January 2009

Management: Strategies
SOUNDVIEW Executive
Book Summaries
www.summary.com
®

Building a Values-Driven
Organization
A Whole System Approach
to Cultural Transformation
THE SUMMARY IN BRIEF
The responsibility of leaders is to enhance, harness and direct the capacity and
energy of their people toward virtuous and valuable ends. To achieve long-term
success, the organization needs to have a solid foundation built on principles and by Richard Barrett
values that act as a center of gravity. In business, you get what you target, design,
measure, provide incentives for and are passionate about. This applies equally to
principles and values, which need to be nurtured and directed through an effective
whole-system approach and values-management framework. This is exactly what
CONTENTS
Building a Values-Driven Organization provides.
The tools, ideas and framework found in this summary can help any leader The Seven Levels of
who is committed to a values-based approach and long-term sustainable success. Consciousness Model
Page 2
Richard Barrett shows how business is learning to develop a more integral or
holistic approach to organizational evolution. In addition, he offers a reminder of The Cultural
the importance of values-based decision making; the need for leadership training Transformation Tools
programs that build full-spectrum, self-actualized leaders; and the urgent need to Page 3
create a global cadre of master practitioners of whole-system change to support Mapping the
leaders in creating a values-driven future for business, society and humanity. Values of Individuals
Page 4
IN THIS SUMMARY, YOU WILL LEARN: Leadership: The Key to
Cultural Transformation
• How to build a values-driven organization. Page 4
• How the process of values management can be used to support continuous
The Framework for
improvements in organizational performance and develop long-term sustainability.
Whole-System Change
• How new leaders can become new agents of change. Page 5
• How leadership can become the key to cultural transformation. Values Management
• A blueprint for whole-system change. Page 7
Integrating Resilience
Published by Soundview Executive Book Summaries, P.O. Box 1053, Concordville, PA 19331 USA Page 7
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 THE COMPLETE SUMMARY: BUILDING A VALUES-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION
by Richard Barrett

The author: Richard Barrett is the managing partner of Richard Barrett and Associates. One of the world’s leading thinkers on
building values-driven organizations, Barrett is the author of the best-selling book Liberating the Corporate Soul. He has carried
out cultural values assessments for more than 600 organizations in 35 countries in the past eight years and works closely with
CEOs of major organizations around the globe.
Summarized by arrangement with Butterworth-Heinemann, an imprint of Elsevier Inc., from Building a Values-Driven
Organization: A Whole System Approach to Cultural Transformation by Richard Barrett. Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier Inc.
Summary copyright © 2009 by Soundview Executive Book Summaries, www.summary.com, 1-800-SUMMARY, 1-610-558-9495.
For additional information on the author, go to http://www.summary.com.

Introduction As a change agent, it is vital that you understand what

levels of consciousness and what worldviews different
The concept of whole-system change is based on the segments of the executive and employee population are
work of author Ken Wilber. Whole-system change can operating from if you are going to successfully design
best be explained by referring to a modified version of and support the leaders of an organization in managing a
Ken Wilber’s Four Quadrant Model. (See chart below.) whole-system transformation process. ●
Internal External
The Seven Levels of
Individual
Personality
Personal values and beliefs
Character
Personal actions and behaviors Consciousness Model
Seven well-defined stages can be distinguished in the
development of personal consciousness. Each stage focuses
Collective Culture Social Structures
on a particular existential need that is inherent in the
Group values and beliefs Group actions and behaviors
human condition. The seven existential needs are the prin-
Figure 1-1 The four quadrants of human systems ciple motivating forces in all human affairs. Individuals
grow in consciousness by learning to master the satisfaction
As individuals change their values and beliefs, their of these needs. Individuals who learn how to master all
actions and behaviors change. When a critical mass of seven needs without harming or hurting others operate
individuals changes their values and beliefs in the same from full-spectrum consciousness. They have the ability to
direction, their collective actions and behaviors also respond appropriately to all of life’s challenges.
change. For this to happen, there must be a parallel shift Here are the seven existential needs that constitute the
in all four quadrants. seven stages in the development of personal consciousness
Engineering parallel shifts in the four quadrants within (from most developed to most basic):
a group structure, such as an organization or any human Level 7: Service. Leading a life of selfless service.
system, is called “whole-system change.” Whole-system Level 6: Making a difference. Making a positive
change begins with a shift in the personal consciousness difference in the world.
of individuals and ends with a shift in a group’s actions Level 5: Internal cohesion. Finding personal mean-
and behaviors. ing in existence.
Values Management Level 4: Transformation. Finding freedom by let-
The purpose of values management is to actively mea- ting go of our fears about survival, feeling
sure and monitor the values and behaviors of an organi- loved and being respected by our peers.
zation so that we can continually adjust the culture to Level 3: Self-esteem. Feeling a sense of personal
sustain high performance. self-worth.

