The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change
The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change, from lead author Ian Ziskin and with contributions from senior business leaders, HR leaders, experts, coaches, and consultants shares insight, vivid stories, lessons learned, and best practices for what it takes to lead, survive, and thrive in periods of transformational change.
Now available in Audible Audiobook format, narrated by Jonathan Yen.
About the Book
The idea for The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change began during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2022 with the transformational changes taking place in people’s personal and work lives, and society at large. Over 935,000 people died in the United States, with nearly 6,000,000 lives lost globally at the time of this writing. This unprecedented period was characterized by massive disruptions including economic instability, racial and social injustice, declines in mental and physical well-being, remote school and work challenges, and political divisions. Living with all this change and uncertainty prompted questions about what it takes to lead, survive, and even thrive in periods of transformational change.
The book highlights the practical experience of several hundred leaders who contributed their expertise on the art and science of leading transformational change. It includes diverse and sometimes conflicting perspectives on transformational change from CEOs and other senior business leaders, CHROs and other senior HR leaders, transformational change experts, authors, coaches, and consultants. These experts have executed and delivered on transformational change, and share insights, vivid stories, and lessons learned on what to do, how to do it, and what to avoid. There really is a secret sauce for leading transformational change!
Reader Praise
“At the end of the day, leading transformational change is all about driving and sustaining great business results with and through other people. The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change offers multiple perspectives on how to make it happen in highly pragmatic ways.” (Chris Kastner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Ingalls Industries)
“Leaders and organizations must master transformational change to remain relevant and viable. The Secret Sauce is a powerful resource for practical insights into the what, why, and how.” (Professor Edward E. Lawler III, Director, USC Marshall School of Business Center for Effective Organizations)
“Now more than ever, businesspeople are looking for durable and practical methods to lead through transformational change, and The Secret Sauce provides both. It provides the ‘what’ and ‘so what’ for transformational change in a manner that is both thought-provoking, and immediately applicable.” (Peter Mulford, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, BTS Inc.) Officer, BTS Inc.
“The demand for transformational change has never been greater, and the practical guidance offered in The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change is top flight. Highly recommended for CEOs, board members, and senior leaders as we address this demand.” (Jane Edison Stevenson, Vice Chair, Board and CEO Services, Korn Ferry)
“Ian’s lifetime of experiences has generated a marvelous compendium of ideas with impact. Transformation happens when thoughtful colleagues share insights on truth, talent, timing, and tools.” (Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Partner, The RBL Group)
Related Podcasts
Book Chapters
- Introduction – The Spirit of Abundance
- Chapter 1 – From What to What?
- Chapter 2 – The Beauty of “And”
- Chapter 3 – Expert Perspectives (Essays) – Collective Wisdom Individuals
- Chapter 4 – Teams
- Chapter 5 – Organizations
- Chapter 6 – Leadership Storytelling (Interviews) – Do Something
- Leaders Lead
- Chapter 7 – Crowdsourcing (Survey) – Build a Bonfire
- Chapter 8 – Don’t Do It
- Chapter 9 – The Secret Sauce
- Chapter 10 – A “Pizzanalogy”
Learn More & Purchase
THREE – The Human Resources Emerging Executive
THREE – The Human Resources Emerging Executive by Ian Ziskin is the definitive guidebook for thriving in the ever-changing role of HR leadership. It is written for high potential HR emerging executives who want to accelerate their effectiveness and business impact, and for the bosses, peers, colleagues, friends, coaches, mentors, and teachers who want to assist them in doing so.About the Book
Centered around three critical and complementary aspects of the HR role, this book explores leadership philosophy, HR’s evolving role in today’s organizations, and the future of HR and effective organizations to help emerging HR leaders find and establish their place in the field.
The interplay between leadership and HR competencies is laid out clearly, and lessons learned from CHROs and other HR leaders, as well as academic thought leaders, form the basis of authoritative coverage of crucial components of effective HR leadership, now and in the future.
You’ll learn how to lead change, master the art of the question, build leadership and talent, create a performance culture, understand Boardroom dynamics, and learn tips and techniques from over one hundred of the very best HR leaders.
Applications
The book begins and ends with a comprehensive self-assessment, with additional self-assessments included throughout. Also, a wealth of tools and checklists are included to help you start immediately applying what you’ve learned.
- Develop a personal leadership philosophy, and behaviors for success
- Embody the changing HR role to make people and organizations more effective
- Ask the right questions and effectively engage other leaders
- Create a performance-driven culture and anticipate critical resistance points
- Anticipate and prepare for the future of work, organizations, and HR to ensure you remain relevant
Today’s organizations demand a broader array of cross-functional and cross-organizational perspectives to address complex multi-dimensional challenges and orchestrate practical solutions. THREE is the emerging HR leader’s guide to acquiring the mindset and skill set required for success.
