Breaking Through the Project Fog. How Smart Organizations Achieve Success by Creating, Selecting and Executing On-Strategy Projects

From one of the most respected names in business and leadership, a rare look at the specifics of how great leaders achieve «common purpose» and success within their organizations. What is common purpose? It is that rare, almost-palpable experience that happens when a leader coalesces a group, team or community into a creative, dynamic, brave and nearly invincible we. It happens the moment the organization's values, tools, objectives and hopes are internalized in a way that enables people to work tirelessly toward a goal. Common purpose is rarely achieved. But Kurtzman has observed that when a leader is able to bring it about, the results are outsized, measurable and inspiring. Based on Kurtzman's all-new interviews with more than 50 leaders, including Ron Sargent, Ilene Lang, Micky Arison, Simon Cooper, Joel Klein, Janet Field, Steve Wynn, Shivan Subramaniam, Michael Dell, Richard Boyatzis, Tom Kelley, Michael Milken, and Warren Bennis Contains research on leadership Kurtzman has conducted during his years at The New York Times, the Harvard Business Review, Booz & Company, as well as with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mercer, and Korn/Ferry Based on all new interviews with some of the most dynamic, successful, and enduring leaders, Common Purpose sheds new light on the meaning of leadership, the crucial qualities of leaders, and most importantly, how to lead.

Creating the Project Office is written for managers who are searching for ways to transform their organizations into more effective and efficient project-based workplaces. As this important book reveals, there is no more effective way to make that change than to create a project office tailored to the needs of the organization. While a project office model leads to better products from projects, it is also a vehicle for generating overall organizational change – by transforming the organization from function-based to project-based. This model incorporates projects into the very fabric of the organizational strategy and revitalizes organizations, creates competitive advantage, and increases shareholder value.

A systematic look at how relationships determine the success of leaders and their enterprises, along with tools to help strengthen and change them Since time immemorial, relationships have determined the fate of leaders. But today they are more critical to success than ever. No longer can leaders count on long time horizons or sloppy competition to make up for the inefficiencies that poor relationships create. Leaders must make decisions and take actions quickly and well with others, even those with whom they share very little?perhaps not even a time zone. This new world puts relationships at the center of what leaders must understand and master to succeed. Uses in-depth observational studies and clinical research to explore how relationships at the top of organizations work, develop, and change Shows how to understand, strengthen, and transform these relationships, so they can withstand the most intense pressures and conflicts This important book features a Foreword by Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline.

A roadmap to success for tomorrow's leaders The EQ Leader provides an evidence-based model for exceptional leadership, and a four-pillar roadmap for real-world practice. Data collected from thousands of the world's best leaders—and their subordinates—reveals the keys to success: authenticity, coaching, insight, and innovation. By incorporating these methods into their everyday workflow, these leaders have propelled their teams to heights great enough to highlight the divide between successful and not-so-successful leadership. This book shows you how to put these key factors to work in your own practice, with clear examples and concrete steps for improving skills and competencies. New data from the author's own research into executive functioning describes the neurological aspects of leadership, and a deep look at the leaders of tomorrow delves into the fundamental differences that set them apart—and fuel their achievement. Leadership is changing, both in look and practice; strictly authoritative approaches are quickly losing ground as today's workers discover the power of collaboration and the importance of interpersonal awareness. This book provides step-by-step guidance for leading from within this space, with evidence-based approaches for success. Lead authentically to inspire and motivate others Support employee's needs and nurture development Communicate with purpose, meaning, and vision Foster ingenuity, imagination, and autonomous thinking An organization's success rests on the backs of its leadership. At all levels, true leadership is about much more than management and task distribution—it's about commitment, collaboration, nurturing talent, developing skills, fostering relationships, and so much more. The EQ Leader integrates the essential factors of successful leadership into a concrete blueprint for the future's leaders.

Praise for Blind Spots «Shelton's open and candid style inspires trust among readers. Management teams and those making career choices can push their effectiveness up a notch with her skilled approach to facing blind spots and moving beyond them.» —Rick McNutt, Executive Vice President, National City Bank «Blind Spots gives individuals a comprehensive, but very manageable, set of tools and strategies to see themselves differently. The stories of people whose lives have been changed by Shelton's principles and techniques enhance the strategies she presents. This is a compelling book with the power to improve lives dramatically.» —Eleta A. Jones, PhD, LPC, Assistant Director, Center for Professional Development, University of Hartford «Shelton's approach to identifying blind spots goes to the heart of effective leadership. Such interest arose from this work that requests poured in for not only follow-on training regarding Blind Spots, but also for developmental coaching. Six months later, people are still talking about Blind Spots.» —Jack Bergquist, Vice President, Kaman Aerospace «When I recognized my blind spots that made me underestimate my entrepreneurial strengths, I was able to move forward to launch a successful company. This book is a must for building resilience to face the challenges of a start-up.» —Marilyn Nemarich, entrepreneur and owner, Marilyn's Pies «This book can teach you how to see inside yourself. As I was reading it, I kept thinking of the song On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Learning about your blind spots leads to clear sight, which can create possibilities for innovation and growth.» —Jane Hunt, Assistant Vice President for Executive Development, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

