想再上一层楼? 年度必读的5本商业好书

1.Think inside the (right) box

1.站在正确的盒子里思考问题

Thinking outside the box isn't just a cliché -- it's a ridiculous request. The brain organizes everything in categories. So what really gives you an innovation edge, argue Luc de Brabandere and Alan Iny in Thinking in New Boxes, is finding the right boxes. When Bic execs started viewing their company as a maker of disposable products, not just pens, it became a market leader for decades. Learn how to re-envision your business the same way.

跳出框框思考，不只是陈词滥调——也是一项荒谬的要求。我们的大脑将所有的东西分门别类。卢克?布拉班迪尔和艾伦?艾尼的《在新的盒子里思考》（Thinking in New Boxes）认为，真正能给你带来创新优势的是找到正确的盒子。Bic公司高管开始将自己视为一次性产品制造商，而不仅仅是钢笔制造商之后，它摇身一变，成了市场的领头羊，引领市场数十年。大家都需要学习用同样的方式来重新审视自己的业务。

2.Turn data into an asset

2.把数据转化为资产

The primary job of a leader is prediction -- whether it's figuring out if your customers are ready to ditch you or knowing when your trucks will break down. Fortunately, this has gotten easier now that even small companies can crunch vast amounts of data inexpensively. Big Data, by Viktor Mayer-Sch?nberger and Kenneth Cukier, will help you turn information into a powerful asset without getting lost in trying to understand every nugget.

无论是搞明白客户是否准备离开，还是弄清楚公司这辆战车何时会抛锚，预测都是领导人的主要职责。幸运的是，如今这项工作已经变得容易多了，甚至连小公司都可以用便宜的价格处理大量的数据。维克托?迈尔-舍恩伯格和肯尼思?库克耶的《大数据时代》（Big Data）将帮助您把信息转变为强大的资产，不会因为试图搞清每项数据而迷失。

3.How to teach rather than sell

3.授人以渔，而不是授之以鱼

In 1895 John Deere (DE, Fortune 500) launched The Furrow to educate farmers about new technology -- and more than a century later, it's the largest-circulation magazine in its category. The tractor maker was onto something, according to Joe Pulizzi's Epic Content Marketing. Customers want to be taught, not sold. The author shows you how to build the authority you need to attract and retain customers in your niche, tapping new digital tools.

早在1895年，《财富》美国500强之一的约翰迪尔公司（John Deere）就推出了《The Furrow》杂志教育农民学习新技术——如今，这本杂志已经是这个领域发行量最大的杂志。知名博主乔?普立兹在自己的博客Epic Content Marketing上这样说，这家拖拉机制造商那时可真有远见。对客户要授之以渔，而不是授之以鱼。本书作者向大家展示，如何在你所在的细分行业，利用新的数字化工具，建立起吸引和保持客户所需要的权威。

4.Thriving among black swans

4.借黑天鹅事件实现腾飞

Nassim Taleb famously coined the term "black swan" (in a book by the same name) for hugely unpredictable events. In Antifragile, he suggests how to not just survive but thrive on these occurrences. Trying to cultivate resilience isn't the answer. You've got to plan so that your business, your investment portfolio, and even your children can benefit and take power from coming storms. I spent this year revamping my business because of his advice.

纳西姆?塔勒布在《黑天鹅效应》（Black Swan）一书中创造出了著名的“黑天鹅”一词，用以描述异常出乎意料的事件。在《反脆弱性》（Antifragile）一书中, 他建议大家，不仅仅要幸存下来，还要在这样的事件中脱颖而出。努力培养适应能力并不是答案。你需要提前计划，确保你的业务、你的投资组合甚至你的子女都可以从中获益，并从即将到来的风暴中获得能量。正是因为他的建议，我今年花了一年的时间重整我的企业。

5.Help others, help yourself

5.助人就是助己

Finally there's some quality research to back up something that successful business people have understood intuitively for generations: Doing favors for those around you, without expecting payback, helps you too. In Give and Take, Adam Grant points to research showing that the smartest negotiators often strike deals that are highly beneficial for their counterparts as well, with little cost to themselves, resulting in gains for all parties involved.

最后，有一些高品质研究支持这样的说法，世世代代成功的商业人士对此已有直观的理解：帮助周围的人，不求回报，这样做也会帮到你自己。在《给予和索取》（Give and Take）一书中，亚当?格兰特指出，有研究显示，最聪明的交易者达成交易时，常常宁愿自己付出一点点代价，也要让交易对手同样能够获得高额的利益，从而实现多赢。