Aligning the Stars: How to Succeed When Professionals Drive Results [Hardcover]

Jay W. Lorsch (Author), Thomas J. Tierney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2002

Every company relies on talent to succeed, but none so much as professional service firms. Within this rapidly expanding, trillion-dollar sector, people are more than "valuable assets"; they are the source of competitive advantage. Indeed, success is determined more by the people these firms pay than by the people who pay them. What separates the best professional firms from their less-successful competitors? And what lessons do their experiences hold for other talent-driven businesses?In this comprehensive book, respected academic Jay W. Lorsch and accomplished practitioner Thomas J. Tierney draw from rigorous research and decades of experience to provide a practical perspective on how to win in professional services. Their work is based on an analysis of industry leaders in fields as diverse as law, accounting, investment banking, advertising, information technology, executive search, and management consulting. "Aligning the Stars" argues that strategic success is achieved by building an organization of executive-level stars whose day-to-day performance reinforces and ultimately achieves the goals of the business. Outstanding firms align stars across business lines, geographies, and even generations.Through compelling real-world examples, Lorsch and Tierney show how successful firms create and sustain alignment via: Strategy - determining which elements of strategy are most important and why - and how effective implementation incorporates organizational realities; People Systems - converting talent into stars, while nurturing "firm first" behaviors; Structure and Governance - organizing around partnership principles - even in a corporate environment; Culture - actively managing the culture to guide - and control-individual behavior; Leadership - exercising effective leadership when the power to control "partner-peers" is limited; and, Careers - aligning individual stars by helping professionals build a life, not just a resume.By showing how to integrate strategy, organization, and the needs of individual stars, this book offers valuable lessons for the current and future leaders of every talent-driven business. Jay W. Lorsch is the Louis Kirstein Professor of Human Relations at the Harvard Business School. Thomas J.Tierney is the former Chief Executive of Bain & Company, and currently serves as Chairman of The Bridgespan Group, Bain's nonprofit affiliate.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Combining perspectives of "a doer and a teacher" with experiences of two dozen professional service firms representing the ups and downs of the Old and New economies, Aligning the Stars offers detailed analysis of such firms today--and specific suggestions for their future success. Jay W. Lorsch, professor of human relations at Harvard Business School, and Thomas J. Tierney, former chief executive of Bain & Company (and now chairman of its nonprofit affiliate), interviewed principals at successful and struggling law firms, ad agencies, investment banks, and similar institutions to determine the practices that have helped the best thrive. Their conclusion: "Outstanding firms are consistently able to identify, attract, and retain star performers; to get stars committed to their firm's strategy; to manage stars across geographic distance, business lines, and generations; to govern and lead so that both the organization and its stars prosper and feel rewarded." Their book subsequently provides specific ways these "stars" (key performances critical to organizational success) can be "aligned" (via practices and structures that match their needs with those of the business). Lorsch and Tierney progress logically through client-centered strategies, development- and motivation-oriented people systems, corporate structure and governance, organizational culture, and leadership. A final section aims to help readers succeed in these newly shaped environments. --Howard Rothman

From Publishers Weekly

Focusing on the sector of professional service firms (including ad agencies, law firms, executive search firms, tech service providers, strategy consultants and more), Harvard Business School professor Lorsch and consultant Tierney explain how to manage talent for success. The authors examine 18 organizations, from Goldman Sachs to Ogilvy & Mather, to show readers how "alignment" (organizing a firm's talent) results from leadership and its implementation. Professional service firms are a major component of business today, making the market for Lorsch and Tierney's book a substantial one. Their suggestions are timely and specific.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press; 1st edition (April 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578515130
• ISBN-13: 978-1578515134
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #578,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for serious consultants, September 12, 2003

By 

Jim (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aligning the Stars: How to Succeed When Professionals Drive Results (Hardcover)

I've spent over 10 years with Big 5 consulting firms and read this book with a great degree of enthusiasm, given the background of the authors. But I was very disappointed! The book is laced with "feel good" examples about what other firms are doing in running their practices without actually formulating any definitive conclusions or suggestions (as one would find in David Maister's work). It appears more like the authors talking about their experiences/adventures with no particular audience in mind. So if you want to read this book, do not expect any serious advice coming out of it.

Hope this is helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, March 16, 2009

By 

RWJ (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aligning the Stars: How to Succeed When Professionals Drive Results (Hardcover)

As a former CEO of a professional services firm and experienced practitioner, I find this book to be highly insightful and thought-provoking. I refer to it often. The authors share many examples of how a leader of a professional service firm can create a stronger team and build a better firm. It is even more relevant in today's economy. Recommend it highly.