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 Summary: BUILDING A VALUES-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION
Level 2: Relationship. Feeling safe, respected
and loved. Three Key Insights
Level 1: Survival. Satisfying our physical needs. Here are three key insights on building a values-
The “lower” or basic needs, levels 1 to 3, focus on our driven organization:
need for physical safety and survival as well as our need 1. A cookie-cutter approach to the design of cultural
for emotional safety and self-esteem. The “higher” needs, transformation programs in organizations, where
levels 5 to 7, focus on our “spiritual” needs — the need one size fits all, does not work.
to find meaning in our lives, the need to make a differ- 2. Cultural transformation will work only if it is part
ence in the world and the need to be of service. of a whole-system change process.
Individuals who focus exclusively on the satisfaction of the 3. Cultural transformation will succeed only if the
lower needs tend to live self-centered, shallow lives, subcon- leadership team is committed to this work.
sciously or consciously dominated by the fears of the ego.
Level 1: Survival. Establishing conditions of financial
Individuals who focus exclusively on the satisfaction of
stability and safety for group members. ●
the higher needs tend to lack the skills necessary to
operate effectively in the physical world. They can be
ineffectual and impractical when it comes to taking care The Cultural Transformation Tools
of their basic needs. We say they are not “grounded.” Cultural transformation tools (CTT) have been used in
To be successful in the world we need to learn how corporations, government agencies and nongovernmental
to master the satisfaction of all our needs so we can organizations since 1997. They have also been used in
operate from full-spectrum consciousness. schools, classrooms, religious institutions and communities.
The Seven Levels of Group Consciousness The success of CTT is due to their ability to provide a
detailed road map for the evolution of consciousness of
The seven stages in the development of personal con-
an organization or any group of individuals that share a
sciousness also apply to the development of group con-
common heritage or purpose. In some instances, the
sciousness, where “group” is defined as a collection of
objective of using the tools is cultural transformation,
individuals who share a common physical heritage or a
and in other instances the purpose is to build a values-
common purpose (culture of meaning).
driven organization.
Groups grow and develop in the same ways as individu-
als — by successfully mastering the satisfaction of their Cultural Values Assessment
needs. The most successful groups are those that develop The CTT cultural values assessment (CVA) is used to
full-spectrum consciousness — mastery of the needs associ- identify and measure the personal values of the individuals
ated with every level of consciousness. They are able to who make up the organization, the values of the current cul-
respond appropriately to all of life’s challenges. ture of the organization as perceived by the members of
Here are the seven stages in the development of the organization and the desired culture values of the organi-
group consciousness: zation as expressed by the members of the organization.
Level 7: Service. Caring for humanity, future gener- At the heart of the CTT technology is the concept that
ations and the planet. all values and behaviors can be assigned to one of the
Level 6: Making a difference. Cooperating with seven levels of consciousness. If you can identify the val-
and forming alliances with other groups. ues and behaviors of a group of individuals, you can
measure the consciousness of the group by mapping their
Level 5: Internal cohesion. Aligning group members
values to the seven levels of consciousness model. ●
around a shared vision, mission and values.
Level 4: Transformation. Involving group
members and giving them a voice in Mapping the Values of
decision making.
Level 3: Self-esteem. Creating order, performance
Organizations
When mapping the values of organizations, researchers
and effectiveness that engenders respect and
have learned four things:
group pride.
1.Organizational culture is the new frontier of
Level 2: Relationship. Building harmonious internal
competitive advantage, particularly in circum-
relationships that create a sense of belonging.
stances where talent is in short supply.

