It Starts with One

Book excerpt: As many as 60% of organizational change initiatives fail. This means that many normally successful, motivated, and determined managers nonetheless struggle to lead change effectively. Most of those leadership failures share a common cause: managers mistakenly believe that organizational change is brought about by changing the organization. The truth is this: organizations change only as much or as fast as individuals change. And, to change individual behavior, you must first change the mental maps guiding that behavior. In It Starts with One, Third Edition, J. Stewart Black identifies the three critical "brain barriers" managers must break through in order to start, deepen, and sustain needed change. With new cases, examples, and tools for executing successful change initiatives, this edition dives even more deeply into the personal aspects of leading strategic change - as well as the unique challenges posed by driving change in global business environments. One step at a time, Black shows how to use their tools and techniques to bring solutions to life -- and transform change from a hope to a profitable reality.