Background:

There are many titles in the business and leadership genre out there. You just need to look and you will find n number of books by n number of authors. However, what does make a book different? It is, perhaps, the writing style. It may, well, be the content that an author covers. It might very well be about the manner in which an author approaches the subject matter discussed in the book – the expertise of the author. What if I tell you that you can get everything in some books together? Won’t that be an amazing one to read? Behold How Leaders Decide: Tackling Biases and Risks in Decision-making, a contemporary book on decision-making written by a popular name in the industry, Harjeet Khanduja. This is certainly one of the best books I have read on this subject. And believe me when I make this assertion. I have been an employee in the corporate sector, client servicing, for more than 7 years now and I have worked under people and people have worked under me. The things that this book discusses in the 25 chapters that it contains aptly cover many things about our industry. How do we decide on important subjects? Why do we need to be free of biases while making decisions that decide the direction of a company? Why does a team decision sound right more than a decision taken by a single person? What is DDM? You will learn many things… that is sure. 

The book itself:

Harjeet’s book comes packed with facts, references, examples, analysis and also the steps to execute what the author has hinted. Well, it isn’t an ABC kind of book that will tell you to press some buttons and the decision is made. No! The book does suggest how and why decisions impact the growth of a company or the loss that a company can make, thanks to a bad decision. The CCD example rang the bell for me. You get the pros and cons. You get the analysis of various styles of decision-making. You also get the examples of philosophies that various leading companies in the world follow – the Apple vs Google analysis should be useful for many. The chapters begin with a quote and with a summary in the aptly measured sentences of the author. There are 25 chapters divided into 5 different parts. The book is well-developed and offers a very convenient path to follow. A reader will learn about various methods of decision-making, problems in effective decision-making and then finally about the execution phase. Every chapter offers a list of references that makes things reliable and speaks about the concerns the author has taken in preparing the content for this book.

What differentiates the book from other books?

Though this question should better be answered by individual readers themselves, I will try to put a few points. First of all, the quality of the book is very high compared to many other books out there. The publisher’s name, SAGE India, does half the job. They publish quite amazing titles. The second thing that impressed me is that the book does not bore you as you attach yourself to when reading an academic book. Though the subject is academic and it involves a first-hand student-like approach, the author has managed to keep the reader in me interested in knowing more. And I do believe any reader would feel the same. The third thing is that the book has many endorsements from leading names in the Indian business sector. Harsh Goenka of the Goenka Group has written the foreword of the book!

Who should read the book?

Strictly speaking, if you are a corporate employee of the executive bench, you must read the book. Liberally speaking, if you dream to score big in your professional life, you should read the book to increase your chances of getting there. Speaking broadly, who doesn’t participate in the decision-making processes in any organisation or any kind – public or private, government or confined? And therefore, anyone who wants to understand what it takes to make the decisions at a higher level in organizational structures should read the book. The book is very good and it has been written with details. Anyone who reads it should benefit immensely. Well, things might be too technical for those readers who just want to read any book about business. Mind that if you are not into the corporate culture (in practice and theory, both).

About the author:

In business books, always remember to check the credentials of the author. Someone selling stocks cannot decide what it takes to sell something in a food stall! Harjeet Khanduja is the Vice President of HR at Reliance Jio and it speaks volumes about his expertise in dealing with the decisions that would impact the company directly. He has had an illustrated career and his expertise has contributed largely to the book.

Where can you get this book?

You can buy the book from Amazon right now. You can click the link below to go to the Amazon book page directly and get it.

Get the book now – click to buy from Amazon India 

Review by Amit for Egoistic Readers