Elephant in the Room How Relationships Make or Break the Success of Leaders and Organizations

by Smith, Diana McLain; Senge, Peter

• ISBN13: 9781118015421
• ISBN10: 1118015428
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-08-09
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

A systematic look at how relationships determine the success of leaders and their enterprises, along with tools to help strengthen and change them Since time immemorial, relationships have determined the fate of leaders. But today they are more critical to success than ever. No longer can leaders count on long time horizons or sloppy competition to make up for the inefficiencies that poor relationships create. Leaders must make decisions and take actions quickly and well with others, even those with whom they share very little perhaps not even a time zone. This new world puts relationships at the center of what leaders must understand and master to succeed. Uses in-depth observational studies and clinical research to explore how relationships at the top of organizations work, develop, and change Shows how to understand, strengthen, and transform these relationships, so they can withstand the most intense pressures and conflicts This important book features a Foreword by Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline.

Author Biography

Diana McLain Smith is the chief executive partner of New Profit Inc., a national venture philanthropy firm. Formerly she was a partner at The Monitor Group, a global management consultancy, serving as chair of Human Dynamics and Change in Organizations at Monitor University where she taught, consulted, and conducted research. She is also a founding partner of Action Design, which specializes in professional and organizational learning.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Understanding Relationships	p. 1
Present and Unaccounted For	p. 3
The Life and Death of a Relationship	p. 17
It's a Matter of Perspective	p. 47
Strengthening Relationships	p. 67
Using the Heat of the Moment	p. 69
Mapping Relationships	p. 89
Focusing Investments, Managing Costs	p. 119
Transforming Relationships	p. 131
Navigating Change Over Time	p. 133
Disrupting Patterns	p. 143
Refraining Each Other	p. 173
Revising What You Know	p. 197
A Guide to Behavioral Repertoires	p. 231
The Ladder of Reflection	p. 243
Notes	p. 255
Bibliography	p. 277
Additional Reading	p. 287
Acknowledgment	p. 291
The Author	p. 295
Index	p. 297
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