$27.00

The investment industry is changing dramatically, with industry observers commenting that a New Era is dawning.

This book describes the changes that have taken place and puts them in a framework that lets the reader understand the past and prepare for the future. The book is written by investment people who have worked for asset management firms and consulted to them for nearly twenty years. The subtitle of the book—Radical Reform for the Investment Industry—speaks to the need for new thinking to solve today’s challenges. The authors invoke Einstein’s oft-quoted insight: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking used when we created them.” The new thinking borrows from the world of psychology and social systems to explain the mindsets that created the current investment world and the mindsets that are evolving to create a new paradigm.

A major premise of the book is that investment firms must return to their basic mission: serving their clients. And though many firms pay lip service to this goal, evidence in the book suggests otherwise. A major step forward for firms is to think more carefully about their purpose: Why do we exist? What is our value proposition to clients? What is the meaning of the work we do?

In their consulting work, the authors find that firms are beginning to take these questions seriously. This step towards meaning is important because the Millennial generation, soon to dominate the work force, is acutely interested in it. The authors believe there are good answers to these questions about purpose but investment leaders have been slow to develop and articulate them. The book provides case studies of investment firms that are demonstrating new leadership with great success. These firms are characterized by skillful leadership, a strong sense of purpose, and highly cohesive cultures. They have moved away from a singular focus on shareholder profits to providing value for all the stakeholders: owners, employees, clients, and society.

The book pulls no punches in critiquing the current state of the industry—very low trust with the general population—and suggesting radically different thinking for the future. And while the authors believe there is a valid role for active investing, they recognize that only a small percentage of elite firms can deliver on the goal of superior performance. Thus, most of the resources in the investment industry should be directed towards understanding and meeting client objectives. A major shift in mindsets is from a “competitive” industry to a “service” industry. Finding a balance between these two mindsets is a key skill required of future leaders. The elite firms are finding this balance and enjoying success as a result.

$27.00

Finally, a book on leadership for senior executives in the investment world. As the investment landscape changes in profound ways—the movement to passive, fee pressures, disappearing alpha, heavy compliance—leaders are faced with the task of upgrading their skills. As the book’s subtitle suggests, most of these leaders either don’t want to or don’t think they need leadership lessons. Enter Jim Ware, a practitioner (analyst and Portfolio Manager) for twenty years and a consultant for the next twenty years. Author of four prior books on investment culture and leadership, he knows the landscape well and has devoted his career to helping investment leaders manage very clever professionals, who don’t want to be managed. The book is written in an amusing and practical style, precisely for busy leaders who want the information delivered efficiently and painlessly. Filled with research and examples from the consulting firm he founded, Focus Consulting Group (FCG), Ware covers topics like: Culture, Accountability, Teamwork, Emotional Intelligence, Trust, and Managing Difficult People. Readers can expect to takeaway useful ideas on:

• Defining and aligning around a culture that supports the mission and vision of the firm

• Describing the essence of their culture to employees, clients, and owners

• Decreasing the level of toxic behaviors found in many cultures

• Developing and maintaining high performing teams

• Receiving and delivering feedback in an effective way that contributes to results

• Developing an approach to accountability that increases the productivity of staff and avoids creating a blame culture • Creating and measuring a cognitively diverse team. And managing the different personalities.

• Defining and providing exercises for improving Emotional Intelligence, which begins with self-awareness

• Specifying the six key factors that define trust and how team members can build and repair trust with colleagues

• Managing the talented and clever people who populate investment firms

Ware provides metrics developed by FCG to benchmark and manage the various aspects of leadership, such as managing the self, the team, and the firm. Assessments for culture, 360 evaluations, team scorecards, trust levels, psychometrics, and the like are described. The book is appropriate for new and long-time leaders, as it provides approaches designed for the New Era in the investment industry.

$27.00

In today’s hyper-competitive investment industry, it’s no secret that investment professionals need to up their games considerably. The tool described in this book, the Enneagram, can provide a unique edge. A proven psychological system based on nine personality types, the Enneagram helps individuals achieve greater self-awareness, develop stronger relationships and make more informed decisions. Over the past decade, authors Jamie Ziegler, Jim Ware and Liz Severyns have brought the power of the Enneagram to thousands of investment professionals around the world through their workshops, coaching and consulting programs. In Type, Talent and Teams, the authors reveal key insights on how investment professionals can use the Enneagram to:

•Communicate more effectively with different personality types

•Deliver and receive feedback in an effective way that contributes to results

•Improve decision-making by harnessing the power of cognitive diversity

•Understand behavioral finance traps and how to navigate around them

•Develop and maintain high performing teams

•Deepen self-awareness by improving emotional intelligence

•Reduce and resolve conflict

This practical guide introduces the nine Enneagram types and their distinct worldviews, which determine how they think, what they want, and why they act the way they do. It highlights the personality types that are most often drawn to the investment business, and provides useful insights into their strengths, their communication and decision-making styles, and their possible derailers – the “blind spots” that can hold them back from achieving their greatest potential. Filled with original industry research, case studies and practical models, this guide is designed for professionals in all areas of an investment organization – research/portfolio management, distribution, and operations/technology/business management.

$60.00

A comprehensive guide to best practices within the investment industry. Investment Leadership provides readers with the tools to understand the leadership factors that contribute to sustainable growth; diagnose their firm's culture and understand why it is important; and replicate best practices from leading firms. With the help of diagnostic tools, practical advice from industry leaders, and real-life case studies, this book sets out to explain what is wrong with the status quo and reveal the secrets of long-term success in the investment industry.

$45.00

This book is the logical sequel to our first book, Investment Leadership, which discusses the steps in creating a vision and building a winning investment culture. That book identifies the specific elements of leadership that contribute to an investment firm's sustainable success, and covers the importance of clearly defining the vision and values.

High Performing Investment Teams investigates the specific behaviors that are implied by values such as "accountability" or "lifelong learning" or "teamwork. What does it mean to be accountable? Or to be a great team player? "It turns out your high-school coach was right: Teamwork matters.”