Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future by Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws - Hardcover

Tuff, Geoff; Goldbach, Steven

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1119764475 ISBN 13: 9781119764472

Publisher: Wiley, 2021

Synopsis

Explore a new and effective method for seizing opportunity in the face of uncertainty

In Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future by Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws, renowned strategy consultants and best-selling authors Geoff Tuff and Steven Goldbach deliver an insightful exploration of how people tend to act tentatively in the face of uncertainty and provide the tools we need to do things differently.

Tuff and Goldbach offer up a compelling argument for the proposition that taking a "wait and see" approach is the exact opposite of what helps visionary leaders change the world. Drawing on principles from business and behavioral economics, the book shows readers from all walks of life how to provoke action as a mechanism to advance.

In this book you’ll discover:

• An overview of the assortment of cognitive biases which tend to restrain and distort leadership decision making in the face of uncertainty
• How to recognize the 'phase change' that occurs when an uncertainty resolves from being a question of "if" to being a matter of "when"
• Five different models of provocation which can be used alone or in combination to anticipate, drive through and exit that phase change in a way that creates the future you desire
• How true "provocateurs" shake the foundations of their industries, firms, sectors, and governments by overcoming their need for certainty before action

Perfect for leaders or aspiring leaders in all walks of life where uncertainty abounds―which is to say, almost everywhere ―Provoke will become your go-to guide to overcoming those natural human instincts that keep us frozen in place and prevent us from seizing our opportunities.

About this title

About the Author

GEOFF TUFF is a Principal with Deloitte. He holds various leadership roles across the firm’s sustainability, innovation and strategy practices.

STEVEN GOLDBACH is a Principal with Deloitte. He is the Chief Strategy Officer of Deloitte U.S.A.

Together they co-authored the bestseller, Detonate: Why and How Corporations Must Blow Up Best Practices (and bring a beginners mind) to Survive.

TOM FISHBURNE is a marketing strategist and the creator of Marketoonist, a weekly cartoon series exploring the foibles of business since 2002.

From the Back Cover

PROVOKE shows leaders how they must be purposeful in shaping the future―intentionally engaging with emerging trends not only to benefit their own organization, but also to make the world a better place. The stories of purposeful provocateurs like Valerie Rainford, Debbie Bial and Ryan Gravel will inspire you to create a future that works for all of us.”
―THASUNDA BROWN DUCKETT, President and CEO of TIAA

“Too often we think more data and analysis will make our next move clear. Tuff and Goldbach’s core premise of how to act in the ‘if-to-when’ shift when new trends emerge should be required reading for all leaders facing uncertainty.”
―JOHN STRATTON, Executive Chairman, Frontier Communications, Board member at General Dynamics Corp. and Abbott Laboratories

“…an invaluable guide to achieving real change in this complex, data-driven world. The provocateurs they profile prove how much can be accomplished, across a wide range of endeavors.”
―MICHAEL AINSLIE, author of A Nose for Trouble, Chair Emeritus of Posse Foundation and former CEO of Sotheby’s

“Read this book to find out how human instincts hold us back and how to address problems head on. PROVOKE offers prescient advice, case studies and models to help leaders looking to disrupt longstanding biases that get in the way of organizational transformation. The authors make it clear that diversity cannot be an afterthought; it’s a fundamental imperative for every organization.”
―TARANG AMIN, Chairman and CEO of e.l.f. Beauty Inc.

“The difference between success and failure can hinge on recognizing and overcoming the ‘blind’ spots that shape our behavior. Goldbach and Tuff remind us that a bias to act―a willingness to DO SOMETHING to initiate the change we’d like to see―is the most important move we can make.”
―MONIQUE NELSON, CEO of UniWorld Group

From the Inside Flap

Navigating uncertainty is critical for any aspiring leader. But different kinds of uncertainty require different actions: there is a big difference between considering if something is going to happen and when something is going to happen. Anticipating the “phase change” when an if becomes a when can create huge opportunities for leaders who act. Unfortunately, humans are naturally wired to “wait-and-see” when the path forward is not clear.

In Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future by Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws, renowned consultants and strategists Geoff Tuff and Steven Goldbach deliver a compelling argument that “wait-and-see” is the worst thing we can do in a world of accelerating change.

Working at the intersection of business and behavioral economics, the authors demonstrate why taking action, or “provoking,” reduces uncertainty by providing real-world feedback, enabling confidence to move forward in the absence of precedent.

Readers will discover how individual biases and organizational tendencies conspire to keep teams frozen in inaction. They will also learn that the most effective leaders are provocateurs―they provoke action that disrupts teams, industries, ecosystems and society at large.

Perfect for executives, managers, and other leaders tasked with dealing with uncertainty on a daily basis, Provoke is a road map to overcoming the natural instincts to “wait-and-see” and seizing opportunities which could create a better future.”

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1119764475
• ISBN 13: 9781119764472
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Fishburne Tom
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256