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 Summary: BUILDING A VALUES-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION
2. Organizational cultures can be changed
either by changing the leader and/or
Merging Cultures
through whole-system change. and the Importance of the
3. The intangible assets of an organization, Values of the Leadership Group
such as culture, have a significant impact on
Mergers that occur between companies with similar
the share price of a company.
values and levels of organizational consciousness have
4. Whatever you focus on and measure the greatest chance of success. The least successful
gets done. takeovers are those that involve companies that operate
Ultimately the culture of an organization is a reflection from lower levels of consciousness taking over compa-
of the personality of the leader or the personalities of the nies that operate from higher levels of consciousness.
leadership group. Therefore, organizational transforma- Here are three hard-and-fast rules about organizational
tion always begins with the personal transformation of cultures and leadership groups:
the leaders. Individual values assessments and leadership
Rule 1: An organization cannot operate at a level of
values assessments play a significant role in helping lead-
consciousness higher than that of the personal
ers to change their behaviors.
consciousness of the leadership group.
Full-spectrum consciousness is the natural pathway to
Rule 2: The culture of an organization either is a
long-term success. Research shows that full-spectrum
reflection of the personal consciousness of the
organizations are the most successful. ●
leadership group (conscious and subcon-
scious) or is inherited from previous leader-
Mapping the Values of Individuals ship groups.
One of the best ways of raising the awareness of the Rule 3: In general, most organizations operate with a
members of the leadership group to the importance of “default” culture because it arises unconsciously;
values alignment is to provide them with their own per- the culture is not managed, the culture is not
sonal profiles from the cultural values assessment. They monitored and the culture is simply recognized
are able to see, firsthand, their own top personal values, as “the way things are done around here.” ●
the values they see in the organization and the values
they would like to see in the organization. They are also
able to compare their results with the overall results of
Leadership: The Key
the leadership group. to Cultural Transformation
Individual Values Assessment In his book Good to Great Jim Collins states that the
first job of a new leader is to get the right people in the
The individual profile when used on its own for right seats on the bus and that this is absolutely fundamental
coaching purposes is called an individual values assess- to building a long-lasting successful company. The right
ment (IVA). An individual goes online and picks 10 val- people are those who display what he refers to as level 5
ues/behaviors that represent who they are, 10 leadership. Collins’ level 5 leaders are those who display
values/behaviors that describe how their organization full-spectrum consciousness.
operates and 10 values/behaviors that describe how they
would like the organization to operate. The Seven Levels of Leadership Consciousness
The IVA is an invaluable coaching instrument. It There are seven well-defined levels of leadership that
helps people understand with clarity what is working correspond to the seven levels of organizational con-
and what is not working for them in the culture of sciousness. Each level is presented with the leadership
their organization and clarifies individuals’ feelings focus point:
about the organization. Level 7. Wisdom/Visionary: Service to humanity and
The gap between the current and desired culture the planet.
values enables people to see what is working and Level 6. Mentor/Partner: Strategic alliances and part-
what is not working for them and what they would nerships, mentoring and coaching.
like to do about it. The gap between personal Level 5. Integrator/Inspirer: Developing a strong
values and current culture tells an individual to cohesive culture.
what degree he or she can bring his or her whole
Level 4. Facilitator/Influencer: Adaptability, continuous
self to work. ●
renewal and learning.
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 Summary: BUILDING A VALUES-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION
Level 3. Manager/Organizer: High-performance sys- an organization consumed by nonproductive activities,
tems and processes. occurs when there is a lack of alignment between the
Level 2. Relationship Manager/Communicator: four quadrants. Cultural entropy is inversely related to
Relationships that support the organization. resilience. When cultural entropy is high, resilience is
Level 1. Crisis Director/Accountant: Pursuit of profit low. When cultural entropy is low, resilience is high.
and shareholder value. There are four causes of cultural entropy:
Each level of leadership corresponds to the satisfaction • Lack of personal alignment occurs when there is a lack
of the needs of the organization at the corresponding of alignment between the stated values of individuals and
level of consciousness. Leaders who learn to master the their behaviors, particularly among the leadership group.
needs of every level of organizational consciousness oper- • Lack of structural alignment occurs when there is a lack
ate from full-spectrum consciousness. Research shows of alignment between the stated values of the group and
that these are the most resilient and successful leaders the behaviors of the group as reflected in the rules,
because they have the ability to respond appropriately to regulations, structures and systems of governance.
all internal challenges and external threats while taking • Lack of values alignment occurs when there is a lack of
full advantage of opportunities to grow and develop. alignment between the personal values of individuals and
Focus the collective values of the group and a lack of alignment
between the values expressed in the current culture and
The principle focus of the lower levels of leadership the desired culture.
consciousness is on creating a financially stable organiza-
• Lack of mission alignment occurs when there is a
tion with a strong customer base that has efficient sys-
lack of alignment between the sense of purpose
tems and processes.
or mission of employees or their prime motivational
The principle focus of the transformation level of lead- drivers and the collective sense of purpose and
ership consciousness is to promote a climate of continu- mission of the group. ●
ous learning and employee empowerment so that the
organization can be responsive and adaptable to changes
in its internal and external environment and continuous- The Framework
ly develop new products and services.
The principle focus of upper levels of leadership con-
for Whole-System Change
The framework for whole-system change can be divided
sciousness is to create a vision, mission and values for the
into two phases: preparation and implementation.
organization that builds internal and external connectivi-
ty through strategic alliances and makes a contribution The Preparation Phase
to society. ● There are eight steps in the preparation phase:
Step 1(a): Cultural transformation tools values
Whole-System Change: assessment. The first step is to carry out a company-
wide values assessment to identify employees’ personal
The Context for Cultural values, perception of the current values and their desired
Transformation culture values. This is known as the baseline assessment.
Values alignment and mission alignment together create Step 1(b): Business assessment. In developing
group cohesion. the compelling reasons for change, it will be important
For whole-system change to occur, there must be a to include the business case for change as well as the
parallel shift in personal alignment, structural alignment, cultural case for change. Usually, the business case
values alignment and mission alignment. All four for change is blatantly obvious from the financial
relationships must change in the same direction for the results of the organization or key performance
group to experience a shift in consciousness. When all indicators such as employee retention, market share
four relationships change in the same direction, the and customer satisfaction.
group finds a new level of internal stability and external Step 2: Create vision and mission. The vision
equilibrium at a higher level of consciousness. and mission statements should be concise, inclusive and
easily memorized.
Cultural Entropy
Step 3: Choose values and select behaviors.
Cultural entropy, which is the proportion of energy in The results of the cultural values assessment provide

