The CEO Playbook for Strategic Transformation - by Scott A Snell (Hardcover)

About the Book

"There is no CEO task more significant than leading change in an organization whose old business model needs updating. Large-scale change involves rethinking how to engage customers, partners and suppliers with new technology and hard decisions about how to reorganize internal operations--plus the challenges of executing the transformation. The stakes are high, filled with risk and reward obvious to all...and it often fails. Why? Most organizations aren't built for change--they're designed for stability, scale, and repetition. Too many things can go wrong, from natural organizational resistance and inertia, to lack of strategic focus, to execution problems. And yet, organizations today must be more dynamic than ever before. Strategy is dynamic, not static, and requires agility, nimbleness, rapid resource deployment, and organizational change. This practical playbook helps CEOs and other key leaders reduce the risks and see through the overwhelming complexity of a major change in organizational strategy. Unlike many other books on leading change that focus narrowly on overcoming resistance, The CEO Playbook for Strategic Transformation offers a more comprehensive framework involving 4 major tasks for leaders: (1) Establish and Communicate the Urgent Need; (2) Engage Stakeholders; (3) Mobilize the Organization; and (4) Develop Organizational Agility. Leaders who guide their organizations through these stages are far more likely to succeed than those who lack a playbook. Professor Scott A. Snell, who had long experience with organizational change before entering academia, shares insights, frameworks, self-assessments, and interventions that will help overwhelmed leaders succeed at their most challenging and important task"--

Book Synopsis

There is no CEO task more significant than leading change in an organization whose old business model needs updating. Large-scale change involves rethinking how to engage customers, partners and suppliers with new technology and hard decisions about how to reorganize internal operations--plus the challenges of executing the transformation. The stakes are high, filled with risk and reward obvious to all...and it often fails. Why? Most organizations aren't built for change--they're designed for stability, scale, and repetition. Too many things can go wrong, from natural organizational resistance and inertia, to lack of strategic focus, to execution problems. And yet, organizations today must be more dynamic than ever before. Strategy is dynamic, not static, and requires agility, nimbleness, rapid resource deployment, and organizational change.

This practical playbook helps CEOs and other key leaders reduce the risks and see through the overwhelming complexity of a major change in organizational strategy. Unlike many other books on leading change that focus narrowly on overcoming resistance, The CEO Playbook for Strategic Transformation offers a comprehensive framework involving 4 major tasks for leaders: 1) Establish and Communicate the Urgent Need; 2) Engage Stakeholders; 3) Mobilize the Organization; and 4) Develop Organizational Agility. Leaders who guide their organizations through these stages are far more likely to succeed than those who lack a playbook. Professor Scott Snell shares insights based on years of experience working with organizations undergoing change. He also provides a set of self-assessments, frameworks for action, and interventions to help senior leaders succeed at their most challenging and important task.

Review Quotes

"The CEO Playbook for Strategic Transformation is one of the most powerful and practical approaches to the most difficult situation a CEO will experience in their career! Scott Snell guides you on a journey through the complexity and magnitude of issues, using case studies and diagnostics, to equip you with practical guideposts and tools to ensure you have the best opportunity for success. The four factors serve as the CEO's compass for navigating strategic transformation." --Jim Clark, CEO, Boys and Girls Club of America

"A must read for CEOs and business leaders whose ecosystems are evolving at record pace, The CEO Playbook for Strategic Transformation provides proven tools to set strategic direction and drive the organizational alignment required for successful transformations." --Melissa Anderson, EVP and Chief People Officer, Albemarle Corporation

"Every company in the world faces a fast-changing competitive landscape. The CEO Playbook for Strategic Transformation frames a great approach to mapping future success." --Scott Price, CEO, DFI Retail Holdings Group, Ltd.

"Every transformation, like every sporting match, is unique. Scott A. Snell's playbook provides an array of effective tools to help leaders develop their transformation gameplan and plays to run based on the specific situation." --William Phelan, Chief Financial Officer, The American Bar Association

"Finally, a business book that goes beyond the emotional aspects of change management and acutely delves into the pragmatic steps which drive difficult and sustainable strategic transformation. A MUST read for CEOs and senior leaders alike." --Valerie Vargas, SVP Advertising & Retail Marketing, AT&T

"Helpful read on the overall challenge of transformation and filled with practical insights to incorporate into your own transformation journey." --Michael D'Ambrose, EVP and Chief Human Resource Officer, The Boeing Company

"Scott Snell's 'Playbook' is more important today than ever before as the CEO community struggles to transform their businesses in this ultra-competitive environment marked by constant change and volatility. The book strikes a very nice balance between principles and practice." --Johnny C. Taylor, CEO, Society for Human Resources Management

"This book is a practical guide that will help any leader improve their chances of driving transformative change in their organization. Scott A. Snell distills the essence of successful transformations into four factors and provides enduring principles and frameworks that make success less of a mystery for leaders pursuing transformation efforts. With the pace of technology-driven change, I wish this book was available a decade ago!" --Nilanjan Adhya, Chief Digital Officer, BlackRock

"This is an invaluable resource for every CEO driving transformation in their organization. HR leaders should utilize this playbook to create a powerful partnership with the CEO and other executives to design and execute a winning strategy." --Betty Thompson, EVP and Chief People Officer, Booz Allen Hamilton

About the Author

Scott A. Snell is professor at University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. He teaches courses in strategic management and works internationally with senior executives to help their companies align strategy, organizational capability, and investments in top talent. His research has been published in a number of top journals, and he is the author of four books.