Getting It Right: Notre Dame on Leadership and Judgment in Business (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) [Hardcover]

Viva Bartkus (Author), Ed Conlon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2008 | Series: J-B US non-Franchise Leadership (Book 7)

To be a successful business leader, executives need to make values-based problem solving a habit of mind, argue management experts and Notre Dame professors Viva Bartkus and Ed Conlon. In Getting It Right, Bartkus and Conlon draw on insights from consulting, management, and academia to deliver a powerful message: no matter how chaotic the marketplace, leaders can still address even the most staggering challenges in a calm and confident manner.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Getting it Right

Business leaders are facing unprecedented challenges in today's uncertain environment. To fully grasp the untold challenges of a turbulent marketplace, a great leader must have great problem solving skills, clarity of thought, tenacity in action, and uncompromising values. Yet too often leaders try to remain values-neutral and therefore muddle their thinking and hinder their decision-making skills. Problem solving has become an underrated leadership skill, while the critical role of values in problem solving has been underemphasized.

To be a successful business leader, executives need to make values-based problem solving a habit of mind, argue management experts and Notre Dame professors Viva Ona Bartkus and Ed Conlon. In Getting It Right, Bartkus and Conlon draw on insights from consulting, management, and academia to deliver a powerful message: no matter how chaotic the marketplace, leaders can still address even the most staggering challenges and problems in a calm and confident manner.

The authors present the unique problem-solving framework that has formed the basis of Notre Dame's business education and has been tested in corporate settings. The model encompasses three overarching themes: discovering solutions; moving from analysis to action; and driving solutions through the organization. Combining theory and practice, Bartkus and Conlon illustrate every aspect of the integrated framework with real-world case studies. In addition, top-level executives from General Electric, Google, McKinsey, Baxter, Lilly, and others contribute their own unique insights on how they handled their toughest problem. The net result—business is about performance, performance is about judgment, and judgment rests on values.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Getting It Right

"Bartkus and Conlon deftly examine and lend insights into an often overlooked yet essential element of leadership. Their message is an important one for the challenge of our times: that great leaders must stay true to their values when solving problems and making tough decisions. I have traveled far and wide, and in my experience, there is no substitute for clarity in thought, tenacity in action, and unwavering commitment to values in the hearts of great leaders."
—Father Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, president emeritus, University of Notre Dame

"Why wasn't this terrific book written years ago? It is only about the two essential ingredients of leadership: problem solving and values. Great problem solvers drive economic and societal progress; their values provide them the rudder needed to guide that problem solving. I highly recommend this book to all who practice or study leadership. Well done!"
—Steve Coley, director emeritus, McKinsey & Company

"No organization can hope for long-term success without an embedded, problem-solving culture within its management team. Given the complexity and globalization in today's world, survival demands adroit action. Bartkus and Conlon have provided sound logic and insight to this management imperative."
—James D. Sinegal, president and chief executive officer, Costco Wholesale

"Leadership can come packaged in different ways. Viva Bartkus and Ed Conlon have unwrapped the elementary package. They help sharpen our focus. Bundling commitment, integrity, decisiveness with clarity and discipline points us to strong leadership. Their approach is simple, straightforward, and easily understood.?It is highly recommended reading."
—Andrew J. McKenna, chairman, McDonald's Corporation

"Bartkus and Conlon brilliantly develop the case that leaders need to be good problem solvers. The amazing aspect of this book is that this point is so lacking in the leadership literature. Bartkus and Conlon are truly pointing in a constructive new direction. I recommend it to leaders, aspiring leaders, and those who study leadership."
—Max H. Bazerman, Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

"In today's hyper-competitive business environment, leaders are pressed to make decisions that are short-term and one dimensional. This study puts forward a welcomed path of decision-making for thoughtful leaders. I commend Viva Bartkus and Ed Conlon for an approach that is both practical and theoretically rich."
—Nathan O. Hatch, president, Wake Forest University

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (August 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470245883
• ISBN-13: 978-0470245880
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,010,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Basically McKinsey Mind - but much better, August 26, 2008

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climber - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting It Right: Notre Dame on Leadership and Judgment in Business (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Hardcover)

As the title of my review indicates, some of the content of this book is quite similar to the book "The McKinsey Mind" by another former McKinseyite. However, this book is far superior to that title on a number of fronts.

My favorite features so far are:
-Storytelling format makes for an easy/enjoyable read.
-Real cases in each chapter really help you visualize how you might tackle tough problems you come across.
-Both good and bad examples of the "tools of the trade" are presented and discussed in detail. (Hypothesis Statements, Issue trees, Work plans, etc)
-Each chapter ends with comments from execs in industry highlighting key learning moments from their careers. Google senior VP in Chap 2, GE CFO in Chap 3, etc.
-The later chapters also include a focus on implementation--not something I remember being included in The McKinsey Mind--at least apparently not in a memorable fashion.

Solid book.