As a CEO, I've found that the right ideas can completely transform our perspective on business and leadership. The three books I'd like to share—AI 2041, The Formula, and Think Again—have fundamentally reshaped my views on innovation, leadership, and the future of business. They provide leaders with invaluable insights and strategies to thrive in the face of rapid change, offering practical guidance for adapting, competing, and growing.

I hope they inspire you to challenge assumptions and explore new paths to success.

AI 2041: Ten Visions of Our Future

By Dr. Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan

Overview and Review:

After navigating numerous technological disruptions throughout my career, I found *AI 2041* to be a groundbreaking read. It expertly weaves together speculative fiction and thorough analysis, making the future of artificial intelligence more relatable and understandable. The book unfolds through ten distinct short stories, each set in various regions and industries, from AI-driven educational reforms to high-tech financial schemes. Chen Qiufan's vivid storytelling enhances the narrative, while Dr. Kai-Fu Lee's commentary helps ground the stories in realistic, near-future AI capabilities.

What I found particularly compelling was how the book makes complex concepts approachable. Rather than instilling fear, the authors outline both the risks and significant opportunities that AI presents, emphasizing how human ingenuity can steer outcomes. The stories delve not only into technological advances, such as natural language processing and quantum computing, but also into the societal changes that AI will bring about, including shifts in work dynamics, new value creation, and ethical challenges related to privacy and bias. Each story is accompanied by an accessible analysis that explains the underlying technology and its potential trajectory.

Paradigm Shift:

For B2B executives, AI 2041 serves as more than just a forecast; it's a strategic guide for the future. It encourages leaders to reconsider how AI will transform value chains, customer expectations, and even the core nature of competition itself. The book emphasizes the importance of preparing for a future where AI is not merely a tool but an integral collaborator and influencer in the market.

The narrative clearly illustrates that those who proactively adapt, rethinking workforce development, data ethics, and business models, will find success, while those who remain stagnant are likely to fall behind.

…the complacent will be left behind.”

Why It Changed My Paradigm:

After finishing AI 2041, I shifted my viewpoint from seeing AI as a distant threat or unrealistic solution to recognizing it as an intricate force that's already shaping our reality. The global perspective and scenario-driven approach motivated me not only to anticipate technological changes but also to consider the accompanying human, ethical, and economic complexities. I believe this book is essential for anyone looking to future-proof their organization.

The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World's Fastest-Growing Sport

By Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg

Overview and Review:

The Formula is a high-octane chronicle of how Formula 1 transformed itself from a niche European motorsport into a global business juggernaut. As a CEO, I found the book's narrative of relentless reinvention, risk-taking, and strategic disruption deeply resonant. Robinson and Clegg trace F1's journey through decades of technological moonshots, audacious business deals, and colorful personalities—from engineering geniuses to shrewd dealmakers and fearless drivers.

The book excels at weaving together the technical evolution of the sport with the corporate machinations behind the scenes. It candidly explores how innovation (like computerized cars and wind tunnel simulations), bold leadership, and calculated risk-taking propelled F1's growth, even as it navigated scandals, regulatory upheaval, and moral ambiguities. 

The authors don't shy away from controversy, detailing how F1's expansion into new markets and its embrace of entertainment value sometimes came at the cost of tradition or ethics.

Paradigm Shift:

For B2B executives, The Formula is a masterclass in strategic agility and transformation. The book demonstrates that sustained success comes from a willingness to challenge orthodoxy, embrace new technologies, and reinvent the customer experience.

F1's story is a blueprint for how legacy industries can disrupt themselves before being disrupted, leveraging innovation, global branding, and partnerships to capture new markets.

…a blueprint for how legacy industries can disrupt themselves before being disrupted.”

Why It Changed My Paradigm:

Reading The Formula had me rethinking industry boundaries and my appetite for change. It was a vivid reminder that in today's hyper-competitive environment, the winners are those who combine technical excellence with bold, visionary leadership. The lessons on risk management, brand building, and the interplay between technology and human talent are directly transferable to any B2B context.

Think Again

By Adam Grant

Overview and Review:

Think Again  is a clarion call for intellectual humility and the power of rethinking, a message every CEO and business leader needs to internalize. Adam Grant, a renowned organizational psychologist, explores why our greatest asset in a volatile world isn't what we know but how willing we are to question our assumptions and unlearn outdated beliefs.

The book is structured around three levels: individual, interpersonal, and collective rethinking. Grant illustrates, through research and engaging anecdotes, how leaders often fall into the traps of "preacher, prosecutor, and politician" mindsets—defending beliefs, attacking others, or seeking approval—when instead we should think like scientists: curious, adaptable, and open to being wrong.

He provides actionable strategies for fostering a culture of constructive debate, persuasive listening, and continuous learning.

Paradigm Shift:

For B2B organizations, Think Again is a toolkit designed to build resilience and adaptability. In a world where markets, technologies, and customer needs evolve rapidly, the ability to rethink is a competitive advantage. Grant's insights help leaders create environments where challenging the status quo is encouraged, mistakes are learning opportunities, and diverse perspectives drive innovation.

“…we should think like scientists: curious, adaptable, and open to being wrong. “

Why It Change My Paradigm:

After reading Think Again, I became more attuned to the dangers of overconfidence and groupthink. The book pushed me to embed rethinking into my company's DNA, making it safe to question, experiment, and pivot. This mindset has been crucial to my B2B success, where agility, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making have been the keys to long-term growth.

Final Thoughts

As a CEO, these three books fundamentally shifted how I approach leadership, strategy, and innovation. 

AI 2041 challenges you to anticipate and shape the future; The Formula shows the power of reinvention and calculated risk; Think Again equips you with the mindset to thrive amid uncertainty.

Together, they offer a blueprint for B2B business success in an era defined by rapid change and complexity. After reading, you will finish these books with a new paradigm, one that prizes adaptability, foresight, and the courage to rethink everything. 

Great Books Change the Game!

“....a good book can teach you about the world and about yourself. You learn more than how to read better; you also learn more about life. You become wiser. Not just more knowledgeable - books that provide nothing but information can produce that result. But wiser, in the sense that you are more deeply aware of the great and enduring truths of human life.”

― Mortimer J. Adler, How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading