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The art of Business, the business of reading

These management books cover everything from ambition to diverse cultures to leadership. Story by Helen Trinca

Catch of the trade

How to Launch, Build and Sell a Digital Business

Gabby Leibovich and Hezi Leibovich (Wiley, $29.95)

It must be the year for immigrants to make their mark in management books.

This one is by the brothers Leibovich, who came to Australia from Israel with their parents and are best known for building e-commerce firm Catch Group, which they sold to Wesfarmers in 2019 for $200m.

(Two of the three books listed here are also by immigrants)

This is the story of how they did it, along with their earlier business - Catch of the Day. Scoopon and EatNow- Menulog.

The brothers are pioneers of Australian e-commerce, disrupters of the retail, food and travel sectors, and their high-octane approach to life - and this book - is captured in lines such as this: “The need to innovate and stay ahead of the curve forced us to be working at the edge all the time. It was exhilarating for everyone”

Profits from the book’s sales are going to charities Good360.org and SecondBite.org

Naturally Successful

How Wise Leaders Manage Their Energy, Influence Others and Create Positive Impact

Ingrid Messner (Grammar Factory, $29.95)

Ingrid came to Australia from Germany in 2004 and has a coaching and mentoring practice.

This book is pitched as a practical guide for leaders ‘looking to create positive change for people and planet’.

She has some tips about leadership, including focusing on issues such as self-awareness, engagement; energy management; accountability; collaboration; influence; context awareness, stewardship; and impact.

She argues that you need to define what success is in your teams because ‘how you define success determines how you relate to it to become naturally successful’.

ingridmessner.com

Curious about culture

Refocus Your lens on Culture to Cultivate Cross-Cultural Understanding

Gaiti Rabbani (Major Street Publishing, $29.95)

Gaiti Rabbani runs her own company focused on working with diverse cultures.

She writes “Cultures are not static. Societies and communities are ever changing in response to social, economic, environmental and global shifts. Cultures are continually being renewed and reshaped”.

rabbicollective.com

TURning Right: Inspire the magic

Kay Bretz (Major Street Publishing, $32.95)

Kay Bretz is another German-born Australian who is a corporate leader, elite athlete and explorer. He has degrees in international business law and has been working here since 2011.

Turning Right is the name of his consultancy, which is pitched at helping individuals and organisations to thrive ‘without the need to run crazy distances’.

turningright.com

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