Book Reviews

Leading from the Center: Translating Strategy into Action

By: Duke Corporate Education

Leading from the Center: Translating Strategy into Action

This text was written targeting the middle manager.

It is incredibly insightful on the challenges that exist in strategic planning and change. Developing meaningful strategies is not the most difficult task in the process of strategic change. In fact, it is the translating those ideas to meaningful, sustainable action.

I especially liked the section titled The Framework for Sequencing and Staging. Four prompters help the reader understand how to think about leveraging action:

  1. Think sequence – identify easy/important, build momentum.
  2. Think synergy – identify natural areas of support and sponsorship, piggybacking on the work that is already in motion.
  3. Think sustainable – build a foundation that serves as an infrastructure, easing other successes in the future.
  4. Think alignment – consider how the alignment of your strategies is moving you toward your higher-level, longer-term vision for the future.

Questions or comments? Please contact Mark Frasco at mfrasco@teamCOACT.com.