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 Summary: BUILDING A VALUES-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION
significant insights as to what values leaders, managers
and employees consider important.
The Importance of
Step 4: Evaluate organizational resilience. Values-Based Decision Making
Examine the long-term sustainability of the organization Over time, the human species has developed five
by carrying out a baseline evaluation of the organization’s modes of decision making. The difference between each
resilience. Find ways to enhance the organization’s abili- mode of decision making is the source and emphasis we
ty to withstand shocks and anticipate risks — find ways give to meaning making. There are five sources of
to build its adaptive capacity. meaning making: instincts, subconscious beliefs,
Step 5: Develop compelling reasons for change. conscious beliefs, values and intuition.
There must be a clear understanding among the executive Instinct-based decision making takes place at the cellu-
population, managers and staff why the organization is lar level and is founded on learned DNA responses,
embarking on a whole-system change process. principally associated with issues of survival.
Step 6: Survey of worldviews and drivers. In subconscious belief-based decision making we also
Identify the worldviews and key drivers of the react to what is happening in our world without reflec-
employee population. tion, but on the basis of personal memories rather than
Step 7: Develop an Implementation Strategy. cellular (DNA) memories. In this mode of decision mak-
Make the vision, mission, values and behaviors pervasive ing, action also precedes thought. The action is often
throughout the culture. There are three major compo- accompanied by the release of an emotional charge.
nents to the change process: personal alignment, group If we want to make rational decisions, we have to
cohesion and structural alignment. leave behind subconscious belief-based decision making
Step 8: Develop objectives and key performance and shift to conscious belief-based decision making.
indicators. Measurement matters. What allows us to make rational decisions is the pause
we insert between meaning making and decision mak-
The Implementation Phase ing. We are using beliefs based on our past experiences
Here are the steps of the implementation phase: to design our future experiences.
Step 9: Structural alignment. Reconfigure the To create the future we want to experience, we have
systems and processes of the organization so that they to shift from conscious belief-based decision making to
align with the vision, mission, values and behaviors of values-based decision making. The question we need to
the organization. ask when making a decision is the following: “Is this
Step 10: Leadership values and behaviors decision rational, and is it in alignment with our val-
assessment of the senior executive group, ues?” A decision that is not in alignment with your per-
coaching and action plans. People with deeply sonal values lacks authenticity. You cannot create per-
ingrained limiting beliefs should be assigned a sonal or group cohesion by making decisions that lack
personal coach. Those who cannot adjust will leave, authority and integrity.
often under their own volition. The shift from values-based decision making to
Steps 11,12,13: Personal alignment programs intuition-based decision making is for many a bridge too
with the executive population, group-cohesion far. However, it is not a bridge too far for the more
programs in intact teams of business or evolved leaders in an organization — those who have
functional units and subunits and leadership developed full-spectrum personal consciousness. Intuition
values and behaviors coaching with the allows us to create a future based on the emergence of
executive population. These three programs being. When we create the conditions that allow our
(personal alignment, group cohesion and individual minds to tap into the collective mind-space, our intuition
coaching) reinforce each other in bringing about informs us of what wants or needs to emerge.
a shift in the individual and collective behaviors of It is important for individuals and organizations to shift
the executive population. from belief-based decision making to values-based deci-
Step 14: Values awareness program. At whatever sion making. They should try to eliminate subconscious
level we stop the cascade of the personal alignment and fear-based decision making. To create a values-driven
group-cohesion programs, we replace it with a “values organization requires us to constantly focus on our indi-
awareness” program and cascade it through the rest of vidual and collective values. One way to do this is to
the organization. ● practice values management. ●

