Leading at the Edge of Chaos: How to Create the Nimble Organization

by Daryl R. Conner

Leading at the Edge of Chaos reflects the next wave of management thinking, which is learning to operate in a state of "perpetual disturbance." This book moves beyond the question of managing change to instead illustrating action steps that organizations must take given that change is constant. The author, a consultant specializing in helping organizations through major changes initiatives, refers to the "nimble" organization as the only effective means to compete in today's turbulent times. The key to nimbleness, he argues, is learning how to adapt quickly to changing market conditions while at the same time conducting "human due diligence"--a measure of people's capacity to absorb change--so there is enough momentum to face the next change and the one after that.

Genres: Business

368 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 1998

Reviews

[Robert Bogue]

My first highlight from this book is “Stability is no longer the prevalent condition of our age.” That’s a simple and profound truth as we must find ways to cope with the constant change we’re in while simultaneously leading our organizations and families. That’s what Leading at the Edge of Chaos: How to Create the Nimble Organization is all about. It’s about leading our organizations through change. In it, Darryl Connor (who also wrote Managing at the Speed of Change) puts forth the proposal that organizations today need nimbleness, resilience, human due diligence, and execution.

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[May Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book four stars, because it’s heavy on theory at the expense of examples. Conner has done a fantastic job of laying out pieces of change management. The tables he uses are excellent summaries of the chapter and make for easy reference for anyone who is attempting to keep key take-aways nearby. I especially found the chart on P. 290 that goes through the different stages a person could be in as they experience change. It really helps to explain why and where people get stuck and how they can pursue personal improvement and growth.

The reason I couldn’t give it absolute full marks, though is that you get the impression that Conner has significant experience, but is sharing with you the culled knowledge only. Perhaps he can not share too much given client relationships. However, I feel like the book at times reads too dry because the personal stories, successes and failures are left out. I would have preferred more illustrative examples. Particularly with people issues, which the book drills on, knowing what some people do that is wrong and contrasting this with the correct way to do it is key.

He gives a couple of fantastic examples of a phone conversation of someone who is stuck at the Antabuse stage would say. (i.e. chance meeting vs. proactive approach). I would have loved lots more of these. Clearly the guy is an expert though.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the exception of a silly chapter on "Mastering the Leadership Role" which COnner chooses to present as a sort of "business fable" (sorry - I HATE that stuff) this book is an excellent - albeit very dense - treatise on the role of the leader in managing change. COnner argues that the ever-present need to adapt creates a requirement for "nimble" organizations - basically, orgnaizations that can change on a dime. He addresses the necessity of identifying important changes (as opposed to change for the sake of changing) and the characteristics of a "resilient" leader (one who can cope with all of this change) in good detail, arguing for the use of a process he calls human due diligence to identify how mcuh change your organization can handle. It's a very useful book, but it is not a scintilating read. Maybe that's why he added the silly fable chapter.