Organizations Books

This is one of the best books I have ever read on leadership. The author outlines a realistic approach with proven techniques. I've grown tired of all the silly communication methods and manipulations, found in the flood of many books on the market, on how to motivate those under your supervision. Paul Howe knows how to lead. If you are truly interested in leadership, this book is highly recommended. On the other hand, if you are looking for quick fixes and feel good techniques, you should move on to a management in corporate America style book. There are many to choose from.

Outstanding book by a true professional. MSG Howe is the real deal and an outstanding authority in his field. Would recommend this for any law enforcement or military professional.

Very good book, well structured, pleasant to read. The examples are clear, and the theories easy to apply, even if you aren't L.E. or military.

This is the best book on military leadership and training I have ever read and I have read a few on this subject. All of my team leaders are reading it now after hearing nothing but great reviews from myself. I think all NCO's in the Army, reguardless of MOS, should read this book.

There seems to be no shortage of leadership books available to our self-help addicted society. How many people do you know who brag about having read "The Art of War"? This is not one of these types of books. I mention "The Art of War" because I find it helpful to draw parallels between life and battle. I find that if I approach my life's commitments and challenges like all-out warfare, I tend to get after it with aggression and a hunger for success.
If you feel the same, this book might be for you. In truth, this book is geared mostly for soldiers and police specifically combatants of the special ops variety and swat officers. In short it is by and for modern Spartan warriors.
You will have to work to draw your own connections between how you run your organization, business, or life, but if you are not inspired by some of the greatest men to walk among us, you are dead inside.
If you are in charge of or lead anything and you are interested in developing your leadership skills, you will find it here. If you think that leadership in the world's harshest conditions when the bullets are flying and men are dying doesn't apply to how you run your small business, ask yourself this, "Is there a difference between kinds of leadership, or is good leadership in concept more or less the same everywhere?" The only real difference is that if you are a shooter, your failures in leadership can cost lives, in business it is only money.
If you are considering this book, take the journey and trust the author to share his ideals and wisdom with you.
This book feels aggressive and extreme in it's intent to convey to the reader not just leadership skills, but in philosophy towards life.
We all want to be like the guy in the movies who remains calm and wins in the chaos of extreme conditions, this book shows you how. If you could do this imagine how you could attack your own life.

This book does a great job of enhancing the experience of watching The Dark Crystal. Objects that are only seen for an instant or merely in the background are explained in detail in this beautiful collection. My only complaint? There's lots of white space on some of the pages, which makes it feel like less of a guide to an ancient world and more like a textbook.

Even so, highly recommended for fans of the movie, faerie stuff in general, or just great artwork.

Brian Froud, the creator of the Dark Crystal, is a Genius.

This book is a small Bible.

Well written, and with images so refined it makes you wonder if it is all "human" made.

All your questions about the Dark Crystal will be answered.
The information contained in the book seems almost sacred,
as for the capacity for the human mind to understand it all,
that is yet to be proven...

This book is an amazing tome for anyone who grew up in adoration of The Dark Crystal. Brian Froud's illustrations and concepts are gorgeous and so incredibly creative. This book is delivered as a history of the World in which the film takes place. It is narrated by Aughra, "...the first and last," who witnessed thousands of years of creation and destruction. She monitors the cyclical suns, a spectator of the conjunctions that bring the wise urSkeks, and their division a thousand years later into the cruel Skeksis and the mystical urRu. Aughra alone knows the long history of the crystal and throughout the pages, describes life throughout the ages. There are so many subtleties that the book describes that I can't wait to watch the film again, knowing the significance of the shapes of rocks, the intricate details of the clothes the characters wear, and the elaborate symbolism peppered throughout. The art is gorgeous and the insights into the World of the Dark Crystal shed a new light on the film and its philosophy. Bravo!

A must have for any Dark Crystal fan. It contains detailed pictures, decriptios of the various races, and a breif overveiw of how the world works. It also contains some history on the making of the movie, and a copy of the orginal movie idea. Even if you don't like the movie, it would be hard not to appreciate level of detail that went into this imaginary world.

Overall: An excellent book, which I highly recomend.

Combining the talents of Jim Henson's storytelling with Brian Froud's exquisite art, The Dark Crystal is an amazing film. The World of the Dark Crystal is a must-have companion piece to the film. On its pages are inscribed in detail the epic story's conceptualization and the process of designing its beautifully imagined characters and creatures. The book contains rare artwork by the ingenious fantasy artist Brian Froud who designed the complex and immense world of the Dark Crystal, a world whose people feel culturally authentic and utterly believable, a world where the landscapes feel familiar and yet completely alien at the same time. It is this fabricated universe, this artificial sense of reality that makes the Dark Crystal such an enduring classic.

