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Kill the Company
In the ever-changing world of business, we’ve arrived at a point where process has trumped culture, where the race toward efficiency has made us complacent and unable to reach our potential. Stuck in the land of status quo, we’ve forgotten how to think. And the very structures put in place to help businesses grow are now holding them back. It’s time to Kill the Company.
This book is a call to arms: to start a revolution in how we think and work. But instead of more one-size-fits-all change initiatives forced upon employees, we need to embrace smaller, positive behavioral changes that create ripple effects throughout the organization. Thinking can no longer be exclusive to the creative team or lead strategists. Rather, a culture of curiosity must be fostered among the ranks to shake up our standard practices, from unproductive meetings to go-nowhere strategic planning. This revolution can and will awaken our ability to think, and ultimately, to innovate and grow.
In Kill the Company, innovation specialist Lisa Bodell urges companies to shift the mindset from business as usual to the company of the future, to move from what she calls “Zombies, Inc.” to “Think, Inc.” This involves both risk and trust: to allow all employees the opportunity and environment to be curious and inquisitive—even challenging and provocative when the situation calls for it. Too often, this type of behavior is seen as threatening, says Bodell, who has actually been told by CEOs that they discourage employees from thinking. In step with the call to Kill the Company, is a plea to kill fear, complacency, and the all-too-familiar answer from our leaders: “I can’t be bothered with your (perhaps brilliant) idea.”
Bodell also looks at how we got to Zombies, Inc., exploring how our educational system contributes to the lack of inquiry and problem-solving skills, showing how conformity is rewarded early on. She also draws from the work of such education luminaries as Sir Ken Robinson and the groundbreaking Blue School (founded by members of the Blue Man Group).
In the end, readers of Kill the Company will have a full sense of how much riskier it is to stay here in the status quo than to break out and think.
This book is a call to arms: to start a revolution in how we think and work. But instead of more one-size-fits-all change initiatives forced upon employees, we need to embrace smaller, positive behavioral changes that create ripple effects throughout the organization. Thinking can no longer be exclusive to the creative team or lead strategists. Rather, a culture of curiosity must be fostered among the ranks to shake up our standard practices, from unproductive meetings to go-nowhere strategic planning. This revolution can and will awaken our ability to think, and ultimately, to innovate and grow.
In Kill the Company, innovation specialist Lisa Bodell urges companies to shift the mindset from business as usual to the company of the future, to move from what she calls “Zombies, Inc.” to “Think, Inc.” This involves both risk and trust: to allow all employees the opportunity and environment to be curious and inquisitive—even challenging and provocative when the situation calls for it. Too often, this type of behavior is seen as threatening, says Bodell, who has actually been told by CEOs that they discourage employees from thinking. In step with the call to Kill the Company, is a plea to kill fear, complacency, and the all-too-familiar answer from our leaders: “I can’t be bothered with your (perhaps brilliant) idea.”
Bodell also looks at how we got to Zombies, Inc., exploring how our educational system contributes to the lack of inquiry and problem-solving skills, showing how conformity is rewarded early on. She also draws from the work of such education luminaries as Sir Ken Robinson and the groundbreaking Blue School (founded by members of the Blue Man Group).
In the end, readers of Kill the Company will have a full sense of how much riskier it is to stay here in the status quo than to break out and think.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2012
81 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Bodell
6 books32 followersLisa Bodell is the founder and CEO of futurethink, an internationally recognized innovation research and training firm. Lisa founded her company on the principle that with the right knowledge and tools, everyone has the power to innovate. As a leading innovator and cognitive learning expert, she has devised training programs for hundreds of innovators at leading companies such as 3M, GE, and Johnson & Johnson. A respected thought leader on innovation topics, Bodell has appeared on FOX News, and in publications such as Crain’s, Business Week, The New York Times, WIRED, Investor’s Business Daily, Successful Meetings, Harvard Business Review, and The Futurist. She serves as an advisor on the boards of the Institute of Direct Marketing in London, The Women’s Congress, the Association of Professional Futurists, and the prestigious Institute of Triple Helix Innovation think tank. She has also taught at American University, Fordham University, and the American Management Association.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 7, 2020
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It had great ideas, with real case examples, on how to invoke change and alter behavior and thinking. I liked that they used a monolithic finserv example too, which I assume to be a tough industry to adapt.
August 11, 2014
Great book and information to add to your personal toolkit of brainstorming best practices. I learned some new and fresh ideas and was reminded of other good ones I have seen in practice. I wish the author had used more examples of direct application and shared the successes generated by such application. For me that was the difference between giving the book 3 and 4 starts. There were great ideas I just would have liked to know in more depth if they had been used successfully. All in all, it inspired me to more regularly insert some brainstorming best practices into my schedule and meetings.
