Harder Than I Thought

Adventures of a Twenty-First Century Leader

Robert D. Austin, Richard L. Nolan, Shannon O'Donnell

• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9781422162590
• eBook ISBN:
  9781422142301
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business Strategy
• Index: Business

Being a great leader today is much harder than you think Meet Jim Barton. He’s a newly minted CEO, rising leader of a firm in transition, and manager of massive complexity—thanks to our incredibly networked and increasingly unpredictable world of business. What if you were in his shoes?If you’re a top executive today, you probably are. Harder Than I Thought is a fictional narrative that puts the increasingly complex job of Chief Executive in a very real context. It serves as a practical guide by allowing you to walk alongside Jim as he takes on his new role and all its attendant challenges. Jim’s story—developed in collaboration with seasoned, real-life CEOs—includes crucial lessons for anyone hoping to master the new-world skills required of successful business leaders today.As the narrative unfolds, Jim grapples with an array of business crises, some he inherited and some of his own making. As events push this new leader to the edge of his abilities, he seeks counsel from a panel of advisers—resulting in a wealth of teaching moments bound to keep you captivated.Experts agree that many twentieth-century leadership practices won’t work in the turbulent twenty-first century. This engaging book gives you the insights you’ll need to navigate in a fast-changing business landscape.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. First Day
• 2. Getting to Know SMA
• First Interlude: The Lords of Leadercraft
• 3. Financials and Trust
• 4. Transparency
• Second Interlude: A Leader of Men
• 5. Reunion
• 6. The Board of Directors
• 7. Getting Great Performance from People
• Third Interlude: Your Lineup Is a Mess!
• 8. Rallying the Team
• 9. Restructuring the Board
• 10. Consulting with a Peer
• 11. Implementation
• 12. Test Drive
• 13. The Agony of Defeat
• 14. Wild Card
• 15. Bluebirds Fly In
• Fourth Interlude: Execute, Execute, Execute
• 16. Globalization
• 17. Execution
• 18. Public Life, Private Life
• 19. Communicate, Communicate
• 20. Partnering Risks Realized
• Fifth Interlude: The Leadership Main Course
• 21. There Is a Time . . .
• Finale: Still Figuring It Out
• Ways of Using This Book
• Cast of Main Characters
• Glossary of Acronyms and Terms
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors