Tom Parks

Lead Right for Your Company's Type Tom Parks

From turf wars to low morale, most companies attempt to cure what ails them with the latest management fad--and fail. They are treating the symptoms while ignoring the true problem.

Success starts with knowing the kind of business you're really in. Lead Right for Your Company's Type argues that every enterprise falls into one of four categories as dictated by their customer promise: customized (e.g. ad agency), predictable and dependable (e.g utility company), benevolent (e.g. educational institution), and best in class (e.g. high-tech company like Apple). When leadership practices fit the customer promise and company type, the organization thrives. But apply the wrong practices and the mismatch pulls the enterprise apart. Example after example exposes the fallout:

A small arts college destabilized by top-down rules designed for a predictable and dependable company A mid-tier retail chain derailed by leadership demands for superior products instead of reliably low pricesA software giant brought to its knees by prioritizing profits over innovation

Insightful and practical, the book's proven tools and five-step process will help you diagnose your organization's ills--and stop them at their source.