Sunday, June 22, 2014

Book Review: Leading Change

Leading ChangeLeading Change by John P. Kotter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Yep.  I see why this one rose to the top of the must-read list for the organizational change practitioners and the consultants to nonprofits LinkedIn groups I follow.  It is a classic, a one-stop shop for anyone interested in understanding the process of change within organizations.  Focused largely on business (Kotter's examples and "reasons for" tend to be about competitive advantage,) the book is clearly applicable in nonprofit and governmental contexts. 

Of particular interest to me, and of real importance I think, is Kotter's clarity with regard to the different functions of management and leadership.  I have already used some of this material with clients - even before I finished the book - and I assume I will do so over and again.  The narrative is clear and concise, and the exhibits support an additional level of understanding.  Every chapter is an eye opener, building on the chapter before. 

I usually prefer to cherry pick good ideas from authors, leaving "take it all" prescriptive stuff for those who need an orthodoxy.  But I can see how the eight stages of Kotter's change management process hang together in a cohesive whole.  He makes his case for not skipping any of the steps in a convincing fashion.  With such a large percentage of the world transforming itself every year... this how-to guide is essential reading.  Good stuff.

A two-page summary, written by me, is available to those who click here.

View all my reviews

No comments:

Post a Comment