Introducing a new title by Risto Siilasmaa on the transformation of leadership and AI

We are delighted to announce that Risto Siilasmaa, chairman of the board of Nokia from 2012 to 2020, will publish his upcoming book, Observe, Think, Act – Strategic Leadership in the Age of AI, on 17 November in Finland.
The Finnish language edition will be published by Tammi, part of Werner Söderström Ltd, The Estonian rights have already been sold in a pre-publication auction to Äripäev.

“Over the course of his extensive career, Risto Siilasmaa has already experienced several technology-driven business disruptions. The age of AI is no surprise to him either. In fact, it would be foolish not to use the advantages AI brings — both in business and in book publishing. This new book brilliantly opens up the possibilities of a new era,” says Timo Julkunen, CEO of Werner Söderström Ltd. 

Following an auction, Bonnier Rights Finland is happy to announce that the Estonian rights for the upcoming title have now already been sold to Äripäev, the Estonian publisher of Bill Gates, Charles T Munger, Adam Grant, Daniel Kahneman, Reid Hoffmann. etc.  

Bonnier Rights Finland, part of Werner Söderström Ltd., represents the translation rights in all territories. 

“We are delighted to add Risto Siilasmaa’s new book Observe, Think, Act: Strategic Leadership in the Age of AI, to our selection. Drawing on his first-hand experience leading Nokia through crisis and transformation, as well as original research into 200 corporate successes and failures, Siilasmaa offers a practical framework for strengthening strategic leadership in the age of AI. As Äripäev’s books are specifically aimed at leaders and decision-makers, this book is a particularly strong fit and a valuable addition to our portfolio,” said Karen Schmidt, editor of Äripäev Publishing 

Artificial intelligence is compressing corporate decision-making cycles, and uncertainty has become a permanent condition. In Observe, Think, Act, Risto Siilasmaa introduces a leadership method that benefits both individuals and organizations amid the AI upheaval.  

“AI doesn’t remove uncertainty — on the contrary, it speeds up the world in which decisions must be made. That’s why the ability to observe better, think more clearly, and act decisively is essential. Turning AI into a competitive advantage means rethinking management systems,” says Risto Siilasmaa. 

Siilasmaa argues that observing, thinking, and acting are not personality traits but skills that can be trained, and he presents a disciplined method for strengthening them at both the individual and organizational level, as well as for accelerating them with the help of AI. 

The book is based on quantitative research into real-life successful and unsuccessful business decisions. The findings are both surprising and practical. In mapping the success factors of companies and developing his method, Siilasmaa has combined robust research data with his own firsthand experience of leading organizations. 

The manuscript is originally written in English. Observe, Think, Act – Strategic Leadership in the Age of AI is a pilot project for its publishers, Tammi and Werner Söderström Ltd, in using AI to assist with the Finnish translation of a non-fiction book. 

Risto Siilasmaa is the founder of WithSecure and F-Secure. He also served as chairman of the board of Nokia during the company’s near-fatal crisis and its subsequent turnaround. His expertise in strategic leadership has further been shaped by extensive experience in venture capital investing, thousands of business meetings, more than 70 investments, and a vast amount of board and corporate strategy work. Siilasmaa’s first book, Transforming Nokia: The Power of Paranoid Optimism, has been sold to 10 territories.