Great Change The WAY to Get Big Strategy Done

Rethink what you know about THE WAY your business works: learn how to implement strategy and drive real, measurable change in your organisation

Are you tired of developing strategies that aren’t properly implemented? Do you want to overcome disruption and create positive change in your organisation? Great Change: The WAY to Get Big Strategy Done is the book that will show you how to turn your plans into reality. Author and experienced leader Adam Bennett shares a unique, engaging approach to organisational transformation that will kindle your motivation and ignite your ingenuity. Great Change combines the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching and Japanese martial arts with real-world stories to deliver a practical, 5-step process for success. You’ll discover the mindset and the actions that will ensure your strategy creates real, measurable results.

In all organisations, there is a WAY of doing things. These methods, approaches, and cultures combine in a manner that defines the very core of that organisation. Think about it: You know intuitively “the way” that your current organisation works, what it stands for, and why it exists. But just as there is a WAY of being, there is a WAY of changing. Great Change shares a 90-day blueprint that unpacks exactly how you can combine the right mentality and mechanics to build momentum and spark transformation.

• Rethink what you know about THE WAY of being and doing in business
• Uncover unique and inspiring leadership lessons from philosophy, world history, and big business
• Develop a mindset for driving action, challenge your own way of thinking about change, and identify the corporate characters who resist it
• Learn the tried-and-tested methods to accelerate your plans for organisational transformation
• Discover how to build momentum in a new role — and avoid the common mistakes leaders make in spearheading change

In today's world of rapid evolution, uncertainty, and always-on media, organisations need to adapt quickly and effectively to stay competitive. They need to sense what is happening in the world and to strategise. But that is not enough. They need to know how to actually get that strategy done. Great Change reveals the tools, skills, and methodologies any leader, executive, or manager can use to deliver successful results, even in the most challenging times.

ADAM BENNETT is a former CEO and Big-4 bank CIO. He has advised and led successful transformation programs in blue-chip companies from Australia, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. Adam is the principal of Great Change Consulting and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Acknowledgements ix

About the author xiii

Introduction xv

1 The WAY things get done 1

Elements of the WAY 4

The corporate WAY 7

Adaptation or extinction 8

2 Understanding transformation 13

So what exactly is transformation? 14

We’ve not yet reached peak change and disruption 16

Company-centric forces 23

Why you must care about transformation 33

Transformation has always been difficult 34

Three reasons transformation is so hard 42

Why it’s important to understand the need for transformation 67

3 The mindset for great change 71

Curiosity: empty your cup 76

Sacred beliefs: recognise that you have deep biases 76

Shoshin: maintain your intellectual humility 80

Ambition: remember that it’s not only about you 84

Kokoro: get to the heart of the matter 97

Kime: it’s all about focus 101

Renewal: know when to let go and try something else 104

Urgency: remember that the meter is running 107

Trust: don’t lose it 109

Humour: it’s a long day without a laugh 111

Resilience: find some, because you’ll need it 115

Get over yourself: put things down by the side of the road 122

4 The mechanics of great change 127

1. Do the work: personal commitment of the leader 129

2. Make decisions: choose, own and communicate a clear strategy 136

3. Build the team: get the right people 151

4. Be thorough: follow a proven methodology and approach 181

5. Keep score: use KPIs to align and provide regular feedback 239

5 Creating your 90-day blueprint 271

Making an impact 272

Ridgway’s first 90 days as commander 274

Your first 90 days 278

Mindset 279

Mechanics 283

Mistakes 301

Conclusion: I wish you luck with your choice 307

Bibliography 313

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