Quotes & Reviews
Quotes & Reviews
This book is intended to help leaders navigate the differences, the polarities, and sometimes the contradictions between the theory of how things are done and the practicality of what must be done, the what and the how. Business leaders today are even more challenged in delivering profits and value as societal changes, new trends in globalization, impact investing, and shifting expectations from the role of Boards all contribute towards a turbulent environment in decision making.
Below, please find a collection of Quotes and Reviews about the book and our authors Michael Lawrie & George Tsetsekos.
Lawrie is a master of strategy execution. As a CEO, Lawrie could always see what needed to change to release the potential of the organizations he led. Never satisfied with the status quo, he transformed every element of these companies, often with spectacular results.
Mike has been a visionary leader, who pioneered groundbreaking partnerships with universities like ours that integrated talent development, acquisition with business innovation. This is a model for other business leaders in an economy that is not only fast-moving but increasingly talent and innovation driven.
I first met Mike over 30 years ago and we hit it off immediately. He and I have since shared a sort of telepathic connection where each of us understood the other’s vision and was able to transcend the normal boundaries of business to create value for customers and the industry. Mike and I have shared immense trust and respect along the way and our meeting of minds helped forge many firsts in the industry including a joint venture between two competing IT organizations (CSC & HCL) to deliver greater value to organizations across sectors. The world has seen Mike as a successful and celebrated corporate executive; however, for me Mike is a close friend, somebody with whom I have discussed ideas and together converted them into actions that have proven to be transformative for our respective organizations and industry. Mike is a firm believer in value creation being at the center of any business, and has often spoken about how as leaders it is our responsibility to help create value for businesses, industry and markets. I am sure this book will help readers take important lessons from his journey and translate them into constructive actions for their organizations.
In my 40+ year career in the global business industry, I have been privileged to work with Mike in his capacity as a former leader of IBM. Mike is a natural expert in transforming culture to drive profitable revenue across the board, and I am fortunate to have partnered with him throughout my career. In my ongoing work with Mike, I’ve learned valuable skills applicable to company culture, investment, and finance, that I’ve been able to apply to various leadership roles at technology companies, educational consortiums, and non-profit organizations to create long-lasting, impactful change.
As Mike Lawrie has practiced throughout his distinguished career, leaders for turbulent times understand that something that initially looks daunting and improbable can turn out to be transformational. These leaders make a plan to achieve the goal, then move with confidence to build relationships with corporate, nonprofit and civic partners to attain it. Any tough decision is infinitely easier to make when those in leadership roles embrace the whole picture and highlight how an initiative will create value for all partners. Thus, in my own experience in west Philadelphia, recruiting a movie theater and a grocer to a troubled university neighborhood, launching a new public school, forming a business improvement district to ensure clean and safe streets, and attracting tech and bioscience companies to a new innovation district all proved to be endeavors with an impact far greater than the sum of their parts.
This book is the right book at the right time and Dr. George Tsetsekos is the right messenger. With a strong academic background and leadership roles in higher education, George brings together the practice and theory, the real and the hypothetical, the actual and the imaginable to provide leaders and students of management with a reimagined approach to business leadership during transformative times.
