What we're reading: Outside the box of leadership edition - SmartBrief

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What we’re reading: Outside the box of leadership edition

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Strategy

We read a lot of articles to winnow down each business day’s SmartBrief on Leadership newsletter. That means hard choices, and sometimes intriguing, excellent content is left out.

Here is some of what I’ve been reading lately that might not seem directly applicable to most business leaders but may offer outside-the-box lessons. At the least, they’re good reads. Also, don’t forget to sign up for SmartBrief on Leadership.

“The Honey Launderers: Uncovering the Largest Food Fraud in U.S. History,” Bloomberg Businessweek, 9/19: The elaborate, still-unfolding story of how a company schemed to overcome U.S. tariffs on cheap, lower-quality Chinese honey, as seen through two up-and-coming employees.

“Workers at USIS, which vetted Alexis and Snowden, felt pressure to do more, faster,” The Washington Post, 9/20: The argument for the deadly consequences of “do more with less.”

“T. Rex Might be the Thing with Feathers,” Nautilus, 9/12: An essay on how the discovery process of dinosaurs has been a centuries-long tale of revision and re-examination. A good read for anyone interested in innovation and overcoming the outdated thinking of old.

“Mariano Rivera saves his best for last,” ESPN.com, 9/18: The greatest baseball player of his position is retiring, but it’s been his year of off-the-field giving and listening that’s perhaps made the most lasting impact.

“A Fantastically Clear, Concise Explanation of Why Traffic Happens,” The Atlantic Cities, 9/20: Insights into the inability of humans to conform to the best-laid plans of mice and men, even in the face of strong arguments. Also, robots are part of the solution, as they always seem to be.