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The War At Work: A Tale of Navigating the Unwritten Rules of the Hierarchy in a Half Changed World.
On a quiet night in the C-suite of Axis Medical Group, Brian Kelly holds a ten-pound sledgehammer, standing in front of a massive corner office. Staring back at him is his own name, etched across the door in polished block letters. He worked for twenty-five years to get it there, but tonight that has to change. And so, with every ounce of his strength... Brian starts to swing. We're entering the age of the Network, a world of hyper-connectivity and constant flux, where disruption is the norm and autonomy, empowerment and meaning are basic expectations of the new workforce. Organizations are being forced to execute and perform today while simultaneously maintaining the discipline to reinvent themselves for a very different future. Successfully navigating the challenge of thriving in two very different worlds is the mandate of the modern day leader. This book will show you how. The fact is, we live in a half-changed world, where everything from communication and etiquette, policies and procedures, where and when work happens, and “paying your dues” are still influenced by a long list of “unwritten rules” established by the world that preceded the the Hierarchy. Responsible for the creation of incredible efficiencies and scale over the past 150 years, the top-down structures and culture of the Hierarchy are still deeply embedded in our organizations and leadership ideologies today. Drawing from their experience guiding everyone from Fortune 500 executives to major-league coaches through the new world of work, Seth Mattison and Joshua Medcalf combine timeless truth with timely strategy in THE WAR AT WORK, a fable grounded in two leaders’ introspective journey from the top down world of the Hierarchy to the hyper connected world of the Network. For anyone seeking to embrace the future, find meaning, purpose, and mastery in their career and leadership capacity, this story is a compass, providing new perspectives and practical solutions to navigate the disruptive waters of change, unleash human potential, and bring genuine transformation to a world that desperately needs it.
- GenresBusiness
162 pages, Paperback
Published January 14, 2017
15 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 7, 2021
Excellent book for workaholics and a types alike. Describes a great evolution of a work lifecycle from lowly, eager newbie, to climbing the ranks with all of the hope and ambition in the world, to the balancing act of a successful life and family, to the daily frustrations of yourself, your team, and your circumstances. Really makes you think and challenges you to dig down deep inside and place value and priority on what’s important. Biggest lesson learned was silent the cell phone, check email only twice after lunch, and a great reminder on give in to the process.
July 3, 2019
This books was amazing. Definitely makes my top 5 and might be the best book I read this year. The story centers around a man who is losing his team at his company and his family at home. He is overworked, very bottom line driven. He doesn't realize the world is half changed.
Some great quotes:
"We’re all more digitally connected and empowered then ever before. The youth simply give us early clues as to what will become universally adapted principles for approaching work and life.”
“Where we’ve seen the world like a hierarchy, they see a Network: an interconnected web of people, resources, ideas, and information."
“There you go! Caydence and millions of others her age have grown up as the CTO’s, or chief technology officers, of their families. Because of that, they’ve learned an entirely different way of interacting with their elders. Families have never been so dependent on their youngest members to navigate life. These kids have grown up in a world where they are routinely asked to teach the adults in their lives how to use the most influential tools in human history! As a result, it’s reshaped their views and relationships with authority figures in their lives. Often times they view these individuals as peers now.”
“Brian, our kids have one childhood. One. I hope you don’t wake up one day realizing you traded it in for iPads.”
‘All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are.’
‘The new immigrant wakes up every day and says, ‘Nothing is owed me in this world. Nothing is promised. There is no legacy spot waiting for me at IBM or Harvard. I’m not owed a job, a raise, a title bump or a promotion. I better figure out what world I’m in, understand where the opportunities are, and work harder than the next guy to achieve them.’”
"I’m empowering you to call me up to a higher level if you see me not living out the standards and ideals we’ve all agreed upon.’”
“Hey, Dad…” Brian paused, “What was it like, after you got the diagnosis? What did it feel like to know that you were dying?” Ray shrugged, “What does it feel like to pretend that you’re not?” He said as he stood, and walked out, letting the door close with a —
‘The ultimate illusion of the human experience is control. The person you want beside you in battle is the man who has surrendered the outcome, and surrendered to the fact that he might die. When you surrender the outcome, you are freed up to be at your best, to be in the moment, and to trust your training. It is the one who has surrendered the outcome who ironically has the greatest chance of survival"
‘I refuse to believe that the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.’
So many great lines! It thought me to really focus on the network, to engage in the relationship for that is what is the key to success. This book thought me about relating to my kids better. To be one with their journey. and not try to lead it by walking in front but by walking side by side.
Some great quotes:
"We’re all more digitally connected and empowered then ever before. The youth simply give us early clues as to what will become universally adapted principles for approaching work and life.”
“Where we’ve seen the world like a hierarchy, they see a Network: an interconnected web of people, resources, ideas, and information."
“There you go! Caydence and millions of others her age have grown up as the CTO’s, or chief technology officers, of their families. Because of that, they’ve learned an entirely different way of interacting with their elders. Families have never been so dependent on their youngest members to navigate life. These kids have grown up in a world where they are routinely asked to teach the adults in their lives how to use the most influential tools in human history! As a result, it’s reshaped their views and relationships with authority figures in their lives. Often times they view these individuals as peers now.”
“Brian, our kids have one childhood. One. I hope you don’t wake up one day realizing you traded it in for iPads.”
‘All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are.’
‘The new immigrant wakes up every day and says, ‘Nothing is owed me in this world. Nothing is promised. There is no legacy spot waiting for me at IBM or Harvard. I’m not owed a job, a raise, a title bump or a promotion. I better figure out what world I’m in, understand where the opportunities are, and work harder than the next guy to achieve them.’”
"I’m empowering you to call me up to a higher level if you see me not living out the standards and ideals we’ve all agreed upon.’”
“Hey, Dad…” Brian paused, “What was it like, after you got the diagnosis? What did it feel like to know that you were dying?” Ray shrugged, “What does it feel like to pretend that you’re not?” He said as he stood, and walked out, letting the door close with a —
‘The ultimate illusion of the human experience is control. The person you want beside you in battle is the man who has surrendered the outcome, and surrendered to the fact that he might die. When you surrender the outcome, you are freed up to be at your best, to be in the moment, and to trust your training. It is the one who has surrendered the outcome who ironically has the greatest chance of survival"
‘I refuse to believe that the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.’
So many great lines! It thought me to really focus on the network, to engage in the relationship for that is what is the key to success. This book thought me about relating to my kids better. To be one with their journey. and not try to lead it by walking in front but by walking side by side.
May 7, 2017
This book is a fantastic story filled with success habits...while also helping leaders understand how to motivate the millennial worker.
June 1, 2018
First, this is one of the most poorly edited books I've ever read. The steady stream of grammatical and punctuation errors is totally inappropriate for a book meant for working professionals.
But even with a good copyedit, this would just be a collection of truisms held together by a contrived story. I wanted to like this book, but I can't recommend it.
But even with a good copyedit, this would just be a collection of truisms held together by a contrived story. I wanted to like this book, but I can't recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews