The Anatomy Of Fire - Sparking A New Spirit Of Enterprise -- Leadership In The 21st Century

199 Pages·2002·3.01 MB·English

by  Thomas L. Brown

Tom Brown
The Anatomy Of Fire
Sparking A New
Spirit Of Enterprise
artwork by
H. L. “Mac” Thornton
The Anatomy Of Fire
Chapter 0: Overview
Foreword
Sparking A New Spirit Of Enterprise Chaplet 0.1
By Jim Collins
• Jim Collins co-authored Built To Last with Jerry
Porras. He also authored Good To Great. Both books
have been, and remain, soaring bestsellers.
I
first met Tom Brown in
1992, when he traveled to
Stanford University to
conduct an interview about the
research — then currently
underway — that eventually led
to the book Built To Last:
Successful Habits Of Visionary
Companies. What struck me
then, and stays with me to this
day, was Tom’s infectious
enthusiasm for new ideas.
We sat for hours in a faculty conference
IndustryWeek, October 5, 1992
room, while he relentlessly probed and
challenged the work Jerry Porras and I
so much by what he said, but by what he
were doing. He displayed a remarkable
asked and how he asked it. Indeed, the
gift for peeling away layers to get down
interviews were as much a reflection of
to essential truths. In fact, it was through
Tom Brown as of Richard Pascale,
Tom’s incisive questioning and open-
Margaret Wheatley, or Peter Drucker.
minded exploration that a number of key
ideas fused in my mind that day, as we
I realized then that Tom should create his
talked.
own book, his own synthesis of ideas.
Tom has developed a unique perspective
After the interview, I went back and read
born of synthesis of the great works of
a number of his signature “On the Edge”
management thinking. He is probably
interviews that he published in
“six sigma from the mean” in the number
IndustryWeek magazine. The same
pattern emerged: a relentless urge to of management books he has read and
explore and understand and an ability to thought deeply about. His voracious
draw key ideas out of people. And, yet, reading habits combined with face-to-
as I looked through the interviews and face conversations with authors,
columns, I realized that Tom was not practicing executives, and thinkers gives
merely a reporter. He always added his him a nearly unique vantage point from
own perspectives to the interviews, not which we can all learn.
©2002 Management General 2 www.mgeneral.com
Thus, when Tom told me in 1994 that the public over the Internet. The Leader’s e-
time had finally come to create his own Book is an entirely new concept that
book, I was most enthusiastic. Little did I could be to the Internet what the printed
know that he would not only write a book was to the printing press — an
book, but simultaneously strive to invent entirely new way of democratizing
an entirely new genre: “the Leader’s e- knowledge. Unlike a traditional book, it
book.” offers a more interactive way of reading.
Winston Churchill observed that writing To put this in perspective, imagine if
a book is an adventure. “To begin with,” Ernest Hemingway had created The Old
said Churchill, “it is a toy and an Man and The Sea as an e-book, where
amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, you could drop in and hear Hemingway
then it becomes a master, then it becomes himself reading key passages. Or
a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you imagine if Peter Drucker had published
are about to be reconciled to your in e-book format where you could
servitude, you kill the monster and fling interact with Drucker’s powerful mind in
him to the public.” a more direct way. I applaud and admire
Tom for taking on “Godzilla” and
Having written three books (and working struggling to create a working model for
on my fourth), I can attest to the truth of others to follow.
Churchill’s observation. So, I can only
imagine that Tom must be adding a sixth But to dwell solely on the medium of the
phase to the Churchill hierarchy — going book would be a great disservice. For the
ultimate contribution of this work is not
the e-book per se. Tom uses the e-book
The Leader’s e-book is
as a mechanism to connect you and me
more deeply with his synthesis of
an entirely new
observations on leadership. And not just
concept that could be leadership in the conventional sense, but
leadership in a holistic sense: leadership
to the Internet what
of organizations, leadership of ideas,
the printed book was leadership of progressive thinking,
leadership of our personal lives.
to the printing press.
Tom is at heart a humanist, believing
deeply in the power of people,
beyond mere closet monster to a full- individually and collectively, to make our
fledged Godzilla-sized beast. And yet he world better. He believes that all of us
manages somehow to wrestle the gigantic have creative capabilities — usually
beast to the ground and catapult it to the squashed by the institutions we work in
©2002 Management General 3 www.mgeneral.com
— and that anyone can grow into industry traditionally works. And the
leadership roles. He rejects the tired and entire effort reflects Tom’s strong inner
worn “hero worship” approach to desire to contribute.
leadership, replacing it with a very
personal view. Each of us has the Above all else, Tom pushes us to not be a
capability and — if I read between the mere “placeholder” in the world. He
lines of this book — the moral obligation urges us to reject the “paint by numbers”
to act in ways that Tom lumps under the approach to life and replace it with a
broad label of leadership. “paint a masterpiece upon a blank
canvas” approach to life. He challenges
Toward the end of this book, Tom argues us to make our lives, our work, our
that true leaders in any discipline choose influence, our impact on others a unique
exploration over exploitation, rallying contribution that cannot be duplicated.
over ruling, imagination over inventory, And the most compelling argument he
achievement over compliance, and giving gives is his own personal example as
over taking. In this work, Tom displays exemplified by this work.
all five choices.
Jim Collins
He leads us on a journey of exploration; Boulder, CO
indeed, the entire book is designed to March, 1998
encourage exploration. He rallies us
He leads us on a
journey of
exploration; indeed,
the entire book is
designed to encourage
exploration.
toward a higher standard of far-sighted,
sustainable management. The very book
itself is a testament to imagination over
inventory and achievement over mindless
compliance to the way the publishing
©2002 Management General 4 www.mgeneral.com
The Anatomy Of Fire
Chapter 0: Author’s Preface
Lost
Sparking A New Spirit Of Enterprise Chaplet 0.2
By Tom Brown
To Rita (editor-in-chief) and Nora —
you two always kept the home fire burning
Since the start of this e-book in February, didn’t laugh — and since its start, you have
1997 (and through the “millennium given solid, helpful advice. Kyle Pierson,
edition” of 2002) , two people were you gave me the longest and deepest
instrumental in bringing this project to life. analyses of key chaplets; I believe you saw
Dave Pierson, MG’s Webmaster, was the more in my poems that I did! Likewise,
first person to urge me to start writing on Beverly Goldberg (a noted author in her
the Internet; he has also been a “coach” on own right), stayed up very late lots of nights
every technical aspect of Webbing. Perhaps to offer critiques that made me consider all
someday he will award me “the third future chaplets in a new light. Debra
pebble.” About Mac Thornton enough Steele-Johnson, your deep knowledge of
praise cannot be spoken. This talented man leadership scholarship provided insights I
joined the project before the first e-words could never have uncovered in any library;
were posted. As I survey all that he has someday I want to take your course! Larry
done to add to the depth and character of Brotzge, you saved your comments for
the e-book, I remain in awe of his creative telephone or personal visits, but your
capacity. Mac, you have now proven that responses reassured me many times. Rich
you are much more than an illustrator. You McLaughlin, you graced the early chaplets
are a cyber-artist! with perspectives I really needed. And
Steve Ruffing, do you still think it’s like
John Willig was always — always — there Motorcycle Maintenance?
when the project seemed to be sagging. His
optimism, buoyancy, confidence, and And how do I thank all the other published
overall guidance have been immeasurably authors, people who have their own writing
important. It should always be noted that obligations, yet who made time for my
John joined the project without even seeing humble experiment in publishing? Jim
one word or one graphic; such confidence Collins, Alan Downs, Cliff Hakim, Debbe
in the potential of this e-book, I hope, has Kennedy, Bernie Nagle, Perry Pascarella,
not been betrayed. Robert Penman, Jerry Pepper, Dick
Richards, Wess Roberts, Jane Seiling,
Duane Murner, you were the only one Eileen Shapiro — I am not only indebted
who critiqued, without fail, each and every to you; I stand in your shadows.
chaplet. You are proof that one can read this
entire e-book and still survive. More than Lastly, to my many Internet readers —
that, you are proof that some friendships people I’ve never met or talked to, around
know no bounds. Your critiques sometimes the world — who logged on and asked to be
stung, but they were always helpful. You alerted to all future chaplets. You gave me
were my reader-in-chief! your time. Is anything today more precious,
save human life? You joined the journey,
Ted and Donna Kinni, when I sat in your and believe me, because of that, I never felt
living room in 1996 and said “e-book,” you alone. — Tom Brown
©2002 Management General 6 www.mgeneral.com
A
t the time, I was I knew what I had to do. I was a paid
journalist; though a rookie, there were
working my way
relatives and others who needed to know
through college as a what had happened, no matter how sad
and tragic.
catch-all reporter in a bureau of
The St. Petersburg Times in
There it was: through dark night, a half
Florida, where I had lived since mile from me, the flashing lights of
sheriffs’ cars signalled the crash site.
I was seven.
There wasn’t enough light to see any
At the time, I was driving 30 plane; to get there, I’d have to hike
across swampy terrain. Without four-
miles home. It was Sunday,
wheel-drive, there was no other way.
almost 9:30PM. An emergency
I radioed Times’ City Desk; unaware of
radio scanner in the car,
the crash, the editors immediately
standard equipment, allowed me
switched to crisis mode. Regular news
to overhear transmissions by deadlines had passed; for any report to
make tomorrow’s paper, I had to get what
police, fire, and other agencies;
information I could, and file copy by
all was silent. radio. I started trudging through muck. I
could not see where I was walking; all I
At the time, I was right by the
could see were flashing lights — way
small, mid-county airport. The ahead.
scanner channels lit rapidly with
The officer at the scene expressed great
one grim message after another:
surprise at my arrival. There were
“Plane down! Plane down! deputies with high-powered rifles ringing
the perimeter of the crash. “What are you
Crash landing! Survivors?
