David A. Nadler – författare

If the defining goal of modern-day business can be isolated to just one item, it would be the search for competitive advantage. And, as everyone in business knows, it's a lot harder than it used to be. On the one hand, competition is more intense than ever--technological innovation, consumer expectations, government deregulation, all combine to create more opportunities for new competitors to change the basic rules of the game. On the other hand, most of the old reliable sources of competitive advantage are drying up: the hallowed strategies employed by GM, IBM, and AT&T to maintain their seemingly unassailable positions of dominance in the 1960s and 70s are as obsolete as the calvary charge. So in this volatile, unstable environment, where can competitive advantage be found? As David Nadler and Michael Tushman show, the last remaining source of truly sustainable competitive advantage lies in `organizational capabilities': the unique ways each organization structures its work and motivates its people to achieve clearly articulated strategic objectives. For too long, too many managers have thought about "organization" merely in terms of rearranging the boxes and lines on an organizational chart--but as Competing by Design clearly illustrates, organizational strength is found far beyond one-dimensional diagrams. Managers must, argue Nadler and Tushman, understand the concepts and learn the skills involved in designing their organization to exploit their inherent strengths. All the reengineering, restructuring, and downsizing in the world will merely destabilize a company if the change doesn't address the fundamental patterns of performance--and if the change doesn't recognize the unique core competencies of that company. In this landmark volume, the authors draw upon specific cases to illustrate the design process in practice as they provide a set of powerful, yet simple tools, for using strategic organization design to gain competitive advantage. They present a design process, explore key decisions managers face, and list the guiding principles for incorporating the design function as a continuing and integral process in organizations that are looking to the future. In 1918, Henry Ford's Dearborn assembly plant was the model of the new assembly-line technology. Today, the assembly plant is an aging relic, but, incredibly, the organizational architecture it spawned lives on in steep hierarchies, centralized bureaucracies, and narrowly defined jobs. As companies are coming to realize they can't compete successfully in the 21st century with organizations based on 19th century ideas, Competing by Design shows clearly and persuasively why--and, most importantly how--to harness the power of organizational architecture to unleash the competitive strengths embedded in each organization.

Explores the practical lessons learned from internationally renowned companies to bring about lasting and fundamental organizational transformation, providing a useful set of field-tested concepts and techniques for anyone seeking to promote change. In-depth interviews with such key corporate change leaders as Bob Allen of AT&T and Jamie Houghton of Corning, Inc., provide valuable insight and firsthand advice on the role CEOs and leadership teams can play in organizational transformation.

New Tools for Challengng the Status Quo Immensely readable, this work bolts together the image or theory and the reality of what is required to change the performance of an enterprise. Whether the challenge is renewal or fundamental change, this book delivers real-life depictions that will help all who invest the time.--Richard A. McGinn, president and COO, Lucent Technologies, Inc.Stand on the front lines of innovation with today's top business leaders. Throughout this page-turner, archconsultant David Nadler leverages twenty years of work with many of the world's most acclaimed CEOs to provide a detailed, inside account of how they've led the most difficult and significant change efforts of our times. Case examples include initiatives undertaken at Sun Microsystems, Lucent Technologies, Xerox, Corning, AT&T and Kaiser Permanente. Engaging and inspiring, it offers leaders and managers at every level a new, field-tested repertoire of concepts, tools and techniques for understanding the dynamics of change and managing it effectively.

Facing an explosion of workplace complexity, many executives choose a team-supported approach to organizational leadership over more traditional leadership models. Executive Teams provides both CEOs and senior team members themselves with an unprecedented set of insights and strategies they can use to build and maintain teams that live up to their full potential. Team members get ideas for: **Implementing strategy **Leading transformations **Changing organizational culture . . . and much more! " I strongly recommend [this book] to all those in charge of, on, or involved with executive teams."--Paul Allaire, chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation Real-world case studies at Xerox, Corning, AT&T and other top companies to demonstrate exactly what executive teams are all about and detail the proficiencies CEOs must master to ensure their success. The range and depth of professional experience brought to Executive Teams makes it the most comprehensive, practically conceived work on the subject ever written.

Praise for Building Better Boards "Building Better Boards bridges the gap between talk and action. A must-read for board members, CEOs, governance experts - really for anyone who cares about the future of the corporation."—Anne M. Mulcahy, chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation"Building Better Boards covers all the key issues facing boards in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley era. It provides practical advice based on the authors' wide-ranging experience with major companies that have built successful boards."—Marty Lipton, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz"This important new book uses concepts gleaned from the collective wisdom of our Blue Ribbon Commission on Board Leadership and adds practical, real-world board examples. The section on crisis management is particularly helpful."—Roger W. Raber, president and CEO, National Association of Corporate Directors"This book provides a comprehensive review and effective guide to making any board an effective team, and thus an asset, for their company."—Richard H. Koppes of Counsel, Jones Day, and former general counsel, CalPERS"A balanced, insightful, thoughtful, and, above all, useful look at what can be done to create excellent boards."—Edward E. Lawler III, director, Center for Effective Organizations, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California"Improving board effectiveness is easier said than done. Building Better Boards lays out the how-tos in a clear and compelling way that is of practical value for directors and CEOs alike."—Kenneth W. Freeman, former chairman and CEO, Quest Diagnostics Inc.

Praise for Building Better Boards

"Building Better Boards bridges the gap between talk and action. A must-read for board members, CEOs, governance experts - really for anyone who cares about the future of the corporation." —Anne M. Mulcahy, chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation

"Building Better Boards covers all the key issues facing boards in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley era. It provides practical advice based on the authors'' wide-ranging experience with major companies that have built successful boards." —Marty Lipton, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

"This important new book uses concepts gleaned from the collective wisdom of our Blue Ribbon Commission on Board Leadership and adds practical, real-world board examples. The section on crisis management is particularly helpful." —Roger W. Raber, president and CEO, National Association of Corporate Directors

"This book provides a comprehensive review and effective guide to making any board an effective team, and thus an asset, for their company." —Richard H. Koppes of Counsel, Jones Day, and former general counsel, CalPERS

"A balanced, insightful, thoughtful, and, above all, useful look at what can be done to create excellent boards." —Edward E. Lawler III, director, Center for Effective Organizations, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

"Improving board effectiveness is easier said than done. Building Better Boards lays out the how-tos in a clear and compelling way that is of practical value for directors and CEOs alike." —Kenneth W. Freeman, former chairman and CEO, Quest Diagnostics Inc.

Praise for Building Better Boards "Building Better Boards bridges the gap between talk and action. A must-read for board members, CEOs, governance experts - really for anyone who cares about the future of the corporation." Anne M. Mulcahy, chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation "Building Better Boards covers all the key issues facing boards in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley era. It provides practical advice based on the authors'' wide-ranging experience with major companies that have built successful boards." Marty Lipton, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen Roger W. Raber, president and CEO, National Association of Corporate Directors "This book provides a comprehensive review and effective guide to making any board an effective team, and thus an asset, for their company." Richard H. Koppes of Counsel, Jones Day, and former general counsel, CalPERS "A balanced, insightful, thoughtful, and, above all, useful look at what can be done to create excellent boards." Edward E. Lawler III, director, Center for Effective Organizations, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California "Improving board effectiveness is easier said than done. Building Better Boards lays out the how-tos in a clear and compelling way that is of practical value for directors and CEOs alike." Kenneth W. Freeman, former chairman and CEO, Quest Diagnostics Inc.