Fusion Leadership : Unlocking the Subtle Forces That Change People & Organizations [Hardcover]

Richard L Daft (Author), Robert H Lengel (Author), Robert H. Lengel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1998

Fusion Leadership shows leaders how to use "fusion" to create personal ownership and commitment for change projects, thereby overcoming resistance that thwarts efforts to achieve real change in organizations. Fusion Leadership lays the groundwork for moving the new science paradigm into application and practice. Daft and Lengel explore six subtle forces they feel have a direct bearing on organizational effectiveness. Mindfulness, they say, represents independent thinking, personal creativity, and an open mind. Vision encompasses the higher purpose toward which people work. Heart represents caring and compassion - positive feelings that underlie workplace relationships. Communication influences vision, values, and emotions; it also involves listening and discerning. Courage motivates people to take risks. Integrity involves honesty, trust, and service - going beyond self-interest to give something to the team and organization. This book also shows the value and practical applications of social technologies based on conversation - including dialogue, future search, and whole-scale change - which leaders can use to create organizational fusion, unleashing new synergies among people and achieving far-reaching results.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In the "out-of-kilter" world that Daft and Lengel take as their framework, old management styles do not work. Instead of top-down, "fission" management that splits organizations into independent units and hierarchies, they propose a "fusion" style in which empowering leaders create a corporate vision and all employees use their creative powers to cope with constant change and achieve common goals. Empowerment and leadership both are popular current topics; Daft and Lengel offer user-friendly spin heavy on inspiration and personal growth. Both authors have taught managers. Daft (director, Ctr. for Leadership and Organizational Transitions, Owen Sch. of Management at Vanderbilt Univ.) and Lengel (Ctr. for Professional Excellence and the Executive MBA program at the Univ. of Texas at San Antonio) aim much of the book at showing leaders, through parables and anecdotes, why they need to change and how to develop new approaches to managing, but the concluding chapters provide ideas of how to institute changes throughout an organization.
A.J. Sobczak, formerly with California State Univ., Northridge
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The so-called new science of chaos theory has been applied to organizational management in such works as Irene Sanders' Strategic Thinking and the New Science (1998) and Margaret Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science (1992). Daft and Lengel, who cite Wheatley's work, consider a different model, one from the field of science. Daft, who teaches at Vanderbilt University, has written numerous scientific articles and is the author of two major textbooks in the fields of management and organizational theory; Lengel teaches at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Here the two look at the concept of fusion theory. Although proponents of chaos theory argue that its principles actually apply to organized systems, Daft and Lengel seem to be using the theory of fusion more metaphorically. They argue that chaos theory and other systems models overlook the person and such aspects as individuality and personal growth. Contrasting hierarchical models that they say create fission within the organization, they propose a leadership model based on "fusing" together personal traits such as mindfulness, vision, communication, and integrity. David Rouse

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 290 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1 edition (March 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157675023X
• ISBN-13: 978-1576750230
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,046,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard L. Daft, Ph.D., is the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr., Professor of Management in the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University where he specializes in the study of leadership and organization theory. Dr. Daft is a Fellow of the Academy of Management and has served on the editorial boards of Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, and Journal of Management Education. He was the Associate Editor-in-Chief of Organization Science and associate editor of Administrative Science Quarterly.

Dr. Daft has authored or co-authored 13 books, including ORGANIZATION THEORY AND DESIGN and MANAGEMENT. He has also authored dozens of scholarly articles, papers, and chapters and has published in the Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Accounting Organizations and Society, Management Science, MIS Quarterly, and Organizational Behavior Teaching Review. Dr. Daft has received several government research grants in organization design, organizational innovation and change, strategy implementation, and organizational information processing.