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 Summary: BUILDING A VALUES-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION
Values Management Future Evolution
Values management is the process by which an organi- Appreciative inquiry structures and focuses the con-
zation actively measures, monitors and responds to its versation, and just like the cultural assessment, it gives
causal indicators of performance in such a way that it employees and other stakeholders a voice in defining the
adjusts its culture and way of being to sustain high per- parameters that will guide the future evolution of the
formance (outputs) and meet its objectives (outcomes). organization. It focuses on enhancing what is working
To continually sustain high performance, four condi- rather than dwelling on what needs to be fixed. It
tions must be met: affirms and builds on what is positive and strong about
an organizational culture — what gives it life. ●
• Personal alignment: The alignment of an indi-
vidual’s values and beliefs with their actions and
behaviors. Integrating Resilience
• Values alignment: The alignment of an individ- The seven levels of consciousness model, with
ual’s values with the group’s values. the insights it provides on values alignment, cultural
• Mission alignment: The alignment of an indi- entropy and full-spectrum sustainability, is an essential
vidual’s sense of purpose, mission or drivers with framework for evaluating the cultural resilience of
the group’s stated purpose or mission. our organizations and institutions. Blending cultural
• Structural alignment: The alignment of a transformation tools (CTT) and a whole-system
group’s values and beliefs with their actions and approach to cultural transformation with resilience
behaviors as codified in the collective rules, laws and adaptive-capacity-building techniques is essential
and processes of governance. for creating long-term resilience.
The process of values management enables us to mea- What has become clear is that the emergent
sure the degree to which the four conditions are being systemic risks that organizations face cannot be reliably
met and how close they are to prime. Prime represents identified within the current silo mentalities that exist
the healthiest possible state of the causal performance in our organizations, nor are silos suitable for managing
indicators commensurate with sustained mission assur- resilience programs.
ance taking into account the levels of consciousness of Organizations of all types are migrating mission-critical
the executive and employee populations. business processes to information technology platforms
When the four quadrants are in alignment, the organi- that can be accessed from anywhere in the organization.
zation is as close as it can get to prime and cultural Managing and maintaining these systems require a cul-
entropy is minimized. ● ture of cooperation, coordination and collaboration
across all parts of the organization.

Integrating Appreciative Inquiry The Role of Culture

Transformation is seen to happen when people have The concept of values management is a timely
new, meaningful conversations they have never had innovation that allows organizations and institutions
before, either one-on-one or in small groups. to monitor their cultural resilience by regularly
monitoring their operating values and identifying high
The process of whole-system change creates a number
levels of cultural entropy. Wherever cultural entropy
of opportunities for transformational conversations:
is high, resilience is low.
when the leadership group revisits or develops a new
vision, mission and values for the organization; when the If a comprehensive resilience baseline diagnostic is not
individual and collective values assessment results are performed initially as part of a whole-system change effort,
debriefed with the leadership group; during the leader- the cultural diagnostic needs to include some form of risk
ship group’s discussion on their core motivations; and and resilience survey.
during the leadership group’s discussion on core business. This survey, together with the cultural values assessment,
These types of conversations clarify and align the inten- should be used to identify areas where cultural entropy
tions of the leadership group. Another important conver- and significant risks combine to create resilience “hot
sation that needs to occur is translating the espoused val- spots.” Scenario-based tabletop simulations that explore
ues of the organization into specific behaviors that reflect these hot spots can be used to help organizations test exist-
the organizational context. Appreciative inquiry is one of ing decision-support and collaboration processes under
the best technologies available for this task. complex event consequences. ●

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 Summary: BUILDING A VALUES-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION
Integrating the EFQM
Excellence Model Social Constructionism
An example of a whole-system approach to organiza- The theoretical basis for appreciative inquiry rests
tional transformation was developed by the Centre for on the concept of social constructionism. The
Integral Excellence at Sheffield Hallam University in the underlying beliefs of social constructionism are that
United Kingdom. The approach brings together the reality is formed through conversation and story-
telling, that language and communication facilitate
European Foundation for Quality Management
meaning making and that knowledge is generated
Excellence model (EFQM) and the seven levels of con- and passed on through social interaction. In its
sciousness model in an integral, whole-system, evalua- basic form, appreciative inquiry is a formalized
tion process. The model incorporates a continuous process for designing powerful conversations.
learning feedback loop that promotes innovation and
continuous improvement.
The basic principle of the EFQM excellence model is ent beliefs are celebrated as long as they do not under-
that there are many approaches to achieving sustainable mine the stability of the whole.
excellence but that in general: Excellence Results with During the process of self-actualization our minds
respect to Performance, Customers, People and Society are change. The ego-based drivers that dominate the lower
achieved through Leadership driving Policy and Strategy, levels of consciousness evolve into the soul-based drivers
People, Partnerships and Resources, and Processes. that dominate the upper levels of consciousness. Instead
of focusing on our ego-based personal survival, relation-
Integrating EFQM and CTT ships and self-esteem needs, we focus on our personal
A key learning from recent research is the significance soul-based needs — finding meaning in existence, actu-
of the relationship between improving processes and a alizing that meaning by making a difference in our
whole-system approach to cultural transformation. world and, finally, when making a difference becomes a
There are significant similarities between the areas for way of life, entering into the realm of selfless service.
improvement identified by the EFQM assessment and
Master Practitioners of Whole-System Change
CTT assessment — employee issues: employee commit-
ment, employee recognition; and employee fulfillment For those who are leaders, your challenge is to recog-
and performance issues regarding information sharing nize that the impact you have on the world depends on
and accountability (empowerment). ● your ability to grow in consciousness — to become a
full-spectrum leader. You will need to seek out master
practitioners of whole-system change who can support
New Leaders, New Change Agents your endeavors.
To move into the mind space of values-based decision For those who are practitioners, your challenge is not
making, we must be willing to let go of some of our only to grow in consciousness, but also to equip your-
beliefs. This process is called self-actualization. In this selves with an understanding of the models and tools
process, the “self” that is actualized represents the soul- that allow you to design and customize integral
self; the self that is able to transcend the conditioning of approaches to whole-system change to support the lead-
the enculturation process; the self that frees us from the ers you work with in creating a positive future for their
beliefs of the past that we accepted without thinking organizations and the communities that they serve. ●
because we wanted to belong, and be respected by our
peers; the self that is a composite blend of the positive
beliefs held by the ego and the values held by the soul. RECOMMENDED READING LIST
Self-actualization leads to freedom because it loosens If you liked Building a Values-Driven Organization, you’ll also like:
the bonds of enculturation. We become free to choose 1. The Soul of the Corporation by Hamid Bouchikhi and John R. Kimberly.
Learn how to manage the unconscious shared beliefs that give your
our own path, our own way of being — a way of being organization coherence.
that may be different from that of our parents and our 2. Firms of Endearment by Rajendra Sisodia, David B. Wolfe and Jagdish Sheth.
peers. We can only do this in a democracy or a gover- Today’s best companies generate every form of value that matters:
emotional, experiential, social and financial. This book tells you how.
nance structure that respects individual differences; a
3. Leading at a Higher Level by Ken Blanchard. Blanchard has spent more
structure that accepts and is comfortable with diversity; a than 25 years helping leaders and organizations become and remain great.
structure where everyone has a voice and where differ- In this book, he distills the knowledge of his years of experience.

8 Soundview Executive Book Summaries® www.summary.com