Never before had movie audiences been transported to an entirely new world, a world without any human contact, a world divided by two opposing principals, a world that was so fragile and yet so savage. In The Dark Crystal, we see the evolution of imagination and a physical, tangible representation of duality. We see the importance of balancing logic and faith, science and spirituality, self-preservation and sacrifice. The triadic images found in Brian Froud's artwork express the importance of social, spiritual, and psychological equilibrium. This is a spiritual philosophy shared by many cultures and religions including Druidism, Buddhism and even in Christianity. This is also reflected in the design of the characters and the sets that at times resemble, in physical appearance as well as in architectural design, those of different ethnicities but both Froud and Henson avoid racial profiling. Instead they've created a rich and majestic vision of a world that never existed and still it is so believable that we feel as if we are seeing the documentation of a recently discovered alien culture.

Along with Froud's artwork, the book includes informative descriptions of the characters, creatures, and flora and fauna of this fantastical world. There is also a new introduction by Froud and a facsimile booklet featuring original concept drawings that were used as a tool in marketing the film to studios. In conclusion, The World of the Dark Crystal is a wonderful addition to any fantasy fan's collection, an inspirational look into the mind of an artist, and an essential collector's item for all those who love the film.

Also recommended:
Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition)
Good Faeries Bad Faeries
Goblins!
The Goblins of Labyrinth: 20th Anniversary Edition
The Runes of Elfland

I've been in IT for over 25 years, and in that time I've read a lot of technical books. "File System Forensic Analysis" is not only the best book I have read on computer forensics, it's probably the best technical work in ANY field I've ever read. It's thoroughly researched, clearly written, and contains virtually no fluff. The numerous rave reviews it has received are well-deserved.

My only quibble is the short, but seemingly gratuitous section on hexadecimal and decimal arithmetic. If you're ready for this book, you'll already know this stuff. But, that's only a few pages in a book that's otherwise packed with real substance.

I can't say enough good things about this book and author. The material is beautifully laid out and the writing style is fluid and effortless. The author has a real talent for using metaphors and figures to illustrate elusive concepts.

All but the very rarest file systems are covered, and numerous 'screenshots' show how to use the Linux command prompt and get your hands dirty exploring disks on your own.

While this book is a gold standard for digital forensic examiners, it would also be valuable to the computer enthusiast who's interested in things such as what happens to their hard drive when they format it, exactly what happens during the boot process, etc.

I've had 3 courses in digital forensics, and this book gives an in-depth discussion of disk level concepts (HPA, FAT, MFT, etc) that were merely glossed over in my formal studies.

Great resource on file systems and file system data structures, although I wish it covered Apple's HFS+.

Thanks a lot, we are very happy to have this book in our library!

Great Book. Great job Brian. A must have in your bookshelf if you are serious about computer forensics.
It only lacks two things to be perfect: a reiserfs and a HFS+ sections.

Only an error. GPT partition schema isn't used only in big servers. New Intel Macintoshes use it by default for their boot drive.

This book is a great resource and should be a must read for all pastors. I would encourage the pastoral staff to read it together and go through the study questions. It can really challenge the team to go to the next level!

"It" is what we all long for, "It" is what we need, "It" is what we want, "It" is what everyone is looking for. Craig Groeschel has illustrated in his book how life should be so much better if we only had what it takes, "It". So many organizations exist for the mediocre, just making things comfortable for the usual crowd. In order to have "it" we must first be willing to live outside our comfort zone full of passion for what we believe to be true. If you want your organization to have success, If you want to live an abundant life, If you want to live life with purpose, Craig's book provides some basic principals that if embraced will leave you excited and wanting to achieve greatness.

After reading this book, I went out and bought the rest of Craigs books. This is a must have for any pastor or business owner who wants to be more creative with their profession.

I loved it. Craig is great and his books are very easy to read.

Christianty could use more voices like Craig Groeschel.

At first 'It' comes off as a 'trying to be way to cute' read, but, once one gets past the 7 million uses of 'it' per page, the author has great insite into the culture we live in & how to not fall into the trap of thinking that the presence of God comes from programs. I have enjoyed & been challenged by the book.

It is a great page-turner for any church leader. Craig challenges us to do the things that are often found in ministries that have it. If your ministry has it or if you wish your ministry had it, get IT, read IT and apply IT. And pray that God will give IT to your church.

Schmemann delivers an overview examining the sacraments of the church from an Orthodox perspective. He begins with the sacraments of the Orthodox Church to lead readers into the understanding that for the Christian all of life is sacramental and filled with Christ. This is the best insight from this book...that in Christ Heaven has come to be present in believers and in the world. Sacraments are not a separate, distinct event in the Christian life but are indicative of the fullness of the Christians entire life and being that are filled with Christ's Spirit.

The Life of the world is Christ's life present in the world through his Spirit dwelling in believers and moving through all things. By his death and resurrection, Jesus has reconsecrated the world for God. For the Christian, there is no such thing as the secular versus the sacred. Christ dwelling in us makes all we do and are sacred through his death and life.

Schmemann discusses the Eucharist and Baptism in depth while also discussing the sacramental view of time and mission. He elaborates on marriage and love, death and the witness of Christ in the world.

This book will help all Christians, not just Orthodox ones, better comprehend the meaning and power of sacraments and to live a sacramental life in Christ.

I was disappointed with the Appendices that were previously published articles that I did not think added to the book's message or theme.

A Must read for anyone willing to find the true Christianity. Reveals and explains the Orthodox Church the true and holy one settled by Christ and continued by the apostles and having no modern changes of faith or trends. The same true and holy faith as in the first centuries worshiped by the apostles.

This is my favorite book on Christianity. Less than 150 pages - yet it is rich in meaning and application. I have bought several copies of this book as a gift for others who might be interested in the meaning of Communion and the purpose of Worship. My original copy of this book has almost every word underlined. Fr. Schmemann's writing style is warm and very insightful. A truly great book - I'd say one of the classics of Christianity, like C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity," it should be in every Christian's library and read at least once a year!!

I am Catholic. I began reading Orthodox theology about five years ago, after experiencing the Orthodox liturgy in the most dramatic and sublime manner possible: at Pascha vigil. It simply blew me away. In thirty years of weekly mass attendance I had never seen anything remotely approaching what I encountered that night.

That unknown beauty both crushed and liberated me. It revolutionized my worldview.

I began reading everything I could on ecclesiology, Church history, liturgy, and Orthodox apologetics. For Orthodox thinkers I dug into Lossky, Fr. Meyendorff, Elder Ephraim, Archbishop Kalistos Ware, the Philokalia, Pere Clement, St. Gregory Palamas, the Desert Fathers, the Cappadocian Fathers, St. John Climacus, Solzenhitzen, so on & forth. It was all utterly amazing. I had had no idea.

This book though, is a standout even amongst such rarified company. Schmemann is simply stunning. From the first page he piles insight atop insight. I've given my copy of the book away, so I haven't got it in front of me. Still, from memory I can tell you that he takes and reveals to you blatantly obvious truths about the sacramental life that have been right in front of our noses all along. That all of creation is in fact Eucharistic, rent with power of the Resurrection. You will never approach the chalice with the same mind again, once you've read it.

Orthodox theology and spirituality is most often like this: limpid & fierce, uncompromising. Very bracing, in a culture as decadent and corrupt in it's thinking as ours.

Shamefully, only the very best in contemporary Catholicism - both in terms of liturgy and theology - can touch or exceed the Orthodox average.

That said, the tragedy of historical Orthodoxy is that has been unable to make an apologetic case for itself in the so called West. Ground as they were for so long under the heel of all those Arabs, Turks, Tartars and communists. Maybe those persecutions preserved the "East" from modernity, and are the reason the flame burns so clean, particularly in the Russian, Arab & OCA parishes I've visited? God scourges those he favors, after all.

The yoke is mostly cast off, though. This seems to me to be an Orthodox moment. Can they get their act together, throw the bushel basket off their lamp, and engage the world? If the Orthodox are the Catholic Church of the Creed, as virtually every Orthodox I've talked to has insisted, I demand nothing less. (Heh. Demand! Quelle cheek, huh?) Heretics are swarming the West. So where's our Tome of Leo? Where is it? Is there a bishop to equal Athanasius in the East? Or are the Orthodox going to succumb to secularism, now that they've slipped the Communist & Saracen yokes? Will rationalism, relativism, sloth, lust and avarice do them in too? Will suburbia demand organs and pews, shorter liturgies, prefab iconography, the abrogation of feasts & fasts, & the rest? Or will Slavic ferocity save them?

