Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change

Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change

by H. James Dallas
Released September 2015
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119102205

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Book description

Conquer the most daunting change initiative with the right people, tools, and strategies.

James Dallas' Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change is an informative, insightful guide to effectively leading the transition through change. While most change management books present case studies about what happened at other companies, this book is based on the author's own experiences managing over 10 transformational and turnaround initiatives, 15 acquisition integrations, and 5 operations/quality shared services centers of excellence. By relating personal lessons learned, how they were subsequently applied, and how you can benefit from them, this book provides a unique first-hand perspective on successful agents of change. You'll learn the qualities and skills required to usher in the new paradigm, and how to break a large initiative into manageable chunks that are more likely to proceed as planned. By crafting your strategy based on proven methods, you're far and away more likely to meet or even exceed your change objectives.

The majority of change initiatives fail because people mistakenly think that a change agent is the same as a project leader. They're not. This book shows you why, and how get the tools, strategies, and people you need at the helm of your initiative to come out the other side much stronger as an organization.

  • Learn the critical skills required for effective change management
  • Assess the difficulty and politics of a change initiative
  • Choose the right people to help implement the change
  • See past obstacles and lead effectively in a crisis

Change is occurring within and across all industries, countries, and organizations. They begin with the best of intentions, but most fail to meet their objectives. Don't let your organization be one of the failures. Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change shows you how to plan, lead, and manage a successful transition.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Foreword
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Introduction: It Ain't Easy Being Green
  7. Part I: Priorities
    1. Chapter 1: Set a Course for Change
      1. The Three Questions
      2. Assessing the Culture
      3. Ghosts, Hubs, and Mavericks
      4. Wisdom from the Front Line
      5. Measure Leaders by Their Front-Line Relationships
      6. The Importance of Looking Outward
      7. The Value of Conviction
      8. Coaching Moments
    2. Chapter 2: Create the Core Team
      1. Who's Not on the Team
      2. The Two Questions That Count
      3. Picking the Program Leader
      4. Two Key Roles That Are Too Often Ignored
      5. Moving beyond “Off with Their Heads”
      6. Don't Partner with Cab Drivers
      7. Team Diversity
      8. Coaching Moments
    3. Chapter 3: Set Expectations and Decide Where to Start
      1. A Tour of the Matrix
      2. Coaching Moments
  8. Part II: Politics
    1. Chapter 4: Become a Communicator
      1. Never Soft-Pedal
      2. Brush Up Your Speaking Skills
      3. When to Tell Tales
      4. Coaching Moments
    2. Chapter 5: Craft Messaging That Motivates
      1. Become an Amateur Anthropologist
      2. Coaching Moments
    3. Chapter 6: Overcoming Resistance
      1. The Many Faces of Resistance
      2. The Fifth Type of Resister: The Machiavelli
      3. Removing a Toxic Player
      4. Cleaning Up the Sludge
      5. Influencing the Narrative on the Front Line
      6. Coaching Moments
  9. Part III: People
    1. Chapter 7: Reading Minds and Other Methods for Assessing Progress
      1. Read Faces, Not Reports
      2. Adjust for Culture
      3. Never Kill the Messenger
      4. Combating Groupthink with Anonymous Feedback
      5. Third-Party Evaluations
      6. Don't Forget Your Hubs
      7. Coaching Moments
    2. Chapter 8: Alignment and Group Dynamics
      1. The Six-Pack Approach
      2. Alignment Sessions
      3. When and How to Make an Executive Decision
      4. Brokering Deals
      5. The Importance of Reaching Up
      6. Coaching Moments
    3. Chapter 9: Master the Humble Art of Building Trust
      1. Building Inner-Circle Relationships
      2. Step Outside of Your Own Boundaries
      3. Eight Practices for Building Trust
      4. Put Your Pride to the Side
      5. Coaching Moments
  10. Part IV: Perseverance
    1. Chapter 10: Put Out Every Fire
      1. Forming a Crisis Management Team
      2. Getting in the Trenches
      3. In Crisis, Don't Ever Make It about You
      4. How to Elevate a Discontented Team
      5. Step into Your Power
      6. Coaching Moments
    2. Chapter 11: Institutionalize and Leverage Change
      1. Why Organizations Lose Their Focus
      2. Evolving the Culture
      3. Making Metrics Matter
      4. The Power of Documentation
      5. To Leverage Change, Keep Tearing Down Walls
      6. Coaching Moments
    3. Chapter 12: Developing Talent as a Sponsor
      1. Whom to Sponsor?
      2. Awaken New Leaders
      3. Develop Their Personal Brand
      4. Put Them in the Hot Seat
      5. When Sponsorship Fails
      6. Provide Air Cover for Risk Taking
      7. Coaching Moments
  11. Epilogue
  12. About the Author
    1. Links to James Dallas's Website and Videos
  13. Index
  14. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change
  • Author(s): H. James Dallas
  • Release date: September 2015
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119102205