An indispensable guide that shows companies how to treat data as a strategic asset Organizations set their business strategy and direction based on information that is available to executives. The Data Asset provides guidance for not only building the business case for data quality and data governance, but also for developing methodologies and processes that will enable your organization to better treat its data as a strategic asset. Part of Wiley's SAS Business Series, this book looks at Business Case Building; Maturity Model and Organization Capabilities; 7-Step Programmatic Approach for Success; and Technologies Required for Effective Data Quality and Data Governance and, within these areas, covers Risk mitigation Cost control Revenue optimization Undisciplined and reactive organizations Proactive organizations Analysis, improvement, and control technology Whether you're a business manager or an IT professional, The Data Asset reveals the methodology and technology needed to approach successful data quality and data governance initiatives on an enterprise scale.

The keys to project management success delivered by one of the world's most respected experts in the field Why do some project managers achieve their project goals while others fail? Drawing on his years of experience as a recognized global expert on project management and organizational change, author Tres Roeder answers that question, and lays out a proven path to project success. Focusing on the major differences between project management and other types of management—not least of them being the temporary nature of projects versus the repetitive nature of most managerial tasks—Roeder describes best practices in all key areas of managing project stakeholders. A recognized global expert on project management provides the foundational elements required for project management success Contributes toward the fulfillment of the continuing education required every three years to maintain PMP® accreditation Uses real-world scenarios and relevant case studies to present project management concepts to beginning and intermediate PMP®s Contains chapters on Leadership, Buy In, and Negotiation for more advanced project managers (PMP and Project Management Professional are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

New breakthrough thinking in organizational learning, leadership, and change Continuous improvement, understanding complex systems, and promoting innovation are all part of the landscape of learning challenges today's companies face. Amy Edmondson shows that organizations thrive, or fail to thrive, based on how well the small groups within those organizations work. In most organizations, the work that produces value for customers is carried out by teams, and increasingly, by flexible team-like entities. The pace of change and the fluidity of most work structures means that it's not really about creating effective teams anymore, but instead about leading effective teaming. Teaming shows that organizations learn when the flexible, fluid collaborations they encompass are able to learn. The problem is teams, and other dynamic groups, don't learn naturally. Edmondson outlines the factors that prevent them from doing so, such as interpersonal fear, irrational beliefs about failure, groupthink, problematic power dynamics, and information hoarding. With Teaming, leaders can shape these factors by encouraging reflection, creating psychological safety, and overcoming defensive interpersonal dynamics that inhibit the sharing of ideas. Further, they can use practical management strategies to help organizations realize the benefits inherent in both success and failure. Presents a clear explanation of practical management concepts for increasing learning capability for business results Introduces a framework that clarifies how learning processes must be altered for different kinds of work Explains how Collaborative Learning works, and gives tips for how to do it well Includes case-study research on Intermountain healthcare, Prudential, GM, Toyota, IDEO, the IRS, and both Cincinnati and Minneapolis Children's Hospitals, among others Based on years of research, this book shows how leaders can make organizational learning happen by building teams that learn.

Driving Results Through Social Networks shows executives and managers how to obtain substantial performance and innovation impact by better leveraging these traditionally invisible assets. For the past decade, Rob Cross and Robert J. Thomas have worked closely with executives from over a hundred top-level companies and government agencies. In this groundbreaking book, they describe in-depth how these leaders are using network thinking to increase revenues, lower costs, and accelerate innovation.

Organization structures do not fail, says Jay Galbraith, but management fails at implementing them correctly. This is why, he explains, the idea that the matrix does not work still exists today, even among people who should know better. But the matrix has become a necessary form of organization in today's business environment. Companies now know that if they have multiple product lines, do business in multiple countries, and serve many customer segments through a variety of channels, there is no way they can avoid some kind of a matrix structure and the question most are asking is «How do we learn how to operate the matrix effectively?» In Designing Matrix Organizations That Actually Work, Galbraith answers this and other questions as he shows how to make a matrix work effectively.