No matter, all irrelevant, it seems. Orthodoxy isn't even really on the cultural radar screen. The Orthodox take on Church history is just incomprehensible here, mostly because people have never heard any of it before. The categories and data are for the most part utterly foreign. Is this excusable?

Or is it simply as it was in Noah's time, foreordained that no one should care about the Ark? But didn't Noah warn the people, anyway?

Or are the Orthodox anointed with the Sign of Jonah? And is the West Nineveh?

Or are they - God forbid - simply petulant xenophobic schismatics with nothing relevant to share?

In any case, this book - as well as everything else I've read by Schmemann and other Orthodox authors - needs to become part of our common discourse.

The time is ripe. The harvest is now. We all need to be Orthodox. Just as we need to be Catholic. Not all Roman, but Orthodox Catholics.

Which isn't necessarily to say that there isn't a Petrine charism or primacy of power in the Church, as per Isaiah 22:15-25.. Nor is it to say that ultra-montagne papists don't have a hard historical lesson or fifty to learn along the lines of the Donation of Constantine affair.

Let there be polemics! Catholic Answers & Co. all need more of a challenge than shooting poor 'fundamentalist' fish in a barrel. Please! Help them! Their apologetics are sooo boring. Spot them 1 Tim. 3:15. The rest of their apologetic directed at the prots is sheer redundancy. Let's get down to nuts and bolts and excavate the meaning of that verse. It all boils down to that.

The significance of the primacy is already planted firmly on the table. John Paul did that. Benedict is now throwing up huge signals, too. No one I heard remarked on the most interesting thing about his oh so terribly scandalous Regensburg speech. That quotation was not arbitrary. A pope does not accidentally quote Orthodox (Imperial!) sources.

I just know that all can be resolved and forgiven, if we only submit to each other in love and (re)adhere to our tradition. If the Arians were vanquished, why not our schism? As Paul re-embraced Peter? Forget Vatican III. Why not Nicea III?

I'm sure the Turks will accommodate us ..

The Harvest awaits. The gates of hell shall not prevail.

SS. Cyril & Methodius, SS Benedict & Anthony, SS Augustine & Athanasius,

Pray for us.

After I have heard so many good things about Fr. Schmemmann and his contribution to the Orthodox Christian udnerstanding both in my church and on my livejournal, I decided to give this book a try. At first, I thought this book to be very difficult to read. Ideas were packed together in very tight, detached, scholastic manner, which differed both from companing kinds that I read in Russian or easy-easy modern Protestant. As I read on, I have discovered the depth and spendor of Fr. Schmemmann ideas about liturgical mission of life, daily devition, relationship to the world, and, most importantly, the meaning of sacraments and their connection to our everyday activity. Fr. Schmemmann was aware both of the intellectual and common culture of his time, as it was seen in his writings, but he never let them to dominate over his Christian teachings. He was also aware of the Tradition - something that many of us heard of, but never really reailzed.
I bought this book to share with my Protestant boyfriend, but now I am learning from it and rethinking my ideas of the Orthodox Christian theology and life.

The book defined a set of pitfalls and never went below the highest levels on how to resolve any of them. Might be a good overview book but you won't find any meat here.

I am a lawyer working in Tokyo providing CCQ and strategic communication training for businessmen and women. Kimberly's book is not only applicable to project management per se, but the principles Kimberly expounds have far broader application.

Her book has been an invaluable resource. In short, applying what she has written to my work has resulted in MUCH MUCH happier clients. The book is so easy to get your head around, and if you are looking for strategies to really get things rocking along, you'd be mad not to read it. You'd be even madder not to mold her ideas to fit your situation and then action them.

I was fortunate enough to observe one of her seminars here in Tokyo, and then join her afterwards for drinks with my manager, Ian Cross. I've read, seen and heard wads of charlatans, as we all have - however, Kimberly is the real deal. No grandeur or bollox, she genuinely cares about the success of the people she works with, and she knows her stuff.

I have bought copies to present to all my clients not only on the strength of what she has written, but also because I can vouch for who she is and what she is about.

If you are in any business which has clients, and you put these principles into action, you will be stunned at the results.

This is a great book for how to manage a project in real life. The author is witty and her material is fun to read. I recommend this book to anyone who got a failing project thrown in their lap and is expected to complete it.

In our lives, we each encounter rare works or a rarer person that enrich our soul as well as our practice. SCRAPPY PROJECT MANAGEMENT is such a work, and Kimberly Wiefling is such a person.

SCRAPPY PROJECT MANAGEMENT is as much about who we can be as it is a humorous and practical Baedeker to project management practice. As you are pulled into it, you gradually discover that the "project" is "you" as much as anything else.

Any well-accomplished project - and "you" work - will involve bumps, overwhelming joy, lurches, sheer terror, excitement, and likely a couple of barf bags. You must be this tall to ride but if you are, SCRAPPY PROJECT MANAGEMENT is the book for you.

Excellent book with a very practical & fun approach to Project Management. Whether you are a seasoned project manager or a novice,this book is guaranteed to give you a new perspective on project management. Most of the people (including myself, I used to but not any more) think of project management as a boring dull job with lengthy project plans and long status meetings but Kimberly's approach makes it much more fun with main focus on people rather than processes.

Would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat.

Carolyn Corbin intertwined her future predictions of the 21st Century with leader/worker development to become a viable workforce in the future she predicted. While not outside the realm of common sense, her predictions are still eerily thought-provoking.

This book outlined the five steps to becoming a leader in the 21st Century. In Step One, she discussed assessing one's own leadership effectiveness and compared that to what skills will be needed for the future. She summarized major world changes into four "dynaforces" of the 21st Century...globalization, marketization, informatization, and democratization. Step Two was order the chaos. Many futures books discuss how to adapt to change or how to go with the flow...so I was exceedingly curious what exactly she proposed to "order" this. She thoroughly explained the future factors that will lead to change and chaos, and the more we understand these factors we can pro-actively work to diffuse as many chaotic factors as possible. Step Three provided many examples of blending multiple organizational models of profit, non-profit, government, religious, higher education, and more. She shows the limitless possibilities of applying successful models from organizations that have already dealt with issues to different types of organizations that will be confronting similar issues in the future. Steps Four and Five have to do with the individual-engaging employees on all levels of their person and providing a workforce that fosters their innovation.

She illuminates the skills we can develop today to prepare for tomorrow. Whether intentional or not, her description of the future makes one re-examine everything you think about current leadership training and how it does not adequately prepare employees for what is to come.

Being a retired Nacy Captain, I was asked to speak to Canadian Navy officers on the subject "Leadership in the New Millennium." I am pleased to tell you that the theme of my presentation was from Mrs. Corbin's book, "Great Leaders See The Future First." I found it to be a marvelous reference, and I held up my copy twice during the presentation saying, "If you have time for only one book, consider this one!"

As a result of this presentation, I was approached by the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia and asked to repeat my presentation at the kick off of National Engineering Week. Again, I referred to Mrs. Corbin's book and urged them to use it."

Carolyn Corbin's: Great Leaders see the Future First: Taking Your Organization to the Top in Five Revolutionary Steps, balances practical how-tos (in just about every paragraph) with great stories. Her bottom line: if you don't change from being what she calls a Level 1 leader (reactionary, always busy, focus on gathering & analyzing information, sacrifice innovation to pursue continuous improvement) you will be obsolete by 2010! To survive you must be moving to Corbin's Level 2 (strategizing, focusing on the whole person, leading at warp speed, improve through innovation).

Most of the book covers a quick way for moving from a level 1 to a level 2 leader by applying the following 5 steps:

1) Orchestrate a 360 degree worldview (use strategies to be "tossed" high in the air to see 5, 10, 25 years into the future)

2) Order the chaos (by controlling it)

3) Use a blend multiple organizational models (like for-profits, nonprofits, universities, military, religious institutions - because one will not longer do)

4) Engage the whole person (meet employee's physical and spiritual needs like day care, elder care, and providing work-place Chaplains)

5) Ignite innovation (via creativity, remove inhibitors, add humor)

You might think that 214 pages would go fast. But the book had an uncanny ability of slowing me down as I focused on my own style of leadership, my own organization's shortcomings. Every page is packed with something to move the reader from Level 1 to Level 2. For example, in the chapter 6 on "The Role of the 21st Century Leader" ideas included crafting an organizational mission statement in 10 (5 is preferable) key words, really listen to workers and act on their requests, understand other cultures, and move from a 20th century leader to a 21st century leader by changing from being:

boss --> coach
authoritarian --> participatory
tough --> tough and tender
informs --> listens
status from position --> status from working harder

Late in the book Corbin asks the reader to spend time going through two self-assessment exercise: 1) exploring your soul and 2) assessing your preferences and core competencies. My only critique of the work is the lack of more of these kinds of reflective exercises earlier in the book.

Although Great Leaders may not be as holistic as Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People which deals more deeply with all aspects of one's personal, business and professional life, I do recommend it for any leader who influences the future of their organization. I recommended it to two of our Human Resources personnel after they gave a "How to Managing Our Institution's Way" seminar.

Dave Harmeyer
Pepperdine University doctoral student (Ed.D. Educational Technology)

1. Synopsis:

Corbin's foresee that by 2010 great leaders must be at what she calls level 2 leaders, and in order to operate at this level these leaders must: Orchestrate a 360 degrees worldview, Order the chaos, blend multiple organizational, engage the whole person, and ignite innovation.

Orchestrate a 360 degree worldview includes two steps:1. Gather organizational intelligence by overcoming worldwide trends that occurs during periods of opportunity (or windows) and foresee the outcome (or issues); and 2. Understand the dyna-forces (interesting concept) created by these worldwide trends that originate systematic change. These dyna-forces are: globalization, marketization, informatization and democratization.

In order to overcome chaos, level 2 leaders need to figure out the root cause of the chaos (changes in speed, changes in rules or changes in structure), be aware of the new century organization models and be prepared for the role of the 21st century leader (level 2).

Level 2 leaders need to foresee the blending of multiple organization models during the next Century, foresee the driving of the 21st Century worker and be aware of the present blending of organizations and the strategies applied to blend those organizations.

Level 2 leaders will need to engage the 21st Century worker as a whole person and not by his/her skills and ignite innovation at any cost.

Corbin foresees a hermaphrodite workplace (androgynous) where man (FINALLY) will learn soft skill (typically considered feminine) by engaging in a spiritual search.

Final Comment:

This last statement along with numerous stereotypes, sexist and deeply Christian religious remarks, casts big doubts about the seriousness of the book. What a shame!

The title of this book should not be taken literally. What Corbin correctly suggests is that the most effective leaders are those who recognize, sooner than anyone else does, certain indicators of what often become emerging trends and perhaps even a new industry. Stated another way, they see the possible (perhaps probable) implications and consequences of events occurring now. I am reminded of countless such situations when someone (later characterized as a "visionary") said something like this: "If we can figure out how to pressurize the cabin, an airplane can transport people as well as cargo." Thus is how entirely new industries are developed. Corbin's book is about "becoming a great leader under a new set of global rules....Organizations are recognizing the value in looking ahead. Scanning the horizon for various internal and external trends, global changes, economic booms and busts, and demographic peaks and valleys is part of the regular routine in many enterprises." At least ideally, these organizations develop leadership at all levels, creating what Tichy characterizes as a "leadership engine."

Corbin's objective is to help her reader take her or his organization "to the top in five revolutionary steps." In the first chapter, she provides (Figure 1.1) a "Leadership Level Evaluation Exercise" which poses 22 questions. The respondent is thus able to calculate her or his score and thereby determine at which of two levels of leadership she or he is at the moment. Corbin then shifts her attention to the five "revolutionary steps" to which the book's subtitle refers. They are:

1. Orchestrate a 360 Degree Worldview (Chapters 1-3)

2. Order the Chaos (Chapters 4-6)

3. Blend Multiple Organizational Models (Chapters 7-9)

4. Engage the Whole Person (Chapter 10)

5. Ignite Innovation (Chapter 11)

Each of these steps is explained and then developed in detail. It is important to note that Corbin contrasts dominant characterizes of Level 1 and Level 2 leaders. For example, L1's react, emphasize hard skills, gather information, and manage positions whereas L2's strategize, focus on the whole person, lead at warp speed, and manage people flow. You get the idea. My own experience suggests that what Corbin calls a Level 1 leader is a believer and involved whereas a Level 2 leader is a zealot or evangelist and engaged. I urge you to check out a book which is entirely devoted to Level 2 leaders. Its title is Radicals and Visionaries, written by Thaddeus Wawro and now available in a paperback edition.

One of the book's most valuable chapters is the last, "Trumping the Competition", in which Corbin suggests that the Organizational Chaos Model (Figure 4.1) can help an organization to overcome its competition. "The goal is for your organization to change the rules, structure, and speed of its industry so that your competitors are thrown into chaos....The idea is to confuse the enemy. While the opponent is digging out of the confusion, the organization in the offensive position seizes the dominant position." She lists and then briefly discusses "The Nine Factors of Innovation" which can help to achieve such dominance, in process providing analyses of various industries to illustrate her key points. She concludes with a call to action, urging her reader to "execute boldly, step forward courageously, and lead responsibly as if your organization's prosperity depends on it -- because it does." I join her in wishing "Godspeed, great leader."

According to the powerful perspectives offered by this unique take on organizational development, a tribe is a group between 20 and 150 people. Tribes emerge from the language people use to describe themselves. Change the language, change the tribe. Executive coaches will love this resource.

The authors make the point that our first instinct to bring about change in organizations is often to tell people what to do differently. Such a strategy often enhances compliance, but reinforces a sense of powerlessness, and impedes change.

The authors describe five Tribal Stages (centers of gravity) that inform some groups.
1. About 2% of groups - "life sucks" Gangs of individuals who operate without social rules or values except absolute loyalty to the group.
2. 25% of groups- "my life sucks" passively antagonistic, quietly sarcastic and resigned. Seen it all before and watched it fail.
3. 49 % of tribes - "I'm great, and you're not." Knowledge is power. Winning is personal and based on "my" values.
4. 22% of group - "We're great, and they're not." "We" are greater than "me." The bigger the foe, the more powerful the tribe. Based on shared, "our" values. Leaders build the stage on which others perform.
5. 2% of groups - "life is great" Infinite potential of the group - not beat competitor, but make global impact. Based on "global" "resonant" values

Through language, leaders can move the group's center of gravity through progressive stages by focusing on the words people use and the types of relationships they form. Groups can't leap over a stage as they progress. Additionally, culling out `bad apples' is ineffective. If you fire the bottom 10% of performers, the people who remain redistribute to stages others leave.

The authors observe that people's language correlates to the specific tribal stage, nature and structure of their relationships. The book lays out strategies that coaches and leaders can employ to unlock greater productive potential.

To uncover someone's values, ask "What are you proud of?" and follow it up with three to five open-ended questions. Pride ties actions to values. For tribes at stage 2, ask "What ticks you off?" The tone of responses goes from passive to passionate as answers shift from chatter about the surface to their core values.

To progress a tribe to higher stages, the authors suggest finding values that unite and resonate with people in the group. Tribal leaders follow the core values of the tribe no matter what the cost. They keep looking for new ways to express the values. Authenticity is a key - avoid identifying values and then making decisions based on expediency. Such acting above the law disempowers the tribe.

As a coach, help clients set the noble cause by asking "For the sake of what?" Identifying values and establishing a noble cause is a process, not an event. It's more than printing values posters or inscribing a mission statement on employee badges. Instead, leaders talk about values, base decisions on them, and engage tribal members in discussions about what they mean. Most strategies are based on understanding of the external environment, not the highest aspirations of the tribe.

The authors identify five components of Tribal Strategy
1. Values - What we stand for
2. Noble cause - What we live for
3. Outcomes -What we want
4. Assets - What we have
5. Behavior - What we will do

Accountability - outcome vs. goal - a goal is off in the future, it implies a failure in the present. People are motivated by the goals in a crisis, but they lose their drive once the fire is out. An outcome is a present state of success. "We have already succeeded, and this is how it looks at this point in the process (succeeding now with an outcome)

The models and techniques offered by the authors have broad application for executive coaches and for leaders. Definitely well worth the read.

Review by Bruce Ervin Wood

What an amazing book. Infact this is far more than a book it is a guide to creating and building great teams. If you have ever wondered why some team building events don't work this is a must read book. My sincere thanks to the team who put this together. This book will change the way Organisational Development/HR specialists and Performance Consultants go about their work. It is that influential. Like all the best material, simple to understand and powerful in the way it insightfully helps you to see things for what they are.

I have worked in organisational design/business performance and HR for over 20 years and this is one of the most imformative and best books I have ever read. It has reinforced my long held views about the need to understand the dynamics of what makes for a great team. If you also ever wondered why you felt automatically part of some teams and others almost rejected you before you even got started, then this is a 'must read' book. I have become a raving fan and will enthusiatically introduce the concepts and methods, as I have the fortune and privalage, in my day to day work, to make a difference to the lives and work of the thousands of people I come into contact with.