Preview (PDF)
Purchase at Wiley.com
WillBe: A Book for High Potentials Who Have What It Takes
Everyone has talent and potential, but not everyone will be equally successful at realizing his or her full potential. Not everyone is a “WillBe.” But you could be. In WillBe: 13 Reasons WillBe’s are Luckier than WannaBe’s, author Ian Ziskin draws on his nearly 30 years of experience working with and developing thousands of aspiring leaders to offer a fast-paced and often amusing perspective on leadership behaviors that lead to success.About the Book
Ziskin has filled WillBe with insight, lessons learned, and anecdotes covering everyday organizational life and situations readers are sure to recognize. He guides readers through a self-diagnostic tour and assessment of certain “what would you do” situations, each aimed at highlighting what works and what does not work in the workplace. Readers can’t help but feel energized to turn what they learn into action.
- Are you getting ready to complete college or graduate school?
- Are you in the first 10-15 years of your career?
- Do you aspire to realize your full potential?
- Are you a senior leader who wants to invest in the development of high potential up-and-comers?
WillBe is not your typical self-help, leadership development book. At just 117 pages, it is brief, to the point, and pragmatic. WillBe is about discovering, identifying, nurturing, and understanding what distinguishes WillBe‘s from WannaBe’s in the first place:
- WillBe’s are high potentials who have the promise and ability to take on positions of additional responsibility and accountability over time, and to perform at levels that far exceed others.
- WillBe’s clearly have what it takes—the ambition and attributes, the will and the skill—to fulfill the promise that others see in them.
- WannaBe’s may aspire to achieve great things and to live up to lofty expectations, but they do NOT have what it takes.
Reader Praise
“Ian Ziskin brings an uncanny and practical perspective to the human dimension of driving great company performance. He’s seen it all, and offers sage advice to up-and-coming WillBe’s.” (Dr. Ronald D. Sugar, Retired Chairman and CEO, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Member, Board of Directors of Apple, Amgen, and Chevron)
“Congratulations on WillBe . . . I very much liked the voice you employed throughout: elegant, yet still clear and practical. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on ‘Anticipation’ and ‘Self-Awareness.’ Very keen insights, and the check-lists are a terrific inclusion.” (Reader)
“WillBe is absolutely fantastic—quick, to-the-point advice for HR professionals. I truly enjoyed reading it and plan to order several copies so I can share it with my peers and colleagues.” (Reader)
“Thank you for the incredible tool (WillBe) you have given me and the rest of my leadership class! After countless leadership textbooks, articles, and case studies, I was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of WillBe. Each chapter explains such a profound and essential aspect of leadership but in a straightforward, fool-proof manner. I consider that a highly commendable and impressive quality in any book.” (Reader)
“Focused, action-oriented, and fast paced, this book is a must read for any executive who wants to succeed. In 13 crisp, thought-provoking, and absolutely on-the-button chapters, this book resonates with ideas and insights in a format that suits even the busiest of executives.” (Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice, London Business School, Founder of the Hot Spots Movement)
“WillBe is an appetizing and attractive read for busy people. It’s easy-to-read, wise, and practical with some great quotes, situations, self assessments, and commitment/action plans. It is a gem, and a welcome addition to our Resource Library.” (Reader)
Black Holes and White Spaces (eBook)
Black Holes and White Spaces describes tools and frameworks that leaders inside and outside the HR profession can use to transform the HR profession and their organizational success. It summarizes the collective wisdom and hard work of over 70 exemplary chief HR officers and other leaders. Their mission: Disruptively accelerate the progress of the HR profession to meet the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of the new world of work.About the Book
We are excited to share that the FREE eBook, Black Holes and White Spaces: Reimagining the Future of Work and HR with the CHREATE Project, has now been published through SHRM and is available on Amazon.com.
- Black Holes are things that have been talked about for years in HR, but remain stubbornly unresolved.
- White Spaces are things that get far too little attention from HR, but that must be addressed to have a pivotal impact on the future workplace and the success of HR and organizations.
The 70 chief HR officers and other leaders who authored this book committed to a three-year collective effort dubbed “CHREATE — The Global Consortium to Reimagine HR, Employment Alternatives, Talent, and the Enterprise.” They recruited their colleagues and led volunteer teams that tackled the tough challenges, demonstrated how to address them, and built open-source tools and frameworks for leaders like you to use in your own organization.
The CHREATE Project was guided by these common beliefs: open source, voluntary, inclusive, messy, and agile. CHREATE focused on four key pillars of change, that organize this book:
- Align HR with Value Creation for Organizations that Win
- Shape Expectations of HR’s Key Constituents
- Rewire the Work and Tools of HR
- Enhance the HR Talent Pipeline
In this eBook you’ll find 26 essays from a wide range of CHREATE Project volunteers, people who have contributed their expertise, time, and passion to raising the bar – not only for the CHREATE Project but for the entire HR profession. The essays not only describe the frameworks and tools to disruptively accelerate HR’s progress, they often provide links to prototypes, guides and tools, residing on the CHREATE.net website.
Share Freely
Please join the movement! Use this book as your platform to disruptively accelerate HR and work in your organization. Our objective is to get this eBook as widely distributed as possible, especially because it is open source and free! We would really love it if you publicize this eBook in your own personal networks and, if you decide to share it on social media, please use the hashtag #CHREATEeBook to stay consistent with others promoting the eBook. This is an exciting opportunity to advance the movement, and we are so pleased to be able to share the final product with you!