I have seen the collaborative approach described in this book build trust and produce outstanding results. It should be considered by every business leader.
J. W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Marriott International
Having worked with Dr. Marshall's framework and approach to leadership in multiple organizations, I can attest to the power and the practicality of this approach to leadership in a modern organization. It was essential to our organizational and team development at Microsoft and later at VMware. This is an essential guide to managing in a world that has transformed for nearly every organization.
Tony Scott, Former CIO of Microsoft, VMware and Disney
Former Federal CIO for President Barack Obama
CEO, Tony Scott & Company
The business community must redefine its covenant with employees. This approach builds value and ownership and delivers extraordinary results.
Ann Dore McLaughlin, Former U.S. Secretary of Labor
This book is a remarkable combination of principles, historical analysis, review of major theories of organization development, and detailed prescriptions for the kind of leadership and collaborative group work that will be necessary to save our planet and the kind of civil society that we all value. By reviewing the work of many academic theorists, successful consultants, and analysts of leadership, group, and cultural dynamics, the author extracts the important insights, principles, and practices necessary to cope with the evermore complex challenges that our world presents us with. This book is, in effect, a manifesto to move from an egocentric 'I and me' society to a collaborative 'We' society.
Edgar H. Schein, Professor Emeritus, MIT Sloan School of Management
Author with Peter Schein of Organizational Cultural and Leadership (2017), Humble Leadership (2018) and The Corporate Culture Survival Guide, 3rd Edition (2019)
A thorough, thoughtful, and actionable look at what's required in the 21st century to lead yourself as well as your team and organization, complete with advice about steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.
Barry Z. Posner, Accoiti Professor of Leadership and Former Dean of the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
Coauthor with James. M. Kouzes, The Leadership Challenge, 6th Edition (2017)
While halfway through the first chapter of Leadership's 4th Evolution: Collaboration for the 21st Century, I couldn't help thinking that this was the book I needed a few years back for my MBA Management and Organization Development class. Though I'm not teaching any longer, I still need this book - for colleagues (leaders as well as consultants) who request readings to help them really understand organizations, initiate and implement development plans, and help those around them to do the same.
This book is a fantastic treatise on leadership and, given its title, will be visible and attractive to many readers interested in the topic. It is important to add, however, that the chapters are equally relevant to and informative for those interested in organizational culture. Over the past 40 years, organizational culture has evolved from a rarely used and somewhat misunderstood construct to one that is overly used yet still frequently misunderstood. From the very first chapter, Edward Marshall clarifies the construct, provides in-depth insights into the types of cultures that enable organizations to be effective today, and discusses viable levers for moving cultures in a more constructive and collaborative direction. In the process, he provides a great list of references and makes it easy for the reader to track down both classic and contemporary writings on organizational culture and leadership.
Robert A. Cooke, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emeritus of Management at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Author of Organizational Culture Inventory, coauthor with Janet L. Szumal of Creating Constructive Cultures (2019)
CEO, Human Synergistics International
Edward Marshall's book lays bare the urgent leadership imperative for all of us, in this generation, at this time, to take on complex issues like climate change collectively. He maps out the path of collaborative leadership so we can meet our responsibilities in our time. He recognizes that any change, any progress, ultimately happens through people. His great insight is that collaborative leadership has the potential to do something that power-based leadership could never do - transform people involved in the collaboration for effective, sustained change. This is infinitely more desirable a goal that transactional, short term 'wins' that the power model of leadership might attain at best.
Ravi V Bellamkonda, Ph.D., Dean, The Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University
An excellent process for defining and refocusing the roles of leaders and managers in the turbulent years ahead.
Warren E. Baunach, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Dean for Executive Education, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The relationship-based, networked organization will be the dominant structure in the 21st century. Edward Marshall has put forth a very insightful and challenging discussion on the need for trust and integrity to be the cornerstones of successful organizations of this type. Business leaders struggling with change should read this book.
John Burbridge, Ph.D., Former Dean, The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Elon University
If we are to address the challenges of speed in today's marketplace, we must strengthen the trust in our relationships with our people, customers, shareholders, and other partners. Dr. Marshall's practical framework for change enables businesses to achieve high performance, speed, and trust.
William Shaw, Former President, Marriott International
We are now entering a new renaissance, an era where 'business as usual' is dead (or dying) and where human relationships will once again matter more than technology. Edward's book is showing us a solid path towards this exponentially different future, redefining the very definition of leadership and describing how hyper-collaboration trumps hyper-competition. Read this book and get future-ready!
Gerd Leonhard, European Futurist & Humanist, Zurich
Author of Technology vs. Humanity
CEO, The Futures Agency
Dr. Marshall has found the key to managing and motivating knowledge workers in the new workplace.
Pierce A. Quinlan, Former President, Loral Learning Systems
Edward Marshall has rightly pointed to the importance of character, will, and discipline - but most of all, trust - as the cornerstones for successful change. His Collaborative Method is a very effective way to ensure that the principles of ownership, accountability, and integrity become the foundation for increasing productivity and speed.
David Russo, Former Vice President for Human Resources, SAS Institute, Inc.
The reader takes an enlightening journey through organizational changes that remove barriers and result in improved leadership, increased trust, enhanced integrity, and a shared commitment to manage change.
Komei Arai, Former Vice President and Plant Manager, Ajinomoto, USA
Our organization delivered results never before achieved - and we did it largely through improved organizational unity and trust across geographically distributed groups. The principles, methods, and tools described by Edward Marshall have helped us create a share organizational view of who we are and who we want to be.
Steven T. Miller
Former Information Systems Manager, E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Initial Sponsor and Mentor for the Collaborative Method, 1989-2000