Mark Pym
Director of Reward Matrix & Great Teams

There is a tidal wave of Leadership and How To's out there on the market. Having read most of the best sellers, this book stands out as one that will have a lasting effect on how Leaders and Managers think of their mission. I particularly enjoyed the development of the levels/stages of teams. The sought after level five is where history is made and teams see beyond their current task. When you get right down to it, it is about legacy. Are you enriching the lives of others or not? The authors cleverly use real life case studies that give us a guidepost on just how to make this a reality in our own lives and businesses.

I plan to keep this one close to my desk and refer back to it many times. It is an excellent teaching and coaching tool for developing effective teams.

I was initially put off by the title of this book, but once I started reading it i couldn't put it down. This is by far the best organizational behavior book I have ever come across and it literally changed the way I view my own company's culture, as well as those of our clients, and people I meet every day.

The book is easy to read, and summaries of the key ideas at the end of each chapter make it easy to review, retain concepts, and implement their suggestions. I recommend spacing out the book by reading a chapter a day over a few weeks so you have time to reflect on the book's concepts and really digest the material. I've recommended this book to all my co-workers, clients, colleagues, and partners at my firm. A must have!

Dave Logan and his team deliver poignant concepts in an easy to read and entertaining book that will quite likely change your perspective on your culture at work and also your personal life. It is a must read for those interested in increasing efficiency and enhancing relationships. The 5 stages approach make sense and the authors give clear recommendations on how you and your team can progress through the stages.

Celtic prayer is inspiring for its earthiness and conviction of the presence of God in daily life. This contempory prayer book rises out of a new monastic form, a contemporary "decentralized" mixed gender Christian committed life. It is inspiring, thoughtful and a valuable asset...however, I can't help but wonder why the traditional "Daily Office" (Matins, Lauds, Prime, None, Sext Vespers & Compline) needed to be replaced. This is a useful addition, but not a replacement.

This is a great devotional book! My seminary student son ordered this book right before he left on a long trip. The book arrived after he left so I looked through it and got hooked. I have used it for the past month and have drug it around all over the country while highlighting all of the good passages. It looks pretty beat up with all the use. I ordered him another copy because he isn't getting this one back!

I've been reading Celtic Daily Prayers for five years now, and
love to re-read some prayers with their Celtic rhythm and images.
And there's much to explore. There are two series of daily
readings for the year with Biblical references for each day.
I find inspiration from this treasure of a book.

I have used the Celtic Daily Prayer every day for about 5 months. I read the Scriptures for the day, the meditation for the day of the year, and the meditation for the day of the month (repeats). It is consistently outstanding. I have distributed about 10 copies to our church ministers and leaders, and their response has been very positive.

For many years, liturgy and formal prayers have been out of favor in Protestant Churches. Many of us are realizing that this rich tradition guarded by our (mostly) Catholic brothers and sisters has a very vibrant place in modern Christian spirituality. The wealth of tradition and unity offered by liturgical worship may be the next "in thing" for Protestants. We've already made hymns cool.
This books serves as a wonderful introduction to some of those practices. There are three sections of set prayers, two with scripture readings and meditations, plus a compline for each day. The CD, which I can't find on Amazon, makes for easier memorization of the prayers and blessings. The book also includes blessings and liturgies for baptisms, communion, marriage, and the like.

Celtic Daily Prayer is a great resource for someone new to the Daily Office, or as an alternative source of liturgies for those already accustomed to this form of worship.

For those interested in an overview of Traditional Christianity, Marcia Ford's Traditions of the Ancients: Vintage Faith Practices for the 21st Century might be a good place to start.

I'm a fan of these giant DK coffe table books. This was my first and is still my favorite. Tons of beautiful pictures of our planet. All sorts of exotic locales I didn't know existed. Especially nice to have if you're an artist of any kind looking for inspiration.

I saw a smaller version from a local bookstore, bought the large version from Amazon, the fonts are much more comfortable to read. I am using the book as a reference, feel very satisfied. The book is also good for random browsing, the paper and printing are both of very high quality.

THIS IS GREAT BOOK WITH A LOT OF INFO. MY TEENAGER LOVES IT AND SO DOES MY HUSBAND

This book was a Christmas request from my 6th grader who is very curious about earth sciences. He was genuinely excited to see it when he opened it. In some ways it is more like a coffee table picture book than a reference book. It is lavishly illustrated with detail-captioned photos and charts. This is not the kind of book you're going to sit down and read cover to cover, but instead are going to use like a good encyclopedia of earth science. My older child, who is interested in astronomy, received the companion book "Universe" and the two make a beautiful pair of additions to the reference library.

A great book with a nice balance of pictures (including some full page) and informative text about, well...about nature!