You Can Get There from Here

by Knowling, Bob

• ISBN13: 9781591844228
• ISBN10: 1591844223
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-09-29
• Publisher: Portfolio

Summary

The inspiring memoir of a determined kid who became one of the business world's best change leaders. Bob Knowling is respected by many of America's top executives, from Jack Welch to Michael Bloomberg. He has led large organizations through periods of dramatic transformation. Leadership guru Noel Tichy calls him "a change agent's change agent." But even more impressive than Knowling's résumé is the road he took to the top. He grew up in a poor family of thirteen in Indiana, surrounded by crime, drug abuse, and racism. Later he lived and worked on his grandparents' farm in Missouri. No one encouraged him to have big ambitions or even bothered to ask "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But Knowling used his athletic and academic talents to earn a college scholarship and later an MBA. He became an expert at leading change-helping others see a better future, then work hard to make it real. Eventually he was running large divisions of telecommunications companies, then became a CEO of several firms, an adviser to troubled companies, and a leader at non-profits such as the YMCA and the New York City public schools. With great humility, Knowling blends a unique personal story with universal lessons. He proves that almost any disadvantage can be overcome with persistence and a passion for excellence. And he teaches us how to embrace change rather than cling to the past.

Table of Contents

Foundation
Introduction: Ospreys	p. 3
Building a Bridge	p. 9
The Go-to Guy	p. 36
Working
The Game Changes	p. 59
Big Changes	p. 85
Transformed	p. 106
Naked Emperors	p. 123
Westward Bound
Go West, Young Man	p. 141
US Worst	p. 154
Focus172
Covad: Rise and Fall	p. 192
The Best Three Years
Happy Every Day221
Knees, Karma, and the Most Important People in My World	p. 249
Acknowledgments	p. 263
Index	p. 273
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.