Executive Teams

DAVID A. NADLER is one of the nation's leading consultants and advisors to corporate executives on the subjects of organizational architecture and organizational change. Since 1980, he has served as CEO of the Delta Consulting Group, Inc. Prior to that, he served on the faculty of the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. Nadler has authored or edited more than a dozen books on management, organizational change, and leadership, including Organizational Architecture (1992), Discontinuous Change (1994), and Champions of Change (1977), all from Jossey-Bass. JANET L. SPENCER is currently a consultant with the Delta Consulting Group, Inc., where she specializes in strategy, organization design, and executive team development. Before joining Delta, she was a principal of the consulting firm W. Warner Burke Associates, Inc. Spencer has coauthored several articles and book chapters on topics relating to organizational change.

"This book provides timely insight into the world of executive teams from those who have extensive experience with these select groups and know how they really work. Delta provides a tremendous value to those in charge of organizational leadership by sharing the lessons they have learned in a powerful way." -Paul Allaire, chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation "When David Nadler observes that 'leadership is becoming a team sport,' he's exactly right. A CEO's most important priorities include selecting the right senior team and then providing the leadership to ensure each member a crisp understanding of roles and goals. No set of issues is more critical to success in today's environment. Nadler, Spencer, and their colleagues offer a unique set of insights and perspectives on these issues from their personal experience." -Randy Tobias, chairman and CEO, Eli Lilly & Company "In our American culture (read 'individualism'), the most difficult group to coalesce into a team is the top group. Issues of power, control, status, and competition abound. This book provides highly useful answers and practical help for dealing with those tough issues and for building and maintaining executive teams." -W. Warner Burke, professor of psychology and education and chair, Department of Organization & Leadership, Columbia University "If you ever had any doubts that a strong executive team is better equipped to lead in today's corporate environment than just one person, this book will quell those doubts3/4completely. The Delta Consulting Group has undertaken and succeeded in generating more major and significant organizational change projects than any consulting group of which I'm aware. Executive Teams is a must-read for every change agent. That means everybody." -Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, University of Southern California

• Part One: A New Leadership Model1. Leading Executive Teams2. Executive team Effectiveness: Teamwork at the Top3. The World of the CEO4. Designing CEO and COO RolesPart Two: Managing the Executive Team5. The CEO and the Executive Team: Managing the Unique Dynamics and Special Demands6. Performance on the Executive Team: When to Pull the Trigger7. The Importance of Trust8. Recognizing and Resolving Executive Team Conflict9. The CEO's Role in Conflict Resolution10. The Role of Feedback in Executive Team EffectivenessPart Three: Leading the Organization: The Work of Executive Team Effectiveness11. The Process of Governance12. Developing Strategy13. Leading Strategic Change Teams14. Creating a High Performance Operating EnvironmentConclusion: The Competitive Advantage of Executive Teams