doing here? How did you get here?” Easy
Unknown. Dispatch questions: “I walked. What’s with the
rifles?” He replied, “They’re killing all
ambulance.” Someone queried,
the rattlers this crash stirred up. Those
“Ambulance? How many?” I rattlers are everywhere.”
shook as I heard: “Lots! Just
News story filed, I remained fitful —
keep sending them. Send
never really sleeping, thinking how close
ambulances. Send I came to joining those unfortunate crash
victims. It was my first real brush with
ambulances!”
death, in many ways. In case you’re
©2002 Management General 7 www.mgeneral.com
wondering what some journalists think and “leadership” became part of my daily
while writing about such terrible events, vocabulary as the director of
let me assure you: tears do form as management development for Honeywell
tragedies become vivid, as lost lives Aerospace in Minneapolis. There, I
become verified. The crash opened my began reading, discussing, and debating
eyes; I learned that there should be some different approaches to managerial
other calling for me. Nearness to death leadership. What a time! Who has not
has a way of auditing how you’re been affected by the radical thinking of
spending your life. Peter Drucker, Tom Peters and Bob
Waterman, Ken Blanchard, Eileen
Looking back, however, I recollect a Shapiro, John Kotter, W. Edwards
powerful calling to be writing news that Deming, Michael Hammer and James
night. Though I became repulsed at the Champy, Margaret Wheatley, Jim Collins
thought of doing such work again, I still and Jerry Porras, Scott Adams, Danah
recall the commitment, the dedication, Zohar — and many others — all of
whom have shaped the pulse and pattern
of modern organizational life?
In the best tradition of
My journalistic roots were reborn when I
career dedication, I
started writing the management column
was fueled by an for IndustryWeek, which I continued for
10 years. Now, having written for many
inner fire.
other publications — from The
Conference Board’s Across The Board to
Harvard’s Management Update
the drive, the insistence on getting vital Newsletter to the “Manager’s Journal”
information — and getting it right — spot for The Wall Street Journal — I
which clutched me. One can argue that, have had the unique privilege of
over the decades, journalism has become interacting with hundreds of management
considerably less professional. But if thinkers. Moreover, I have been able to
plane safety, airport procedures, pilot speak with thousands of on-the-job
training — or any other civic need — managers and executives in organizations
were at jeopardy and might be revealed large and small, private and public, profit
by this crash, it was important for and non-profit.
someone to write about it. In the best
tradition of career dedication, I was What’s haunted me over two decades has
fueled by an inner fire. not been my decision to leave
newspapers; instead, what etched deep is
Years later, I pursued a different calling the scant number of people, anywhere,
with even greater fervor. “Management” who radiate such commitment, verve,
©2002 Management General 8 www.mgeneral.com
passion, and sense of calling that they, World War II. Between 1945 and 1994,
too, could be described as “on fire.” The television moved into 97 percent of all
immense and growing popularity of homes. Jet travel went from a unique
“Dilbert,” worldwide, is not coincidental; experience for the very-privileged in
Dilbert’s rise is directly proportional to a 1958 to a 400-million-passengers-a-year
dispirited and angry workplace. Sixty industry in 1995. In 1945, only 46
years after Charlie Chaplin filmed percent of the population had a
Modern Times, the management telephone; more than 150 million
profession hit rock bottom, for me, when enjoyed that privilege a half century later.
the esteemed Warren Bennis wrote in The Samuelson cites more examples: air
Los Angeles Times (February 20, 1996) conditioning, interstate highways,
that “A demoralizing sense of power- automatic washers and dryers,
lessness is what many jobholders are antibiotics, social security and private
feeling.” Bennis added, “Worried pensions, health insurance, and birth
workers do not engage in the kind of control.
creative problem-solving that contem-
porary business requires”; and he Though the points of social progress
predicted, as a consequence, “a period of represent staggering achievements, surely
social unrest unequaled in this century... fueled by some level of personal and
[with] public expressions of rage and professional “fire,” Samuelson dismisses
fear….” the value of managerial leadership as “a
myth”:
These are all effects; what are the
causes? What’s haunted me has been the The idea of management is a myth: a
parallel deterioration of respect for figment of our collective imaginations.
leaders; laments about “lack of It projects business (especially big
leadership” are now pandemic. I found business) as we would like to see it,
myself asking repeatedly, “What’s wrong not as it actually is. It converts our
with organizations? Can they change for major corporations into vehicles for
the better? Where are the leaders?” social progress, because they fulfill our
individual wants for security and
I was lost. material well-being, while satisfying
society’s need for ever greater national
———————— wealth. In popular consciousness, good
management involves the realization
Newsweek’s premier columnist, Robert J. of these obviously desirable goals....
Samuelson, wrote The Good Life And Its Otherwise, it’s hard to say what
Discontents (Times Books, 1995). He management actually is and what it
catalogs the immense technological does. It is certainly not a precise set of
progress made in the United States since skills, a body of knowledge, or a
©2002 Management General 9 www.mgeneral.com