In our research we have found that there are 20 success factors for scaling. But there is one ultimate, underlying aspect that determines all others: to have an explorative, learning mindset.
We have found that in every one of the participants of the ScaleUpBoard program. We saw it in how they responded to being challenged, in their insightful questions, and in their dedication to the learning exercises. It inspired us to create the ScaleUpBoard library: a collection of books that fuels us and makes us grow towards being better board members. Here are 10 books for you to read or gift this holiday season:
The ScaleUpBoard reading list
Startup Boards: Getting the Most Out of Your Board of Directors
Brad Feld (2014)
An essential guide to understanding the dynamics of a startup’s board of directors. Brad Feld, an entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist, shares his experience on having the right board members on your team and how to manage them well.
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber
Mike Isaac (2019)
In 2017 the CEO of Uber was ousted in a boardroom coup that capped a brutal year for the company.. Investigative reporter Mike Isaac tells the tale of Uber’s rapid rise and toxic internal culture, based on hundreds of interviews and previously unpublished documents.
Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist
Brad Feld (2013)
The co-founders of the Foundry Group (early-stage IT VC firm) reveal the inner-workings of the VC process, from the venture capital term sheet and effective negotiating strategies to the initial seed and the later stages of development.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert B Cialdini (1984)
Cialdini is a bestselling author and a seminal expert in the fields of influence and persuasion. In Influence, he explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings.
High Growth Handbook
Elad Gil (2017)
A handbook for high-growth companies to navigate the challenges they will inevitably face: organizational structure, late-stage funding, culture, internationalization, hiring executives buying other companies, and more.
Doughnut Economics: 7 Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist
Kate Raworth (2018)
Economics is broken, and the planet is paying the price. Can we go on like this? Is there an alternative? Oxford academic Kate Raworth lays out the 7 deadly mistakes of economics and offers a radical re-envisioning of the system that has brought us to the point of ruin.
Corporate Rebels: Make Work More Fun
Joost Minnaar & Pim de Moree (2020)
Joost and Pim quit their promising jobs in 2015 with the aim of revolutionizing the way organizations work. In this book they take you on an adventure and introduce the pioneers who have shown that work can be radically different.
Reframing – The Art of Thinking Differently
Karim Benammar (2012)
From a factory owner who encourages his employees to set their own salary, to the revolutionary ideas of Nietzsche – Benammar shows how creative ideas emerge when people dare to analyse and reframe their core beliefs. The world changes and we have to change with it.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith (2012)
Marshall Goldsmith’s expertise is in helping global leaders overcome their unconscious annoying habits and become more successful. His one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag – but in this book you get his great advice for much less.
The Culture Map : Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done Across Cultures
Erin Meyer (2016)
Business success in today’s world requires the skills to navigate through cultural differences and decode cultures foreign to your own. Renowned expert Erin Meyer is your guide through this subtle terrain where people from different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together.
Bonus: Resources from our alumni
We have gathered some of the resources that were recommended by ScaleUpBoard alumni. From articles to podcasts, here is a list of resources that will inspire you to be a better board member:
- Building Better Boards, David Nadler, HBR (2004) [Article]
- Collaborative Advantage: The Art of Alliances, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, HBR (1994) [Article]
- Are you an effective scale-up board member?, ScaleUpNation (2018) [Article]
- The Twenty Minute VC, by Harry Stebbings [Podcast series]
- Startup Boards, by Mark Suster [Blog series]
- Culture Design Canvas: Map, Assess and Evolve Workplace Culture [Tool]
- The Earth Charter [Tool]
Become the board member that scale-ups need
The next ScaleUpBoard class is kicking off in February 2022. You can find all of the details here. Get in touch with Jacqueline to save your seat:
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