An integrated leadership and management guide to success. Specific steps that can be taken to improve performance in any organization. Focus is on the positive and the possible using seven practical and proven best practices. Combines best practices in leadership techniques and management processes. Seven Best Practices, a chapter for each, detailed with real-world examples and success stories. Each chapter contains guidelines and checklists, with a self-assessment tool for each best practice. The objective is to move the reader to action.
ForeWord Clarion Review BUSINESS & ECONOMICS The Art of the Possible Create an Organization with No Limitations Daniel M. Jacobs Federal Market Publishing 978-1-4499-6135-0 Five Stars (out of Five)
Inspired by a compliment from the author's friend and coworker, the title of The Art of the Possible reflects Daniel M. Jacobs' intent to teach readers about "creating an organization where things get done, where anything is possible."
The book cites examples of leaders such as Jack Welch who turned General Electric into a $300 billion-plus company, Elizabeth Dole who saved over $140 million in operating costs in two years as leader of the American Red Cross, and Charles Schwab who sold and later bought back his company and subsequently developed it into the largest discount brokerage firm in the country.
Jacobs is a recognized expert on public contracting and the author of several books on the subject. He is chairman and CEO of Federal Market Group, an organization in Washington, DC, that provides training, research, and consulting to government and industry. Based on his research and over thirty years of experience working with successful businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, he has observed that a key factor to an organization's success or failure is its leader, the person who creates the environment to enable success.
The Art of the Possible integrates seven leadership and management best practices used by great leaders into a concise, high level, step-by-step approach to facilitating success. It helps leaders get focused on the organization's goals and differentiates between defining a vision and a mission. Jacobs discusses building talent by establishing centers of excellence and high-performance teams. He also urges leaders to use a "toolbox" for their organization that standardizes "checklists, flow charts, proven approaches, best practices, software, and other tools for consistent, effective, and practical performance support," such as the Measures of Effectiveness Tables, developed and used by the Federal Market Group.
Jacobs suggests managing the fundamentals via processes, procedures, and baselines. As a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), he advocates following proven project management disciplines and developing a work breakdown structure (WBS) to identify fundamental organizational tasks and allocate resources.
The writing style is smooth, succinct, and tactical, and is intended to move the reader to action with inspiring true stories and examples from a good cross-section of industries--government, corporate, non-profit--that are applying the book's principles. Chapters are devoted to each of the seven best practices, and at the end of each chapter are handy checklists and personal action plan scorecards that readers should find helpful in assessing their requirements and plans.
Although the concepts aren't original and they're covered at a high level, what sets this book apart from many other leadership books is that it provides a turnkey management system developed from proven best practices.
The Art of the Possible is an excellent playbook for business leaders, entrepreneurs, MBA students, or others interested in applying a systematic, practical approach to creating a successful organizational culture that focuses on the potential. Cindy Kryszak --ForeWord Clarion Review ForeWord Clarion Review
"Dan Jacobs' profound understanding of leadership and management - how the two differ and how each can best be applied in conjunction with the other - has produced literally billions of dollars in success for his clients. The Art of the Possible charts that path to success for all who are willing to work hard enough to follow it." -- --Jed Babbin, Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense and Editor, Human Events
"This is not just another business book. This is a must read for anyone interested in building and improving an organization or managing a project to success. Dan Jacobs understands people and what motivates them to succeed. He also understands better than anyone I know how to bring people and processes together." -- --Michael Dallas, COO, Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
"What I like most about The Art of the Possible: Create an Organization with No Limitations is that it is so very practical. Seven steps to help you be more successful--not buzzwords or "flavors-of-the-month" but seven proven best practices, each fully explained with examples, guidelines, and checklists and personal action plan scorecards. It's easy to read, clearly written, well illustrated, and concise. And, it's the kind of book that you return to again and again, the kind of book that you really use to solve real problems and achieve real and lasting success. With The Art of the Possible, Dan has put into words what he has taught to thousands--with amazing results." --Randall Wotring, President EG&G/URS
"Dan Jacobs' The Art of the Possible: Create an Organization with No Limitations does more than just combine proven best practices in leadership techniques and management processes. He quickly charts a relentless course for success using a step-by-step, straight-forward, no-nonsense approach for the creation of an organization with no limits. He offers clear, powerful guidelines, checklists and self-assessment tools to help any leader succeed - especially in high stakes environments where just being good is not good enough!" --Frank J. Anderson, Jr., President, Defense Acquisition University
