Reviews
"A brilliant book that will help readers discover and capitalize on the values of positive psychology, astute leadership, and culture. It's a scintillating saga of how an organization can change using basic concepts from an outstanding research team." --John W. Slocum, Jr., O. Paul Corley Professor of Management, Southern Methodist University and coauthor of The Smarter Organization "The cleanup and closure of Rocky Flats is a story of success that exceeded the expectations of virtually every knowledgeable observer. You will learn the organizational practices and leadership lessons that explain how extraordinary performance was achieved in the face of great difficulty. I highly recommend the book." -- Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico and former U. S. Secretary of Energy "Cameron and Lavine bring this leadership and organizational change epic alive with innumerable detailed illustrations in the words of the participants themselves, while simultaneously offering a comprehensive theory that can be applied to any organizational setting. --Bill Torbert, author of Action Inquiry and Professor, Carroll School of Management, Boston College
Table of Content
Acknowledgments An Introduction to the Impossible 1 Explaining the Impossible--Positive Deviance and the Abundance Approach 2 Impending Disaster--A Brief History of Rocky Flats 3 The Role of Leaders 4 Competing Values and Paradoxical Leadership 5 Key Enablers--Vision, Innovation, and Symbolic Leadership 6 Key Enablers--Stability, Discipline, and Process Control 7 Key Enablers--Relationships, Human Capital, and Collaborative Culture 8 Key Enablers--Politics, Incentives, and Rigorous Performance Standards 9 Leadership Principles for Spectacular Performance Appendix 1: Caveats and Alternative Views of Rocky Flats' Success Appendix 2: Research Methods References Photo Credits Index About the Authors About the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship
