Fed up with peppy leadership books? Strategy gurus with strangely white teeth and strangely permanent tans? Bulleted lists of do’s and don’ts that make management sound duh-level straightforward, when it’s anything but? Nigel Roberts has an idea for you: try Shakespeare instead.
Writing for INSEAD Knowledge, Roberts lays out some suggestions. If you need to persuade a recalcitrant crowd, persuade yourself to re-read Henry V’s Crispin Crispianus speech. If you’re considering a merger, consider The Tempest. If discord on your team is troubling you, then trouble yourself to peruse Julius Caesar for a few clues on what might be going wrong.
Of course, there are limits to this approach. You’re not going glean a lot of useful career tips out of Hamlet (promoted too soon? how to cope!) or Macbeth (how not to get that top job!). But there is a larger lesson here: the power of storytelling to connect, inspire, and stick with us. Quoting George Bernard Shaw, Roberts writes, “The problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Storytelling helps us overcome that dilemma. And if you’ve any doubt that it does, just try to recall a line from the Bard — any line will do — and a line from the last PowerPoint you sat through. Which is easier to remember?
Why Auntie Anne’s Pretzels Failed in China (Knowledge@Wharton)
Taiwanese-born Wen-Szu Lin thought he had a great opportunity when he bought the franchise rights to Auntie Anne’s in China. Raised in the U.S. and fresh out of business school, he seemed perfectly positioned to bring the addictive soft pretzels to this new market. And yet, as this review of his new memoir, The China Twist: An Entrepreneur’s Cautious Tales of Franchising in China, makes clear, he ran into roadblock after roadblock — including, at one point, a supplier whose poisonous product temporarily blinded half his employees. A fascinating read for anyone who has been caught off-guard by a culture shock, or stymied at a start-up.
Why Do So Many Female Entrepreneurs Find It Hard to Get a Date? (Inc.)
If you’re a successful woman whose online dating profile isn’t attracting many hits, Meg Cadoux Hirshberg may know the reason: The word “entrepreneur” in your listing. The notion that some men are intimidated by successful women isn’t new, but Hirshberg argues that female company founders face an especially frustrating form of this bias. Her solution: “treat dating like starting a company. Cast a wide net when seeking opportunities. Be willing to negotiate, but never sacrifice your core principles. And hope you find a customer who truly appreciates all you have to offer.” Good advice for either gender. —Dan McGinn
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