Leading at the Speed of Change: Using New Economy Rules to Transform Old Economy Companies (Hardcover)

by Bill Capodagli (Author), Lynn Jackson (Author) "July 1994. Rick Roscitt was 35,000 feet high in the bright blue sky, eastbound from Los Angeles New York..." (more)
Key Phrases: quintessential teams, network outsourcing, networking platform, Bank One, Merrill Lynch, Mike Armstrong (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Today's business climate demands that companies move quickly, adapt rapidly, and innovate like never before...all without losing sight of their core businesses. And one of the biggest challenges facing traditional companies like AT&T is the e-Commerce and Internet Revolution. AT&T is ready for battle. AT&T's goal is to offer one-stop-shopping for the world's communication needs. To do this, AT&T is striving to be on the forefront when it comes to cutting-edge management that fosters innovation, action, and growth. AT&T's largest division, Business Services, is headed by Rick Rocsitt, who Business Week has named a "rising star." The success of Business Services is crucial to the overall strategy of AT&T. CEO Michael Armstrong is relying on Rocsitt and his team to do for Business Services what he did for AT&T Solutions (providing outsourcing, consulting, networking integration and multimedia call center services). That is, they want Rocsitt to infuse the division with entrepreneurial spirit, to bring that "adrenaline rush" of the DotCom world back into this global giant. A close look at what Rick did at the AT&T Solutions Division offers lessons for managers and executives on how to manage at "DotCom Speed" and defeat the competition. The success of so many companies depends on it. Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson are the authors of The Disney Way, named by Fortune as one of the year's "Best Business Books." Their forte is analyzing the management style of comparies, and identifying exactly what makes the companies tick - what makes them succeed (or what is causing them to underperform). They have been fascinated by the success of AT&T Solutions, and have discovered that Rick Rocsitt's accomplishments can be clearly explained through the paradigm they coined, Dream, Believe, Dare, Do. In this book, they take a close look at AT&T Solutions - and interview key players at AT&T including CEO Michael Armstrong - to explain exactly how AT&T Solutions grew at such a phenomenal rate (in less than 5 years AT&T Solutions grew from a dream in the mind of Rick Roscitt to a five billion dollar corporation). The goal is to present a blueprint that managers and executives in any company can use to implement a winning strategy that produces amazing results.

From the Back Cover
Proven Strategies to Energize Traditional Bricks-and-Mortar Companies With Lean, Lightning-Fast e-Business Spirit­­and Results

Leading at the Speed of Change describes how to transform old business stability into e-business success. This behind-the-scenes story of the creation and fast-track growth of the AT&T Solutions networking division reveals how any organization can retain and build on its proven strengths­­while learning how to think, act, and perform like the most agile of today's light-speed, dotcom enterprises.

"Keeping an energetic spirit alive in a large company is a difficult challenge. Leading at the Speed of Change lays out a clear, concise plan of action for large companies to remain agile, adapt quickly to changes, and encourage the creativity of the entire team." - H. Ross Perot, CEO, Perot Systems

"Leading at the Speed of Change is a collection cutting edge of thoughts founded on timeless leadership philosophies of success ­ a must read for any organization today!" - Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Gung Ho!®

"While spending five years with AT&T Solutions and Rick Roscitt, one thing that rings true is that we could and we did get things done.  And we had fun doing it!  One of the keys to our success was the great communication within our organization, and I do believe Rick made the difference." - David D'Innocenzo, SVP/COO, American General Information Services Limitless access to information...expanding global markets...24/7/365 business demands...technological advances...

In 1994, veteran AT&T executive Rick Roscitt saw all of the above­­and sensed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The business world was globalizing, creating an exciting, potentially enormous market for IT network outsourcing. Roscitt looked around him at AT&T and saw­­already in place­­the services, products, and technological expertise that could be used to provide network management and communications outsourcing for other client companies. All Roscitt needed was for people to share in his vision­­and stake their reputations alongside his to help turn that vision into reality.

Backed by a maverick 12-person team, Roscitt has played the central role as AT&T Solutions grew into a $5 billion enterprise­­with 10,000 employees in 60 countries­­that has brought the adrenaline rush of today's dotcom revolution into the staid hallways of AT&T. Having seen this dream spring to life, Roscitt is already climbing his next mountain­­AT&T Business Services.

