Leading in a Time of Crisis

The content of this book is intuitively known and felt by most who work in the rank and file of an organization, yet it typically escapes the notice of the organization’s leaders in their relentless pursuit of ever-increasing shareholder return.

This myopic obsession with profit destroys the fabric of the organization’s ecosystem by separating those at the top from the rest of the organization. This division appears when the stated values of the organization diverge from the values displayed and experienced every day. At best, this is the foundation for an underperforming organization. At worst, this is the cause of toxicity and dysfunction—an erosion of the very ecosystem meant to deliver value to all constituents who are impacted by the performance of the organization.

We can’t forget the various constituents or stakeholders while trying to please the shareholders.

When this dysfunction is allowed to exist, the fixation on shareholder return begins to damage shareholder return. The art of balancing the needs of all stakeholders for their collective good is replaced by the science of management through measurement.

“Know your numbers” dominates “Know your people.”

“Know your customer” is replaced by “Know their data.”

This is not new, and there are countless examples to cite over many decades—every week brings new examples of organizations in crisis because they lost their way. Rather than discussing various theories on the impact of healthy cultures, this book focuses on my firsthand experience leading a large organization mired in crisis and how we transformed the culture and saw dramatic results. Using my experience as a frame of reference, I’ll share the recipe for turning dysfunctional cultures into incredibly high-performing organizations that deliver increased performance across all dimensions of the business and to all constituents by engaging the entire organization.
This book is written for those at the top of organizations who are interested in understanding the ROI of a healthy, functional ecosystem. It’s also written for all of you who may feel stifled, underprepared, or underappreciated by your organization.

There is a better way to win. And I will prove it!

Release Date: July 15, 2022