July 17, 2012
Spoiler Alert: practical AND inspiring without the usual corporate-ese. This book has gotten a lot of press lately and I devoured it in a single weekend. Since then, I've found myself with a better grasp of innovation--utterly misused in advertising!--but also, a more enlightened approach to communicating with clients. Technically, it's a business book, but it's also showing me how to embrace fear, practice what I preach and objectively evaluate myself (and my work). Highly recommended.
August 28, 2015
This is the best business book I've ever read. I'm ready with true practical application and I'm inspired by the possibilities this book puts forth. Not simply text but a great toolkit to take forward. Was lucky enough to see the author speak and she is empowering!
January 30, 2016
Exceptional, strongly recommend to anyone NOW!
June 10, 2013
Reading this book right now. Great book so far. http://bit.ly/Ny7fZz
February 23, 2019
Unfortunately, the reading experience was a disappointment: there are lots of fantastic ideas but they are buried under annoying marketing of the author's own company. I wanted to read a book – not a 200-page advertisement.
Instead of just presenting an awesome idea, she writes something like "we have this cool method in MyCompanyName's Toolkit, and I call it the Method With A Cool Name. Everybody loves using the Method With A Cool Name tool!" This gave me an allergic reaction. It is possible that this style sounds better in non-Finnish ears. :)
Instead of just presenting an awesome idea, she writes something like "we have this cool method in MyCompanyName's Toolkit, and I call it the Method With A Cool Name. Everybody loves using the Method With A Cool Name tool!" This gave me an allergic reaction. It is possible that this style sounds better in non-Finnish ears. :)
June 25, 2017
Excellent read for business leaders. Essentially, how can you create a company culture that is ripe for innovation? No fluff in this book. It is filled with real life examples, tools and exercises to spur creative thinking, and detailed explanations of when, where, why, and how to use the exercises outlined in the book.
January 18, 2019
At first glance this does look what it is, this is why I hesitated to get the book, finally this is very interesting while it defies the status quo and the business as usual.
Many ways on how to be more aware of what's wrong and how to challenge it, and challenge everything that we once considered as a given way on how to conduct business.
Many ways on how to be more aware of what's wrong and how to challenge it, and challenge everything that we once considered as a given way on how to conduct business.
June 10, 2017
Kill the company process is a thought on how to win in the future. How is our company venerable? Those on the inside know best. We have "stupid rules" at work. Here is how to kill them. Innovation starts with ending business the way we do it today.
July 26, 2018
Useable tools for innovation and transformation
This is a great book with immediately usable tools and techniques for innovation and organizational transformation. Highly readable and relevant.
This is a great book with immediately usable tools and techniques for innovation and organizational transformation. Highly readable and relevant.
March 30, 2018
Great book to get the conversation started.
Great book to get the conversation started. Has a lot of exercises teams can go through to look at their company’s strategy differently.
Great book to get the conversation started. Has a lot of exercises teams can go through to look at their company’s strategy differently.
May 21, 2019
Great brainstorming techniques.
January 9, 2020
Good tools
This book is excellent if you’re looking to simplify your organization and looking for some ideas and tools to get you started.
This book is excellent if you’re looking to simplify your organization and looking for some ideas and tools to get you started.
October 2, 2021
Excellent approach to rethunking. Will be my new bible for advancement and hiw to get more ideas from my teams.
September 16, 2022
mid book
November 17, 2024
Excellent book with a great reminder - greatness start with a sense of curiosity and asking the right questions. Nothing brand new but lots of great tools
July 19, 2012
A book that I would highly recommend! What I found refreshing about this book is that it goes beyond telling you that innovation is important to actually providing you the tools and solutions to innovate, making innovation very practical and actionable. There are helpful diagnostic exercises, useful examples, and a strong set of thought-provoking tools which are accessible and not-at-all daunting to use. A must-read book for those wanting to transform company culture!
August 3, 2012
Great read! Loved the real world examples that author Lisa Bodell uses to further explain her creative and easy innovative exercises. Great explanation of certain situations and rules that really limit the flow of innovative thoughts in the work place. A highly recommended read!
April 12, 2024
Wow! Super practical, influential, well described, great examples, relevant, empowering! Great read for “Killing the Company” and bringing in success. So far, one of my favorite business books. Fantastic tips and definitely a book to keep in your toolkit.
July 27, 2012
A very very good book! A must read for anyone interested in reinventing business and the corporate world.
March 6, 2013
A refreshing approach to kick start innovation in the zombie companies of our time: just kill the existing culture, processes and rules and you might find a way out.
August 12, 2014
Practical, no nonsense corporate lingo advice and ideas. Can use this a lot in my work.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews