Spiral Up: And Other Management Secrets Behind Wildly Successful Initiatives

By Jane C. Linder

Maybe the reason so many well-intentioned management initiatives fall short is because typical "best practice" methods only help managers avoid failure, rather than produce genuinely spectacular... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814409172
• ISBN13: 9780814409176
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: AMACOM
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

great insight

This book is extremely well written and provides excellent insight into why "ordinary" people accomplish exceptional results. It left me thinking I could do great things.

An eye-opening look at how success is born

This book provides a refreshing and insightful look at what many other business books often fail to completely grasp. That is, it attempts to answer the question of how success is created. Not just the check-the-box garden variety of success, but true, unanticipated, knock-your-socks-off success. At first it seemed too nebulous and slippery a question to expect any substantive findings, but Linder approached the question with diligent and relentless research. As a business researcher myself (though without a book to show for it), I was impressed with her methodology. She combines quantitative with qualitative research to make her case, though admittedly the most convincing arguments come from her analysis of the qualitative interviews she shares in abundance. Sure, her analysis often tees up as many questions as it answers, but I think that's a sure sign of a research topic that's worthy of attention. Moreover, I don't think the findings of this book should be limited to just the business world. Being "wildly successful" is envied by practitioners of just about any endeavor. For instance, as a parent of a 16-month-old, I even see parallels in how one approaches parenting. I feel the characteristics common to champions of wildly successful initiatives that Linder identifies -- optimistic, enthusiastic, and collaborative -- are important for anybody to possess.

Inspiring and eye-opening examination of private and public sector business success stories

I don't usually read business books, but just started a graduate program in public administration, and came across Spiral Up. I would highly recommend it to anyone eager to make their business or organization succeed in unconventional ways. Linder writes wonderfully, and the reading is light - not full of all kinds of unexplained business lingo that most people find extremely boring. It's a fun book to read! Linder takes great examples from both public and private sector case studies and examines them with great detail and insight. Her experience in consulting - working with organizations who've made mistakes and helping them go through positive change - is clear by the way she pulls apart the examples and thematically helps the reader understand how they can apply the themes to their own organizations - even if they are not the CEO! Anyone interested in getting beyond the traditional mangement techniques so often used in both fields that rarely accomplish much will be interested in reading this book. For students who haven't had much leadership experience yet, this book will help you think about what being a successful leader is all about, and debunk some of the notions you might have. A great read!

How to launch and then sustain "wildly successful initiatives"

As Jane C. Linder explains in the Preface, "This book began upside down." Initially, she was curious to know why 65-70% of all projects fail to deliver the expected results and began research to identify the reasons for that but later changed her mind and began looking for organizational initiatives (of various kinds) that had been wildly successful. As I gathered data about more than forty [such initiatives], some common characteristics began to emerge. In particular, it quickly became clear that the management approach for working wonders was radically different from conventional practice" so she decided to write a book, this book, "to encourage initiative champions to try an unconventional approach. I am convinced that uncommon success will result." Linder examined 46 "wildly successful initiatives" (including product and service innovations, entrepreneurial start-ups, and corporate transformations) and conducted more than 145 interviews. However different in nature and extent the initiatives were, she found that they shared five common characteristics: "Reach Beyond Your Grasp"(Chapter 3): Rather than starting with small, achievable goals (i.e. "low-hanging fruit"), managers of wildly successful initiatives imagine the way things should look, and then determine how to make it happen. Jim Collins calls them "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" (BE Hags). "Make Space"(Chapter 5): Managers loosen the controls, create space in which to experiment and learn, and let initiatives grow and change in unpredictable, non-linear ways. For example, Lockheed Aircraft created its highly secret Skunk Works® in 1943, headed by Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson. Its first assignment was to design what became the XP-80, a jet fighter plane. After agreeing to head a new research center for Xerox in 1970, George Pace insisted that it be located in Palo Alto (CA), 3,000 miles away from the corporate headquarters in Connecticut. "Get It Right"(Chapter 7): Initiative champions insist on find the right solutions to the toughest questions, never settling for one that is merely "good enough." Early on in the development of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs maintained constant pressure on his associates to generate "insanely great ideas." He appropriated several after visiting Xerox PARC. Jim Collins is among those who insist that good is the enemy of great. "Energize People"(Chapter 9): Managers create an emotional intensity that draws people together, then manage that emotional field throughout the duration of the project to sustain passion, enthusiasm, and commitment. Walt Disney achieved this time and again with the animators who created each of the animation features. "Spiral Up" (Chapter11): Those involved with wildly successful initiatives take a "ready, aim, steer" approach as they proceed through a series of plateaus of accomplishment. Linder observes that "Big ideas are great, but what really inspire people are results." Obtain resources on an as-needed basis. Create "bus