An active teacher and respected consultant, Dr. Daft has served as associate dean and helped manage a start-up enterprise. He has been involved in management development and consulting for numerous organizations, including the American Banking Association, AutoZone, Nortel, Bridgestone, TVA, Pratt & Whitney, Allstate Insurance, State Farm Insurance, the United States Air Force, the U.S. Army, J. C. Bradford & Co., Central Parking System, USAA, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and many others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for anyone aspiring to be a great leader !, August 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fusion Leadership : Unlocking the Subtle Forces That Change People & Organizations (Hardcover)

Daft and Lengel have defined the wisdom of "Fusion Leadership" for those who wish to lead utilizing the skills and resources of their team. Using appealing parables and stories throughout the book the authors provide the reader with practical situations to comprehend the forces necessary to become an effective and admired leader among peers. Whether it be in a large multinational organization or small assigned team tasked with problem solving both will benefit after reading this book. The reader turned leader will be able to convey the six easy to comprehend identifiable forces necessary to implement effective leadership utilizing the strengths within the organization. Each major tenet of "Fusion Leadership" is like solving an complex interlocking puzzle. As each piece is explained elequently by Daft and Lengel and pieced together, the reader suddenly grasps the ability to visualize the " Big Picture " of defining and applying " Fusion Leadership " to their own organization.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six subtle forces of fusion leadership, April 29, 2001

By 

Turgay BUGDACIGIL (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fusion Leadership : Unlocking the Subtle Forces That Change People & Organizations (Hardcover)

"What are specific subtle forces that might be unlocked by fusion? They are drawn from people's basic humaness...The subtle forces are not the body; they are in the mind, heart, and spirit within the body. In our review of the literature on leadership, and through our consulting and classroom experiences," Richard L.Daft and Robert H.Lengel write, "we have observed many subtle expressions of mind, heart, and spirit. For the purposes of our discussion of fusion leadership, we have identified six subtle forces that embrace the essence of human potential and ingenuity. The subtle aspects of intellect are captured in mindfulness and vision. The subtle forces of emotion are revealed through heart and communication. And the subtle forces of spirit are reflected in courage and integrity. These six forces define the underlying potential for leadership and change" (p.20).

In this context, to describe organizational leadership by reference to principles of fusion (joining together) rather than fission (splitting apart, separating), throughout the book, by making extensive use of stories, parables, and metaphors, they discuss six subtle forces of fusion leadership. The ideas about these forces are briefly summarized as below:

1. Mindfulness: See subtle forces, take position as beginner, maintain open mind, be tentative, set aside opinions, ask questions, create labels and categories, challenge assumptions, welcome opposites, see subtle flows and relationships, see whole and part, and encourage multiple approaches.

2. Vision: Create future, facilitate hopes and dreams, pursue higher purpose that touches the heart, inspire people, focus on values and yearnings, consider dreams concrete and reliable, think big and do the impossible, cherish vision as motivating and energizing, and live by hope and personal experience.

3. Heart: Stay emotionally connected with people and work, base choices on finding bliss, look for hidden potentials, seek out people who express emotions, hold that emotions are truth, be collaborative and interdependent, and pay attention to ideas and people with emotional power.

4. Communication: Listen, discern other's needs, focus on big picture, frame of reference and meanings, transmit symbolic images and stories, cultivate face-to-face contract, celbrate completed task, direct message to heart, and ask questions.

5. Courage: Assert nonconformity, follow higher purpose, seek to serve, act as iron, feel fear and admit failure, support failure as way to grow and learn, name demons and speak truth, disagree and say no, act on faith and trust, and accept support from others.

6. Integrity: Inspire trust, share information, power and resources, seek interdependence, meet unstated needs, serve others, affirm, build and mentor others, acknowledge other's great deeds, empower others and faith in others, set high moral standards, and deepen insight into self.

Finally, they write that "Each of these subtle forces can be released to provide powerful motivation for leadership and change. These forces can transform organizations, and fusion is the process through which they are unlocked."

Highly recommended.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful profile of leadership., March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fusion Leadership : Unlocking the Subtle Forces That Change People & Organizations (Hardcover)

Drawing on the model of living systems, the authors describe a leadership style and approach based on a coming together of whole individuals to accomplish mutual goals based on shared vision and values, in contrast to hierarchal fission management. Key themes are mindfulness (independent, creative and open-minded thinking), vision, heart, courage, communication and integrity. This book offers important insights into the ideal nature of leadership.