A Business of Leaders

The year 2001 initiated a groundswell of change around the world. Changes in technology, markets, and the economy created greater necessity than ever before for businesses to respond rapidly to change. Since 2001 here are just a few of those changes. The financial devastation of three recessions where each was worse than the one before, the calamity of 2020 that has been compared to the Great Depression, climate crisis with forests aflame, failed crops caused by droughts and communities washed away by floods; pandemics and social strife creating worldwide labor shortages and supply chain disruptions As Catherine Gray observed, I've been thinking a lot lately about the "butterfly effect." You may be familiar with the concept that a slight change in one place, such as a butterfly flapping its wings, creates significant, unexpected changes somewhere else, such as a tornado many miles away. As a conservationist focused on climate change and someone concerned with the health and safety of my family, friends, and community, I find the idea of small actions catalyzing unpredictable outcomes both unsettling and encouraging as our planet deals with the tremendous tragedy slow recovery from COVID-19.

The impact of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, became a catalyst for unpredictable effects throughout this century. Yet, uncertainty has existed daily for more than a year for every living being on our planet.

Agile companies can respond to these changes using a new model for leading organizations through frequent and demanding change. But, unfortunately, for many companies, even 20 years into this New World economy, how people are managed has not changed from the more traditional 20th Century model of Plan, Organize, Direct and Control.

The purpose of this book is to first describe my journey from losing everything to starting again and, secondly, to share how that experience shaped me as I grew from barely surviving to thrive. In the process, I learned a business model that now assists companies to become nimbler and thrive in today's new world of continuous uncertainty.