Urgency, complacency or fear?

Heard the phrase “a sense of urgency” recently? It’s been all over the papers in relation to the current global financial crisis.  It seems John Kotter’s latest thinking on false urgency and complacency has come at just the right time.  A nice review of his new book was published recently in The Financial Times and the LA Times.  TIME Magazine also weighed in and pointed out Kotter’s quest to “light a fire” under America’s managers and leaders. If the reviews are correct, perhaps Kotter’s clear vision of change could help all of us navigate through what appears to be ever-increasing volatility. 

Where’s the urgency?

The September 15^th issue of BusinessWeek features an excerpt from John P. Kotter’s latest book A Sense of Urgency.  Kotter, considered one of the great management gurus on the subject of organizational change, and best known for his 8-step change process, tackles the hardest step – upping the sense of urgency within an organization.  The excerpt focuses on a basic strategy and the four main tactics that will help individuals and their companies combat complacency, fend off false urgency, and start moving towards meaningful change.   Check out John Kotter’s site for video and additional information on his ideas.

Former Amgen CEO speaks to Investor’s Business Daily

This past weekend, Investor’s Business Daily featured an interview with author and former Amgen CEO Gordon Binder. Binder talks with IBD’s Peter Benesh about his experiences at the biotech giant, where he joined as an executive in 1982, just two years after the firm’s inception. In the interview, Binder traces Amgen’s rise, talks about the impact of his particular style of management, and gives his thoughts on the intersection of science and the market.  The full story is chronicled in the book Science Lessons: What the Business of Biotech Taught Me About Management (2008).

Ben Bernanke’s Fed: The Federal Reserve After Greenspan featured on WSJ.com

Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal Real Time Economics blog features an interview with Ethan Harris, author of the newly released, Ben Bernanke’s Fed: The Federal Reserve After Greenspan.  Harris’s book provides the first in-depth look at the man leading the Fed, with a focus on his first two years in the role, and helps to explain how Bernanke’s policy decisions impact the global economy.  The WSJ interview pinpoints key issues on everyone’s mind, including the possible reappointment of Fed chair once a new president takes office, questions about the early days of the mortgage crisis, Bernanke’s take on inflation, and more.  Join the conversation at Real Time Economics.