IE Business School Professor Steven D’Souza Wins Top Honours at CMI Management Book Awards

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has named Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner’s Not Knowing CMI’s ‘Management Book of the Year’ for 2014.  In an age of fast-paced change and data overload, the book smashes the orthodoxy that managers can – or should – be all-knowing and challenges leaders to think differently to succeed.

The award, which is run in association with the British Library and sponsored by Henley Business School, is judged by a panel of the UK’s top business and management leaders. Not Knowing: The Art of Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity, published by LID Publishing Ltd, won the Commuter’s Read category before being chosen as the overall award-winner.

Ann Francke, chief executive of CMI, which runs the competition said: “The managers who succeed in the 21^st century economy are those who learn to embrace change and uncertainty, not fight it. This book shows why and should have managers asking themselves some big questions about how they lead. CMI’s Management Book of the Year is all about finding the ‘Management Gold’ that really makes a difference, and that’s exactly what this book does. If you only read one management book this year, make it this one.”

Commenting on their success, winning authors, Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner, said: “The inspiration for the book comes from our own lives, from our own stories and from those who have shared their stories with us from around the world. We dedicate this book to anyone who’s been to the edge. We wrote it in honour of courage, curiosity and compassion and hope it inspires managers to take their teams into the unknown.”

Phil Spence, Chief Operating Officer of the British Library, which supports the competition, said:

“The winner of this year’s competition reflects the need for impartial advice and information in the sometimes uncertain journey of a manager or business leader.”

Launched in 2010, the CMI Management Book of the Year competition was created to uncover some of the best books on management and leadership, and help raise the profile of the great management writing published in the UK.

About the Authors

Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner have more than 30 years’ experience between them working globally with clients from corporate, non-profit and public sectors. They met at the Harvard University Kennedy School’s ‘The Art and Practice of Leadership Development’ Programme. They consult, coach, facilitate and train on a diverse range of leadership and management development programmes. D’Souza is based in London, where he is the Director of Programmes for Western Europe and GCC for the FT | IE Corporate Learning Alliance.  He is also an Associate Professor at IE Business School. Renner is based in Melbourne, Australia and is the director of Not Knowing Lab.