Overview

When it comes to unique management endeavors, what does it take to work wonders?

Maybe the reason so many well-intentioned management initiatives fall short is because typical "best practice" methods only help managers avoid failure, rather than produce genuinely spectacular results. Jane Linder proposes a new way of managing. Based on her study of more than 40 wildly successful projects, she has identified five characteristics that fly in the face of conventional practice:

Make Space—Allow the project to grow and develop in unpredictable ways.

Get it Right—Insist on finding the right answers to the toughest questions.

Make a Difference—Reach beyond your grasp to accomplish the impossible.

Energize People—Create an emotional environment filled with challenge.

Spiral Up—Don’t stop with a single achievement; use it as a step to greater success.

From developing a virtual reality simulator for underwater mining equipment to saving an Ohio oil refinery from closure, Spiral Up presents accounts of everyday project champions who have produced breathtaking results ... and shows readers how to do the same.

About the Author

Jane C. Linder (Charlestown, MA) is President of The Progress Board, a consulting company that helps clients put their good ideas to work. Previously, Dr. Linder spent more than 8 years at the Accenture Institute for High Performance Business, where she conducted research studies and worked with clients that included Verizon Wireless, Unilever, and Hershey’s Chocolate.