Every few years a book changes the way people think about a field. In psychology there is Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence. In science, James Gleick's Chaos. In economics and finance, Burton Malkiel's A Random Walk Down Wall Street. And in business there is now Surfing the Edge of Chaos by Richard T. Pascale, Mark Millemann, and Linda Gioja. Surfing the Edge of Chaos is a brilliant, powerful, and practical book about the parallels between business and nature -- two fields that feature nonstop battles between the forces of tradition and the forces of transformation. It offers a bold new way of thinking about and responding to the personal and strategic challenges everyone in business faces these days. Pascale, Millemann, and Gioja argue that because every business is a living system (not just as metaphor but in reality), the four cornerstone principles of the life sciences are just as true for organizations as they are for species. These principles are: Equilibrium is death. Innovation usually takes place on the edge of chaos. Self-organization and emergence occur naturally. Organizations can only be disturbed, not directed. Using intriguing, in-depth case studies (Sears Roebuck, Monsanto, Royal Dutch Shell, the U.S. Army, British Petroleum, Hewlett Packard, Sun Microsystems), Surfing the Edge of Chaos shows that in business, as in nature, there are no permanent winners. There are just companies and species that either react to change and evolve, or get left behind and become extinct. Some examples: Parallels between Yellowstone National Park and Sears show why equilibrium is a dangerous place in both nature and business. How Monsanto used a "strange attractor" to move to the edge of chaos to alter its identity and transform its culture. The unlikely story of how the U.S. Army embraced the ideas of self-organization and emergence. Why the misapplication of linear logic (reengineering a business or attempting to eradicate predators in nature) will inevitably fail. The stories in Surfing the Edge of Chaos are of pioneering efforts that show how the principles of living systems produce bottom-line impact and profound transformational change. What's really striking about them, though, is their reality. They are about success and failure, breakthroughs and dead-ends. In short, they are like the business you are in and the challenges you face.

Think of the toughest problems in your organization or community. What if they'd already been solved and you didn't even know it? In The Power of Positive Deviance, the authors present a counterintuitive new approach to problem-solving. Their advice? Leverage positive deviants--the few individuals in a group who find unique ways to look at, and overcome, seemingly insoluble difficulties. By seeing solutions where others don't, positive deviants spread and sustain needed change. With vivid, firsthand stories of how positive deviance has alleviated some of the world's toughest problems (malnutrition in Vietnam, staph infections in hospitals), the authors illuminate its core practices, including: · Mobilizing communities to discover "invisible" solutions in their midst · Using innovative designs to "act" your way into a new way of thinking instead of thinking your way into a new way of acting · Confounding the organizational "immune response" seeking to sustain the status quo Inspiring and insightful, The Power of Positive Deviance unveils a potent new way to tackle the thorniest challenges in your own company and community. Richard Pascale is an associate fellow of Templeton College, Oxford University, and author or coauthor of numerous books, including Managing on the Edge, Surfing the Edge of Chaos, and The Art of Japanese Management. Jerry Sternin was the world's leading expert in the application of positive deviance as a tool for addressing social and behavioral change. Monique Sternin has been an equal partner in these efforts and now heads the Positive Deviance Institute at Tufts University

This book exposes the assumptions underlying the accepted paradigm of project management, describes the common practices that are based on those assumptions, analyzes why these practices are unhelpful and even harmful, and proposes an alternative, sometimes seemingly counter intuitive approach to project management based on CAS thinking.

Like the ocean, the marketplace constantly changes and today's cresting?reward?becomes tomorrow's crashing?risk. Even the best surfers fall, but they learn from their wipeouts and paddle back out again, knowing that with big waves come big opportunities. Innovation expert Louis Patler explores why 8 out of 10 business ventures fail and offers lessons learned from elite athletes that apply to business.?Before you venture out, take some advice from unlikely experts: Big Wave surfers who ride waves the size of a five-story office building using only a 9-foot piece of styrofoam. Like successful entrepreneurs, they must rely on preparation, planning, patience, and passion--and they relish a challenge. Packed with stories of innovators, entrepreneurs, and legends, Make Your Own Waves reveals 10 Surfer's Rules that will guide entrepreneurs and innovators including: Learn to swim--the basics set the stage for everything Get wet--you can't succeed if you stick to the shore Always look "outside"--watch for what's coming or you may miss a better opportunity Commit, charge, shred--you have to go all out to be all in Never turn your back on the ocean--always stay in touch with the marketplace and the customer Stay stoked--desire drives success Discover the do’s and don’ts for innovators and entrepreneurs that will lead you to success.

The hottest trend spotter in North America reveals powerful strategies for thriving in any economic climate. Did you know that Hewlett?Packard, Disney, Hyatt, MTV, CNN, Microsoft, Burger King, and GE all started during periods of economic recession? Periods of uncertainty fuel tremendous opportunity, but the deck gets reshuffled and the rules of the game get changed. EXPLOITING CHAOS is the ultimate business survival guide for all those looking to change the world. Topics include: SPARKING A REVOLUTION, TREND: HUNTING, ADAPTIVE INNOVATION and INFECTIOUS MESSAGING.

Asserts that success can slowly dull a company's competitive edge, explains how to maintain creative tension, and looks at successful companies

The research is indisputable: Students are less disruptive and do better academically in schools that cultivate the internal motivation of students. In Activating the Desire to Learn, veteran educator Bob Sullo shows how to apply lessons from the research on motivation in the classroom. According to the author, we are all driven to fulfill five essential needs: to connect, to be competent, to make choices, to have fun, and to be safe. Studies show that when these needs are met in schools, good behavior and high achievement tend naturally to ensue. Written as a series of candid dialogues between the author and K–12 students, teachers, counselors, and administrators, Activating the Desire to Learn covers everything you need to know to change the dynamics of learning in your classroom or school: * A comprehensive overview of the research on internal motivation; * Case studies of strategies for activating internal motivation at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; * Suggestions on how to assess degrees of student motivation; and Motivating students is not the issue—the hunger to learn is ever-present. Yet schools continue to insist on the traditional reward-punishment model, to the detriment of student achievement. Clearly it’s time for change. This engaging and thought-provoking book will help you create a culture of achievement by building on the inherent drive to succeed that students bring to the classroom every day.