Weekend Leadership Reading: 7/27/18

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Weekends are time when things slow down a little. Your weekend shouldn’t be two more regular work days. That’s a sure road to burnout. Take time to refresh yourself. Take time for something different. Take time for some of that reading you can’t find time for during the week.

Here are choice articles on hot leadership topics culled from the business schools, the business press and major consulting firms. This week there are articles about the gig economy.

From the London Business School: Professional services – what the gig economy means for the white-collar freelancer

“Flexible work is one of the biggest drivers of the transformation of business models”

From Macy Bayern: The 5 factors driving workers away from the gig economy

“With the rise of apps like Uber, Lyft, Postmates, and Favor, more and more Americans have jumped on the gig economy bandwagon. In a gig economy, employees engage in short-term work as independent contractors or freelancers. And with some 16.5 million American participating in ‘contingent’ or ‘alternative work arrangements,’ according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in June, the gig economy appears to be thriving.”

From Abdullahi Muhammed: 4 Reasons Why The Gig Economy Will Only Keep Growing In Numbers

“Right now, more than one in three workers are freelancers. Of the freelancers who are over 55, 49% are using supplemental gig work to help fund their eventual retirement. This contributes to the overall growth of the gig economy, but the news isn’t all good. Overall, 40% of freelance workers worry that they will not be able to retire comfortably, yet they are not giving up on their vocation.”

From Derek Beres: There’s no such thing as the ‘gig economy’—it’s all marketing hype

“The robots are coming, but the kids are alright (and even the seniors, we’re told). Although more jobs will be automated in the coming decades, plenty of opportunities will exist for everyone. Such is the promise of this bright future sculpted by the forthcoming technological utopia. The gig economy will save us, empower us even, given that we set the rules, the hours, our participation. All we can do is thrive, right? If only.”

From Mike Boro: The gig economy is bigger than US government data makes it look

“The study, released last month by the Department of Labor, found that people working in ‘alternative work arrangements’—a category that includes Uber drivers, freelance graphic designers, and people who find work through temp agencies—accounted for 10.1 percent of the workforce in 2017. That’s down from 10.7% in 2005, the last time the BLS conducted the survey.”

Book Suggestion

Usually you’ll see pointers to several books here. Not this week. This week, there’s only one.

There are several books on the gig economy, but most have two shortcomings. They are strictly about how you can make a bundle in the gig economy while working three hours a week from the tropical paradise of your choice. Yes, I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea. Also, most of the books don’t have enough thoughtful reviews for you to get a sense of the book and how suitable it might be for you.

The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want by Diane Mulcahy

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