A professor at the University of Michigan School of Business and the director of the school's Global Leadership Program, Noel Tichy is grooming the next generation of business leaders to become summa change agents. He's also the author of a well-known book on change: "Control Your Destiny or Someone Else Will" (HarperBusiness, 1993).
Change Manual
"Rules for Radicals," by Saul Alinsky (Vintage Books, 1989).
Change Lesson
When students ask him to recommend a book that will bulk up their understanding of organizational learning, Tichy suggests Alinsky's classic text, which doesn't gloss over the tough parts of leading change. "It's an incredible handbook for making change happen in complex political environments," Tichy says. "Alinsky has great insights into the ways of social jujitsu -- using the system against itself. Most of the examples come from community organizing, but they definitely apply to big organizations."
Coordinates: $12. "Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals," Vintage Books, www.randomhouse.com/vintage
Bill Breen (bbreen@fastcompany.com) is a senior editor at Fast Company; Cheryl Dahle (cdahle@fastcompany.com) is a senior writer. Interns Julie Piotrowski (jpiotrowski@fastcompany.com) and Christine Canabou (ccanabou@fastcompany.com) contributed to the sidebars.
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