What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation

Build a company that′s fit for the future and fit for human beings

"Gary Hamel delivers again. He challenges organizational orthodoxies and creates a sharp gap between what the future holds and the status quo. What Matters Now fits my definition of a true innovation: it is unique and compelling, creates advantage because it′s ahead of the curve, and provides a significant value for leaders by underscoring what it takes to succeed in the 21st century."
Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and CEO, Whirlpool Corporation

"What Matters Now is an exciting tapas bar of a book, packed with nuggets of unconventional wisdom, tempting plates of inspiring advice, and several bracing shots of bold ideas. Gary Hamel is a legend in the world of management thinking and this book reminds us why."
Daniel H. Pink, author, Drive and A Whole New Mind

"Gary Hamel′s brilliantly written book provides a deeply insightful view of 21st century leadership. He captures its essence: building on values, innovating and adapting rapidly to changing environments, and being passionate in leading people rather than relying on traditional management techniques. Hamel focuses on humanity in leading rather than skills. If you follow his advice, you′ll becomea great leader."
Bill George, former chair & CEO, Medtronic; professor, Harvard Business School; author, True North

"In What Matters Now, Gary Hamel describes the foundational principles fornext–generation management. This is an essential guide for building a post–bureaucratic company."
James Whitehurst, president and CEO, Red Hat

"If Gary Hamel has to singlehandedly drag the profession of management into the 21st century, he will. He′s got the passion, the energy, and the smarts required for the job, and in What Matters Now, he provides a wealth of essential advice for management renegades everywhere."
Andrew McAfee, principal research scientist, MIT; author, Enterprise 2.0

Preface ix

SECTION 1: Values Matter Now 1

1.1 Putting First Things First 3

1.2 Learning from the Crucible of Crisis 9

1.3 Rediscovering Farmer Values 25

1.4 Renouncing Capitalism′s Dangerous Conceits 29

1.5 Reclaiming the Noble 35

SECTION 2: Innovation Matters Now 39

2.1 Defending Innovation 41

2.2 Cataloging the World′s Greatest Innovators 45

2.3 Inspiring Great Design 55

2.4 Turning Innovation Duffers into Pros 61

2.5 Deconstructing Apple 73

SECTION 3: Adaptability Matters Now 83

3.1 Changing How We Change 85

3.2 Becoming an Enemy of Entropy 91

3.3 Diagnosing Decline 103

3.4 Mourning Corporate Failure 111

3.5 Future–Proofing Your Company 119

SECTION 4: Passion Matters Now 135

4.1 Exposing Management s Dirty Little Secret 137

4.2 Putting Individuals Ahead of Institutions 145

4.3 Building Communities of Passion 153

4.4 Reversing the Ratchet of Control 163

4.5 Reinventing Management for the Facebook Generation 171

SECTION 5: Ideology Matters Now 179

5.1 Challenging the Ideology of Management 181

5.2 Managing Without Hierarchy 193

5.3 Escaping the Management Tax 207

5.4 Inverting the Pyramid 233

5.5 Aiming Higher 243

Appendix: The Half Moon Bay "Renegade Brigade" 259

Notes 261

Acknowledgments 267

About the Author 269

Index 271

Noted business thinker and strategist Gary Hamel has been on the faculty of the London Business School for nearly thirty years. He is the founder of the California–based think–tank The Management Lab. His most recent initiative is The Management Innovation eXchange (www.managementexchange.com), a pioneering effort aimed at reinventing management by harnessing the power of open innovation. Hamel is the author of five books and numerous articles for the Harvard Business Review as well as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and the Financial Times. He consults widely and has led change initiatives in some of the world′s most prominent companies.