The History of Business is Thus the Story of Entrepreneurs:

Whether we’re conscious of it or not, every management decision is motivated by a desire to find universal answers to very specific questions. People who succeed in organizations tend to be pragmatic problem solvers. They have to be, because of the myriad challenges they face. How to grow the enterprise. How to get work done. How to find customers. How to be themselves in the workplace. And so on. Because there are no easy answers to these complex problems, they test the answers by starting a company, launching a project, or making a move. As they succeed and fail, the most attentive of them learn from the results.

The history of business is thus the story of entrepreneurs, executives, leaders, and employees, lurching from one experimental answer to another. They gain expertise and acumen, and profits and revenues, and, along the way, add to the theory of management. 'The entire history of management ideas can be seen as a series of answers to a few pragmatic queries.'—
20 Questions for Business Leaders
Citation: Art Kleiner and Nancy A. Nichols via Strategy+Business

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Margaret Heffernan: "Let's not play the game, let's change it."

Margaret Heffernan: Management thinker
The former CEO of five businesses, Margaret Heffernan explores the all-too-human thought patterns — like conflict avoidance and selective blindness — that lead organizations and managers astray.

Why you should listen
How do organizations think? In her book Willful Blindness, Margaret Heffernan examines why businesses and the people who run them often ignore the obvious -- with consequences as dire as the global financial crisis and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Heffernan began her career in television production,
building a track record at the BBC before going on to run the film and television producer trade association IPPA. In the US, Heffernan became a serial entrepreneur and CEO in the wild early days of web business. Her blogs are listed on Huffington Post and BNET.com/CBS Cited.

Heffernan's latest book, Beyond Measure, a TED Books original, explores the small steps companies can make that lead to big changes in their culture.

Business news and ideas from Margaret Heffernan

Margaret Heffernan

It's a few months after graduation, which means the luckiest new college grads are knee-deep into internships and entry-level jobs. How to stand out? Business writer Margaret Heffernan suggests: Start by taking a coffee break with your coworkers. Companies grow best, she suggests, when workers are connected by social bonds.

Mind's Of Business Leaders Series:

Are you playing by the same rules?
If you haven't peeved off someone yet; you're probably not learning the business right. Tune in to Modern Workplace, find out what your organization or business must do to stay competitive. Register to join for a live chat with specialists during the broadcast.
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 IT-MOB, all points covered.

In this episode of Modern Workplace, Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, discusses his business secrets to success. Renowned columnist and author Ekaterina Walter talks about the role of innovation in leadership and business. Stuart Jenkins of Deckers Brands will explain why companies must reset their expectation of risk. And host Alex Bradley, Microsoft Office, presents innovative productivity solutions to business challenges, including Skype Translator and Azure Machine Learning. Modern Workplace Topics: For business, bonus videos and more information about the productivity and social solutions featured in the series. 

'Innovate or Die'
 MOBL Series