Unsecured Ladders Meeting the Challenge of

The book addresses the vital issue of how business leaders can prepare themselves to deal with the impact of unexpected events. It raises key questions for leaders to address if they are to avoid being distracted by crisis and remain in touch with a wider context that is subject to constant uncertainty and change.

GRAHAM ROBINSON'S career in organization and management learning has been divided between roles as a business school academic in the UK and the Netherlands, as a senior manager and director in two major multinational i.t. companies, and as director of an international business development consultancy. He is the author of two other business books and numerous articles on management and organizational change.

JOHN HARRIS is a business consultant and mentor to executives in both the private and public sectors covering many diverse areas of activity. He has held senior technical, operational and HR management positions in Monsanto Chemicals and Amoco UK Ltd before being appointed CEO of the Calor Group plc. Johns corporate career culminated in his appointment to the position of Senior Vice President of a large privately owned global company based in the Netherlands.

Dedications	p. v
List of boxes	p. x
List of figures	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introductions and a problem	p. 1
What's the big idea?	p. 1
Who we are	p. 4
For whom are we writing this book?	p. 4
Four areas of leadership choice and challenge	p. 7
A major issue: why would you want to be a leader?	p. 10
More challenges	p. 13
Obligations and key messages	p. 15
How to use the book	p. 18
If you read this book: what will you know that you did not know already?	p. 19
The core issue - the unexpected is inevitable	p. 22
Some preliminary questions	p. 22
Two sources of the unexpected	p. 23
How will you respond to the unexpected?	p. 27
Cumulative consequence explored	p. 29
Acquiescing in inefficiency	p. 35
Be on the lookout for signals	p. 41
Summarizing so far...	p. 43
An obstacle course	p. 44
Some more questions	p. 49
Attitudes and the unexpected	p. 51
Setting the tone	p. 51
Awareness, reflection and the management of expectations	p. 53
Challenge your expectations	p. 57
Some risks of categorization	p. 60
Good leadership or good luck?	p. 63
Check your assumptions	p. 64
The role of myths and stories	p. 67
Honor the experts - wherever you find them	p. 72
Leaders need to focus on solutions rather than on problems	p. 74
Surfacing your attitudes - some key questions	p. 75
No surprises! - anticipating and preparing for the unexpected	p. 78
Any bus can take you there	p. 78
Doing the groundwork: personal integrity	p. 79
Managing by exception or merely missing the signals?	p. 83
Values, attitudes and beliefs	p. 84
Doing the groundwork: organizational integrity	p. 86
Doing the groundwork: aligning resources	p. 92
Seeking signals, telling stories	p. 94
How you respond to today's unexpected event can help prepare you for tomorrow's	p. 99
Groundwork in summary	p. 101
More questions	p. 102
Understanding context - inside the organization: Obligations, values and managing paradox	p. 104
Formal and informal leadership obligations	p. 104
The visible professional	p. 106
Shaping the future: values	p. 107
Shaping the future: visions and acts of faith	p. 114
Paradox and unreasonable truths	p. 117
Some more questions	p. 120
Marshalling resources - building and managing commitment	p. 122
Different ways of thinking: engagement and commitment	p. 122
Rational-analytical thinking	p. 123
Imaginative-emotional thinking	p. 129
Toolkits and snakepits	p. 131
Integrated thinking	p. 134
How well do you know your business?	p. 134
How well do you know your people?	p. 139
How well do you know your stakeholders?	p. 144
Building commitment	p. 146
Integrated thinking: leadership and trust	p. 147
Context is key	p. 150
Keeping in touch with the external context	p. 150
The external context: 2015?	p. 153
The external context - competitors and suppliers	p. 159
Sensitivity to external signals	p. 160
Keeping in touch with the internal context: process	p. 163
Representations of the internal context	p. 164
Stuff goes right on happening	p. 169
Making changes that work	p. 170
Pulling the threads together	p. 174
Securing the ladder - preparing your action plan	p. 179
By way of introduction	p. 179
Make time for reflection	p. 180
Hold up and look into the mirror	p. 181
Check the tone of your organization	p. 182
People	p. 183
Make changes that work	p. 184
Articulate the changing context	p. 186
Speed is a core competence	p. 187
Articulate your values and your touchstones	p. 187
Notes	p. 189
Index	p. 192
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Unsecured Ladders Meeting the Challenge of the Unexpected

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials