Books to help you act with purpose

Alberto A. Ignacio Jr. is one of the new additions this year to the Aboitiz Group, serving as president and chief operations officer of Aboitiz Construction.

While he holds a new role in the company, the official has had three decades of expertise in design, construction, and project management. Based on his profile published in the Aboitiz Group website, Ignacio has built a career around senior and critical management roles in First Balfour, Jaka Investments Corp., Laguna Property Holdings, and Jebsen & Jessen Singapore.

Under his leadership, Aboitiz Construction eyes to be part of the construction of the Cebu-Cordova bridge through a private consortium. Ignacio, who met with the local media together with Aboitiz executives early this month, recommends the following titles:

“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek can help individuals identify what inspires them, and how they can learn to think and act with purpose. Ignacio said this book has helped him inspire people to do things that inspire them as well.

“Scaling Up” by Vernie Harnish “is a book that makes you challenge your thinking on how you can grow and do better in the way you run a business organization.” The author, he pointed out, describes the keys to scaling up such as: attracting and keeping the right people; creating a truly differentiated strategy; driving flawless execution; and having plenty of cash to weather the storms.

“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely explores “what people actually do when they buy, sell, change jobs, marry and make other real-life decisions.” Ariely, an economist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, tells us that “life with fewer market norms and more social norms would be more satisfying, creative, fulfilling, and fun.”