Introduction to the new edition

This book was first written in 1992, more than twenty years ago. Since then I have lectured to more than 100,000 executives, consulted to leaders of countries, and published twenty more books. In other words, I have gained more experience.

In every country I lectured I learned something new. I have lectured or consulted in over fifty countries. I made it a point to respond to any invitation from a new country no matter how far, how developed or underdeveloped, so I could test my methodology and philosophy of life. And I learned a lot. I started to realize that I was not teaching only about business; that my philosophy applies to how a country needs to be led, and to family as well as personal life. A universal theory of how to manage change evolved and made the first edition of this book in need of updating.

There was another development that called for a rewrite of the first edition. Universities started teaching Adizes, so it was time to also make this book a textbook. A manual for in- structors was developed and is available to those who seek it.

Over forty-plus years, I have developed a theory—a philosophy—about how to lead change, but it did not remain just a well-developed concept. I have personally applied what I teach and when I succeeded in producing the desired results, I have documented the theory in manuals, taught others, and monitored whether they had the same success in producing exceptional economic and behavioral results. When they did, with over hundreds of companies of all sizes, there was the proof that the methodology is not an accumulation of well-meaning concepts, but a science: The same method can be repeated to achieve the same results. To be sure it is universal, I have opened Adizes offices in more than ten countries and comparedresults. This methodology is independent of cultural and industry bias, and it applies to busi- ness as well as to non-profit organizations.

I also opened a Graduate School licensed by the State of California to grant master’s and doctoral degrees in this methodology for leading change, which is akin to organizational transformation. I consider it therapy, because the aim of the transformation is to make the organization healthy. What it means to be organizationally healthy and how the transforma- tion is conducted will be discussed in the following pages. However, I consider this book just an introduction to organizational therapy. For a more complete treatment of the subject, one should read the rest of my books, especially Managing Corporate Lifecycles, which discusses which problems are normal and which abnormal.

In this book I use the Socratic method of conversation to convey the material because it gave me maximum flexibility to communicate. I hope you find this book easy to read and entertaining, and its teachings worth applying.

— Ichak Kalderon Adizes, Ph.D.

Santa Barbara, California. 2015

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