Finding Allies, Building Alliances: 8 Elements that Bring––and Keep––People Together

Praise for Finding Allies, Building Alliances

"I′ve seen firsthand how collaboration is crucial to success not only within an organization but between multiple organizations. In Finding Allies, Building Alliances, Leavitt and McKeown provide a clear, simple roadmap for how to approach collaboration and the necessary elements for groups and people working together to succeed."
Eric Schmidt, chairman, Google

"Highly collaborative teams with a common challenge, committed leadership, and a clearly defined purpose are essential to creating solutions in an increasingly chaotic world. Governor Mike Leavitt and Rich McKeown have led, facilitated, and participated in many successful collaborations and a few less–than–successful ones and have written a clear, concise roadmap to building the best. Finding Allies, Building Alliances is for anyone who wants to be successful in today′s complex, connected global economy."
George Halvorson, chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente

"As companies globalize, reaching across national, cultural, and technological borders, Governor Leavitt and Rich McKeown have developed a realistic and applicable blueprint for building and harnessing the value of collaborative alliances.As Walgreens itselfestablishes a globalpharmacy–led health and well–being enterprise,Finding Allies, Building Alliancescould not be more timely or eye–opening."
Gregory D. Wasson, president and CEO, Walgreen Co.

"I wish all our leaders in and out of Washington would read Finding Allies, Building Alliances. Leading is a team sport, and Governor Leavitt and McKeown are masters at telling us how to do it."
Donna E. Shalala, president, University of Miami, and former secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

"In today′s highly matrixed organizations, the only way to drive transformative change is to build the right alliances, both internally and externally.In Finding Allies, Building Alliances, Mike Leavitt and Rich McKeown show you how to make it happen."
Mark T. Bertolini, chairman, CEO, and president, Aetna

Foreword by Clayton M. Christensen ix

Introduction 1

1 The Collaborative Foundation: What It Is and Why It s Essential Today 7

2 A Common Pain 27

3 A Convener of Stature 41

4 Representatives of Substance 55

5 Committed Leadership 67

6 A Clearly Defined Purpose 83

7 A Formal Charter 101

8 The Northbound Train 113

9 Defining Common Ground 125

10 Collaborative Intelligence 145

11 Alliance Enterprises: When and How to Create Ongoing Collaborations 163

12 Collaborative Competitive Edge 173

Conclusion 183

Appendix: WRAP Charter 189

Notes 197

Acknowledgments 203

About the Authors 205

Index 207

Mike Leavitt was elected governor of Utah three times. He then served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Secretary of Health and Human Services and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. He has since returned to the private sector to found Leavitt Partners, which advises clients in the health sector. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rich McKeown is cofounder, president, and CEO of Leavitt Partners. He served as chief of staff during Mike Leavitt′s terms as governor of Utah, administrator of the EPA, and Secretary of Health and Human Services. Before working in government, he was an educator, a lawyer, and a mediator. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Leavitt... and McKeown show readers how to forge connections that solve problems and lead to new opportunities. Their eight strategies apply to both individuals and organizations. Finding Allies, Building Alliances is for any business leader who has ever felt like an island, or for those who have 500 LinkedIn connections but don′t know whom to turn to with a problem.
Beth Cabrera, T+D Magazine

I′ve seen first–hand how collaboration is crucial to success not only within an organization, but between multiple organizations. In Finding Allies, Building Alliances, Leavitt and McKeown provide a clear, simple roadmap for how to approach collaboration and the necessary elements for groups and people working together to succeed.
Eric Schmidt, chairman, Google

Highly collaborative teams with a common challenge, committed leadership, and a clearly defined purpose are essential to creating solutions in an increasingly chaotic world. Governor Mike Leavitt and and RichMcKeown have led, facilitated, and participated in many successful collaborations and a few less–than–successful ones and have written a clear, concise roadmap to building the best. Finding Allies, Building Alliances is for anyone who wants to be successful in today s complex, connected global economy.
George Halvorson, chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente

As companies globalize, reaching across national, cultural, and technological borders, Governor Leavitt and Rich McKeown have developed a realistic and applicable blueprint for building and harnessing the value of collaborative alliances. As Walgreens itself establishes a global pharmacy–led health and wellbeing enterprise, Finding Allies, Building Alliances could not be more timely or eye–opening.
Gregory D. Wasson, president and CEO, Walgreen Co.

I wish all our leaders in and out of Washington would read Finding Allies, Building Alliances.  Leading is a team sport and Governor Leavitt and McKeown are masters at telling us how to do it.
Donna E. Shalala, president, University of Miami, and former secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

In today s highly matrixed organizations, the only way to drive transformative change is to build the right alliances, both internally and externally. In Finding Allies, Building Alliances,Mike Leavitt and Rich McKeown show you how to make it happen.
Mark T. Bertolini, chairman, CEO, and president, Aetna

Given their remarkable success as leaders in both business and government, Mike Leavitt and Rich McKeown have written the ultimate how–to on collaborative leading in business, government, and virtually any organization. In these transformational times, when organizational challenges have never been greater, bringing and keeping people together has never been more critical. The eight elements described in Finding Allies, Building Alliances create a playbook for success for every reader.  I couldn t recommend it more highly.
Senator Tom Daschle, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader

I observed firsthand Mike Leavitt′s skill at bringing people together and building coalitions in government, politics, and international affairs. Finding Allies, Building Alliances explains how successful managers cooperate to achieve goals and get things done in an environment brimming with complexity, uncertainty, and a multiplicity of actors.
Robert B. Zoellick, Former President of the World Bank Group, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, US Trade Representative

I ve had the opportunity to work with Mike Leavitt and Rich McKeown and see first–hand their skills as problem solvers that made them so effective at finding solutions on the ground in China.  Through vivid examples here, he lays out how to get individuals with seemingly competing interests to work together towards solving a shared problem.
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., chairman, The Paulson Institute, and former secretary, U.S. Department of Treasury 

In our increasingly interconnected world, organizations face a growing number of challenges disruptive technologies, regulatory reform, environmental issues they cannot tackle in isolation. In Finding Allies, Building Alliances, Leavitt and McKeown advocate for formal, process–driven collaborations between organizations facing collective problems, explicitly designed to achieve an outcome with value for each of them. Great collaborations cannot be undertaken casually they require effort, leadership, structure, process, and commitment. Finding Allies, Building Alliances offers a unique and practical approach to co–opetition in the 21st century.
Craig Mundie, senior advisor to the CEO, Microsoft Corporation

  In Finding Allies, Building Alliances, Leavitt and McKeown lay out practical steps any leader can follow to convene collaborators, gain consensus, and craft lasting solutions. Here is the recipe for any organization to solve problems more efficiently.
Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD,president, Institute of Medicine

Having worked closely with Governor Leavitt and Rich McKeown to create Western Governors University, I can testify that they are masters at bringing together diverse interests into powerful alliances.  Finding Allies, Building Alliances will benefit anyone in business or non–profit leadership, since the right alliances with the right partners are a key to success.
Robert W. Mendenhall, Ph.D., president, Western Governors University