Light Bulbs for Leaders: A Guide Book for Team Learning

An unorthodox, yet highly effective approach to team learning.

Part novel, part workbook, Light Bulbs for Leaders is brimming with insights, ideas, tools, and step-by-step guidelines all packaged in a down-to-earth, easy-to digest form.

Book I, "A Tale of Teamwork and Continuous Learning," tells the fictional story of Fulcrum Corporation and its efforts to regain the considerable ground it has lost in recent years. Faced with rapidly shrinking budgets and mounting competition, CEO Gary Anderson concludes that radical culture change is Fulcrum's only hope for survival.

He appoints a learning team of six senior managers, Janice, Ted, Pat, Andy, Lois, and John, to thrash out the details of just how this can be accomplished. As the story unfolds, you follow the team's adventures as they attempt to fulfill their mission and to transform Fulcrum from a fractious collection of brilliant high-tech cowboys into a learning organization of team players. You experience their setbacks and successes as they attempt to surmount the psychological and procedural obstacles every team must overcome before achieving its goals. And you follow them as they take what they've learned back to their own groups to successfully lead the team learning process. Along the way, you gain valuable insights into the human subtleties of team learning and acquire practical lessons that you can apply in your own team-building efforts.

Book II, "The Light Bulbs," lists the 88 epiphanies--moments in the story when the team "got it"--that are crucial to creating a high-performing team.

Book III, "A Guide to Team Learning," helps you make effective use of the lessons learned in Books I and II. Packed with checklists, exercises, charts, and other visual aids, this handbook helps you master the skills you need to overcome impasses in the team learning process and to achieve ever higher levels of team performance and productivity.

An enlightening and entertaining read and a valuable blueprint for transforming any organization into a learning organization, Light Bulbs for Leaders is a must-have management and training resource.

"There cannot be a successful organization in America today that doesn't depend upon teamwork for superior performance and growth. During a time when rapidly shifting societal and economic changes are scrambling conventional notions about personal interactions, Light Bulbs for Leaders is the perfect descrambler. Its technical approach is the right mix of creativity, boldness, and scar tissue, all presented in an arrestingly readable package."--Norman R. Augustine, CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation

"An excellent book . . . on leadership."--The Honorable Ike Skelton, 4th District, Missouri, U.S. House of Representatives

"An excellent, practical, and useful tool for the modern workplace."--Hyler J. Bracey, PhD, CEO, The Atlanta Consulting Group, author of Managing from the Heart

"This 'how to' book provides helpful, practical insights into the complexities of teams and teamwork. It is an attractive and handy compilation of notes and guidelines which any busy manager can relate to, with a rare discussion of the nuances of individual differences . . . that in reality can make or break an effort for team building."--Walter F. Ulmer, Jr., Former CEO and President, Center for Creative Leadership

BARBARA PATE GLACEL, PhD, is CEO of VIMA International. Dr. Glacel consults in executive and organizational development for organizations such as Lockheed Martin Corporation, The MITRE Corporation, NASA, MCI Communications, Atlantic Richfield Company, and various organizations in the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Rim. She is also Vice President of the Instructional Systems Association, an adjunct faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership, and a member of the Alumni Board of Directors of the College of William and Mary.

EMILE A. ROBERT, Jr., PhD, is COO of VIMA International. He has over twenty years of experience in human resource development and administration. He is an acknowledged authority in organizational development, personnel assessment and evaluation, forecasting human resource needs, and professional development. Dr. Robert works with clients across the United States as well as in Scotland, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. He is on the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership.