Transformational Leadership: A Blueprint for Real Organizational Change

by Randy Dobbs, Paul Robert Walker

Versatile leaders optimize organizations with positive changes - persistence, realism, and transparency No one is immune to these rocky economic times. Innovative businesspeople all over the country are adapting their organizational structures to survive, profit, and compete in today s unreliable market. The practical and relevant advice in Transformational A Blueprint for Real Organizational Change by Randy Dobbs can be applied to major corporations and small businesses alike, as well as to non-profits, universities, hospitals, and other institutions. Transformational Leadership differs from often dry and notoriously boring business books - it reads like a novel. In it, Dobbs provides a step-by-step guide to improving the internal structure of any organization. Effective and common sense how-to advice is supported with concrete examples of the principles at work. His leadership insights will help sharpen the skills of beginning entrepreneurs as well as veteran moguls. His twenty-five years in leadership positions and extensive CEO experience at three companies makes Randy Dobbs a true leadership expert. As CEO of GE Capital, IT Solutions, he was awarded General Electric's Turnaround Business of the Year Award. Now the secrets of a successful executive are compiled into a readable, practical guide for all types of leaders.

Genres: Leadership

274 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2010

Reviews

[Laura]

Wasn’t for me. I was looking for leadership skills that would be more appropriate for a service organization

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randy Dobbs has had a series of CEO positions with several large companies. In each case, he transformed the culture of the organization and shares his blueprint for doing so in this book.

At the essence of his "Secret Sauce" formula are the following:
1. Communication
2. Vision
3. Engaging senior leaders to take ownership for change
4. Having the right people to implement change
5. Changing the culture
6. Achieving financial results

The book has a good number of concrete examples to make clear the ideas he is discussing.

I would highly recommend this book for senior leaders who are taking on new positions. He provides very detailed examples of how he approached three very disparate types of organizations and how he started to make change in those organizations.

In short, this book provides a very practical account of how to become a transformational leader.

[Klatann Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to read in through the first five or six chapters. The author continually started stories only to interrupt himself and "save the story for later." When it got right down to it you are 90+ pages into the book before he hits the tough spots he promised to address. It had merit and is valuable for the concepts so popular in "transformational leadership" of today. Perhaps I am more of a cynic but I believe this one really shows business manipulation and senior level deception covered in a veneer of "best practices" for all involved.

I learned more about myself than anything else from this one. I can only hope that was the authors intention.

[Jay Ehret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to the Audible version of this book and stopped half-way through. I kept waiting for the blueprint, but it never came. This book is really Mr. Dobbs giving a nostalgic look at career with a few pointers thrown in like "be a great communicator." The book gave me a couple of reminders and an idea or tow, but beyond that I felt like it was just Mr. Dobbs having a beer and dictating the highlights of his career.

[Brian Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of good examples in here. I saw Randy speak and quite the leader.

[Calee Spinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great book with some interesting thoughts about management. He focuses on businesses, so not everything is relevant to every field, but there's points everyone can take away from this.