Leading Outside the Lines: How to Mobilize the Informal Organization, Energize Your Team, and Get Better Results

by Jon R. Katzenbach, Zia Khan

An all-new approach to understanding the (in)formal connections of an organization From the bestselling coauthor of the business classic The Wisdom of Teams comes an all-new exploration of the modern workplace, and how leaders and managers must embrace it for success. Katzenbach and Khan examine how two distinct factions together form the bigger picture for how organizations actually the more defined "formal" organization of a company-the management structure, performance metrics, and processes-and the "informal"-the culture, social networks, and ad hoc communities that spring up naturally and can accelerate or hinder how the organization works. With dynamic examples from enterprises around the world, this book takes a timeless organizational approach and creates a powerful paradigm-shifting tool set for applying it. Leading Outside the Lines illustrates how leaders can make the two distinct factions work together to get the best of both.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Glenn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have been having numerous conversations with leaders about how to manage Gen X, Gen Y differently, and how to motivate and reward performers. As part of research, I came across this excellent book.

It focuses on the (in)formal aspects of how individuals interact and work, and contrasts it with the more formal aspects of how organisations structure themselves and manage their staff. Ultimately, there needs to be an integration of both.

I highly recommend this book to leaders who are serious about wanting to lead people who are not responding to traditional methods of management.

[Lamia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be a rather interesting book. A bit light on the methodology side, which was too abstract for my own liking. It's yet a good start for anyone who want to explore the fragile balance between formal and informal structures within organizations.

[Jessica Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly good book.

I read the whole book in 2 sittings on a short trip So it’s easy to get through.

I liked the good use of storytelling with a wide range of examples in many industries. I don’t recall any related to other writers’ favorite tech companies for once which was excellent.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good concept, with good examples. I found myself bored halfway through however, and was skimming quite a bit.

[Terrance]

I learned how the the informal and formal structures can work together

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Case studies on managing and mobilizing the informal aspects of organizations. Interesting, generally well-written, useful.

[Joseph Bonifacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was pretty good. But the rest of it got repetitive and didn't really add new information. It just gave examples that were nice to hear.

[dv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice analysis of the balance between formal and informal organization.