What is your e-business dream? And more important, what mountains must you climb to achieve it? Leading at the Speed of Change offers powerful lessons on how to infuse any organization with the spirit, creativity, and growth of a dotcom company. From big picture, corporatewide innovations to minor, but important, details­­like how to design workspaces to accommodate today's e-business requirements­­Leading at the Speed of Change draws on candid interviews with key players at AT&T plus the expert analysis of celebrated management consultants and corporate biographers Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson to discuss:

• The new-economy strategic alliances, team-focused approach, and vision adopted by AT&T Solutions
• How AT&T Solutions stood apart, creating its own identity while benefiting from the market strength of AT&T
• Details of the division's successes with IBM, Citibank, MasterCard, and other leading global partners

On one hand, Leading at the Speed of Change is a highly entertaining, step-by-step look into the development of AT&T Solutions. But in reality, it represents a road map through today's exciting e-business revolution. Challenging and compelling, this landmark book provides a template for old-line companies on how to rethink, redesign, and reengineer their design processes, factory floors, supply chains, and distribution channels­­and meet the changing demands and opportunities of the new Internet economy.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies; 1st edition (May 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007137079X
• ISBN-13: 978-0071370790
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,841,422 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a page-turner; it's a business book: It's both., May 17, 2001

By A Customer

Read this book. Enjoy it. Be gripped by it. Learn from it. I did all three. LEADING AT THE SPEED OF CHANGE is a different kind of business book: it almost reads like a novel. It's a riveting tale of vision, courage, and perseverence, with action guides after each chapter to nail the main points and help you be the hero of your own business story.

Authors Capodagli and Jackson cheer Rick Roscitt and his maverick AT&T Solutions team as they Dream, Believe, Dare, and Do their way to phenomenal start-up success. AT&T CEO Mike Armstrong is praised for blessing and nourishing the breakaway unit, and he is also fairly and frankly assessed for re-shaping the corporation into a global communications one-stop shop, and then recently dividing it into four parts. Throughout, Capodagli and Jackson are passionate but clear-eyed observers, and masterful teachers, too. This will be no surprise to readers of their previous books THE DISNEY WAY and THE DISNEY WAY FIELDBOOK which established their business-as-show business approach. In the close, overstuffed warehouse of business books today, Capodagli and Jackson are a welcome and invigorating breath of fresh air.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Two Cultures, indeed!, May 24, 2001

By A Customer

In Leading at the Speed of Change, Capodagli and Jackson combine artful storytelling with hard hitting facts about AT&T and its prize division, AT&T Solutions. The book begins with a flashback to 1993, where AT&T vet Rick Roscitt had a profound vision. And from this creative burst of business energy he, and a team of 12, pioneered Solutions into a model that can potentially alter the way things are done throughout all of AT&T. In a time where AT&T bashing is the norm, it was refreshing to read this book and find a bright spot. But don't think that Capodagli and Jackson were blind to what was happening just down the road. In fact, they pay considerable attention to the impending break up, and what CEO Michael Armstrong and AT&T could have possibly done to avoid this fiasco. In this chapter, I also found that it served as a wake-up call to any business. A small organization can falter as well (or perhaps more easily) from the same mistakes made by this telecommunications behemoth. Capodagli and Jackson rely on their management consulting background to provide criticism as well as prescriptive advice, breaking things down into eight simple, but essential, categories: Vision, Values, Alliances, Acculturation, Predictable Problems, Failing Forward Fast, Quintessential Teams, and Customer Intimacy. For those of you unhappy with the status quo, from the corporate CEO to the small business owner, Leading at the Speed of Change is a must read.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very poorly written, November 20, 2004

By	Rob - See all my reviews

I decided to purchase this book because I was interested in the story of AT&T solutions. I read it cover to cover because of my interest, but the poor writing and corny side-story made it quite painful. The authors should have never used that ridiculous airplane flight as a stage for the book. Unless you have a specific interest in AT&T solutions then I wouldn't suggest purchasing this book.