and what is required to unlock the full potential. This is not just a dry text book but has lots of valuable and practical case studies (both successes and failures) that really make it come alive.

Working in the technology industry, I’m always looking for tips on navigating working environments where women are in the minority. One tip is not to assume my own way of thinking about something is “typical”, and to challenge situations where I think other people are making this assumption. I found “Invisible women” to be fascinating on the topic of how gender data gaps came about and why they persist in fields ranging from public policy, to medical research and technology. What I found interesting, and concerning, is how data collection and algorithms informing new AI tools can perpetuate gender biases.

"Chip War" makes for a compelling read, especially for those operating in or around the technology sector. It gives deep geopolitical insights into the global semiconductor industry and its historical evolution, underscores its strategic importance for economic prosperity and national security, and looks forward to future challenges. One clear driver of current tectonic (macro-economic) shifts in the world’s political stage is the struggle for control of next-generation chip manufacturing. Any leader navigating a complex global change agenda or preparing for potential digital disruptions should view this as a ‘must read’.

What I found most interesting in this book was its focus on the wildly important goals (WIGs), those that truly matter, with clear framework for executing them. The authors lay out actionable disciplines: acting on ‘lead-measures’, keeping a compelling scoreboard and creating a cadence of accountability. The outcome is better prioritisation, better accountability, team engagement and better workloads due to alignment with strategic priorities. It's an important book that equips you with tools to align teams towards what matters the most and to drive real, sustainable results in a focused, disciplined way.