Leading in a Culture of Change

PRAISE FOR LEADING IN A CULTURE OF CHANGE

"One of the many mistakes I made during my career as a School Superintendent was not to place enough emphasis on 'culture' in the 'early' years. I started leading school districts in 1983, and it was Fullan's 2001 book, Leading in a Culture of Change, that helped me understand the link between culture and high, continuous, improvement. It was my 'cultural' savior! The new edition is even better. Unlike most business books, Fullan shows how to create, nurture, and benefit from a great culture. Today's young group of leaders do not know what they do not know. If you want to thrive and survive, read Leading in a Culture of Change, Second Edition." —DR. TERRY GRIER, Retired Superintendent, Houston Independent School District

"The education sector is so full of change today it can seem overwhelming to students, parents, teachers and administrators alike. Yet it often feels like we aren't moving anywhere fast; many students and teachers are disengaged with the way they are learning and the leadership they are being provided. In this revised edition of Leading in a Culture of Change, Fullan shows us that to make real impact we must learn to 'go slow to go fast'. This means taking the time to deeply engage with context so that we can become lead learners within our organisations. As Fullan shows, the insights and ideas apply equally to leaders in business and education. Whether you are a leader in a large system, an advisor or practitioner on the ground, I highly recommend this thought-provoking and practical book to help you to take the next step forward." —WILLIAM GORT, Professional Economist and Education Sector Consultant, Deloitte Access Economics

"Fullan delivers a brilliant and compelling strategy for increasing leadership effectiveness. The continual efforts to pursue moral purpose, understand the change process, develop grounded collaboration, foster deep learning knowledge, strive for coherence and do so with energy, courage and relentlessness are imperative as educators endeavor to prove demographics do not determine destiny. Leading in a Culture of Change is the gold standard for addressing the tools necessary to build a solid foundation for effective improvement efforts on behalf of students across all boundaries." —SANDY THORSTENSON, Former Superintendent, Whittier Union High School District

"With accelerating complexity, Leading in a Culture of Change is the new normal. In this updated edition, Michael Fullan notes that the more complex the change, the more people must be part of the solution. Like the previous edition, moral purpose is job one, but this edition makes it clear that relationships are a close second. This new edition contains many fresh insights as it describes leading from the middle, listening, co-learning, and sense making—all part of the new leadership. The update is as valuable as the First Edition was almost two decades ago." —TOM VANDER ARK, CEO, Getting Smart

The new edition of the best-selling guide for powerful, morally-grounded change leadership in any organization.

Change is an inevitable, essential part of the modern world. Change prevents stagnation, fosters creative solutions, and propels innovation. With change comes challenges: to survive and prosper, organizations need to adapt to shifting market dynamics, volatility in the public arena, disruptions brought on by new technologies, and many more. Leaders need to understand the dynamics of change to cope with the complexities of the change process. Leading in a Culture of Change describes the key dimensions of leadership that are crucial in times of change. This innovative guide helps readers master the five components of change leadership—moral purpose, understanding change, building relationships, creating and sharing knowledge, and creating coherence—and mobilize others to accomplish shared goals in often difficult conditions.

Extensively revised and updated throughout, this market-leading book continues to help leaders from across sectors understand the dynamics of change and navigate the end-to-end change process. The second edition is now thoroughly grounded in the various forms and interpretations of successful change and includes more precise definitions of the core competencies of change, contemporary case studies of their development and practical application, and increased guidance on their effective use through new concrete examples. Combining knowledge from the worlds of education and business, this unique book will help you:

• Integrate proven, time-tested methods of education reform and the most current insights in leadership and organizational change
• Develop and implement positive, sustained systematic change strategies in any organization
• Increase performance, optimize learning, and improve leadership
• Understand the key principles of leading change through specific, real-world examples
• Embrace a morally-grounded process of effective organizational change

Leading in a Culture of Change is an indispensable source of information for leaders in business, non-profit, and public sectors seeking to understand, influence, and lead the change process.